When you go out to collect honey that morning, the last thing you expect is to find four dark figures squirming in the biggest candy tree in the valley. Your world is full of soft tones, meringue skies, cotton meadows… so the absolute black they’re wearing feels like a visual scream.

The four of them are tied up with shiny licorice ribbons, swaying slightly as the sweet-scented wind passes by.

Gerard is the first one to see you. “Are you seeing this?” he whispers, eyes wide. “Hey, could you help us?”

Ray tries not to move too much because the sticky branch keeps getting caught in his hair. “Please tell me this isn’t a trap— I DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING.”

Mikey is pale, but not out of fear; he’s simply trying to process the fact that a sugar butterfly just landed on his shoe. “Why is everything sparkling…? And why do the ropes taste sweet?” he asks, licking a little piece before immediately regretting it.

Frank is the one complaining the most. “This is your fault, Gerard, for not doing the ritual right!??”