A Living Gumball Machine

The mall was silent. The normal busy hustle and bustle that normally filled the walls had disappeared long ago; leaving it in the mall alone. How long had it been since it had seen a customer? More importantly, how long has it been since they came?

They used to show up every weekend, eagerly running towards them with their coins in hopes of getting their favorite flavor of candy. The creature could still remember the feeling of the coin as it was slid into the slot before the metal knob was turned-allowing a gumball to roll its way down to the metal door below. A metal door that had long since disappeared.

Tilting its head upwards, the creature squinted as the faint rays of sunlight filtered through the broken glass ceiling that ran along the middle of the mall’s roof. The sun used to shine down from the roof, the sun’s rays used to cast down-scattering its rays across its once immovable body; yet never warming them up enough to damage the candy kept safe inside.

Attracted by the sunlight reflecting off of their shiny, red body, the children would run towards the middle of the mall--where a mini candy zone stood. Candy and gacha machines of various sizes surrounding a towering gumball machine, filled with various kinds of candy--but most especially--gumballs in every flavor imaginable. A gumball machine that attracted children of all kinds.

Unfortunately all that remained of that once charming, miniature area was toppled machines and broken glass. However one machine was missing, the main focus part of the miniature area was gone. Or perhaps..it had simply changed.

Lifting its front leg, the creature gently pawed its rounded metal foot against the floor-flickering its long ears, which had grown out of its cap-at the faint scraping of metal against tile, as well as the sound of crunching glass. Turning its head, the creature stared down the empty halls-its bright blue eyes flickered across the faded and boarded up stores that lined the walls. Stores that once welcomed customers of all kinds but now lay empty and abandoned.

Letting out a loud snort, the creature reared into the air before slamming its feet onto the ground with a crash--sending shards of glass flying; skittering haphazardly along the floor. Fine, if no one wanted it, then no one could have it!

Smashing its metal feet through the glass covers of the toppled candy machines, the creature leaned over and inhaled; causing the scattered candy to shoot forward as if being pulled towards its open mouth by a powerful force! Quickly disappearing out of sight, the gathered candy soon reappeared in the middle of the creature’s transparent glass belly; trapping the candy inside. Only to let out a snort a second later, spitting glass across the floor once more.

Rattling faintly, its swirled metallic neck echoed faintly as if something was moving through it before a lollipop appeared in its mouth-carefully rolling it around with its tongue until the stick was pointed out.

Twitching slightly, its long ears folded against its head, causing one of its candy cane earrings to sway, as the sound of a door opening broke the silence of the abandoned mall. Snorting loudly, the creature pawed the ground.

Spinning around towards the sound, the creature inhaled deeply, sucking the lollipop back into its mouth before throwing its head forward as it exhaled-spitting the lollipop out at the high speed; cutting through the air-embadding it in a nearby wall. The only proof of the would-be intruder was the fading sounds of footsteps.

An Entry in the "What am I?" Challenge

https://vocal.media/writers/what-am-i-unofficial-challenge