"It's just $1.00 mommy, please? They have my favorite kind," Bella pleaded, her eyes wide. My four year-old daughter Bella could not live without ice cream. Sure as clockwork, every time the faintest sound of the ice cream truck's jingle could be heard, she came running to me for money.
I sighed and pulled a dollar out of my back jean pocket, figuring to let her indulge in her ice cream obsession as she would likely soon grow out of it.
Her large, round eyes widened in excitement as she breathed out a thank you and ran up to the ice cream truck. We live in a very safe neighborhood, so often time I gave Bella money and allowed her to go up to the ice cream truck by herself. Not to mention, I knew the ice cream lady as an elderly woman named Carrie, an upstanding senior citizen just looking for a day job to occupy herself.
However, this time as my eyes followed Bella, I noticed that Carrie was absent and in her place was a scraggly, almost rat-looking man of about forty. Something about his demeanor was off, he seemed nearly deranged in the way he twitched and blinked sporadically. The thing that caught my attention the most was his left eye, as it was a glossy gray and appeared to be a cataract.
I inwardly hoped that Carrie was ill and he was merely a stand-in, as the way he conducted himself downright freaked me out. I felt that there was something wrong with this man and his presence around my daughter did not sit well with me. However, when she skipped back to me with her ice cream, she looked normal as ever and so I ushered her back inside quickly.
After about a week of seeing the man working the ice cream truck, I decided that he had replaced Carrie. I also decided that I would watch Bella every time she went and got her ice cream. I was so unnerved by this man that I tried refusing Bella money, but every time she would become upset and I caved.
The man usually only smiled at Bella but today was different, today he leaned down and whispered something to her. I immediately called her back and the man slowly lifted his head, smirked at me, then drove off.
As soon as Bella returned, I bombarded her with questions. To no avail, however, as she claimed that the man had said nothing. I had clearly seen him lean down and saw his lips move, but I wondered why in the world my daughter would lie about it. Feeling deeply unsettled, I took Bella inside and tried to brush it off as nothing.
I tucked Bella in that night without issue and fell asleep quite quickly. However, my deep sleep was disturbed when I heard small footsteps pattering down the hallway. I was forcing open my groggy eyes when I registered the footsteps as Bella's, and they were now going down the stairs.
My first thought was why the hell she was up as it was currently 3 a.m., and more importantly where the hell was she going?
"Bella?" I called out her name, but only heard her distant giggle in response.
It was then I heard the back screen door creak open. My heart skipped a beat. I never locked the back door. I heard the door close behind her when it clicked.
I could hear the faint jingle of the ice cream truck right outside the house.
note - sorry this story sucks but i felt bad for not uploading in forever so hopefully this will do while i try to find some inspiration!
