6

"The usual?" Sally said, dropping a wrapped set of utensils on the table as she put a glass of ice water with a paper-topped straw in front of Kate.

"Uh, yeah," Kate said, the hunger creating a rage in her that she could barely contain.

Her body was crackling with electricity now, having spread from her cheek until it filled her whole being. She wouldn't describe it as painful, and at another time, she might even call it pleasant, but at the moment, it just seemed to make the hunger even worse.

Sally nodded, then yelled to the back where Jones was still on the grill, "Bacon deluxe with fries."

She started to walk away when Kate chimed up, "Can you bring me a slice of chocolate cake while he's cooking that? I'm really hungry."

Sally didn't say anything, just walked over to the display case where a chocolate cake had been sitting untouched for hours. Everyone new Tony loved to bake. Everyone also knew Tony was a terrible baker.

Kate's rage was bubbling even closer to the surface when Sally brought the cake over and she barely waited for the plate to hit the table in front of her before she stabbed the piece with her fork and shoveled a huge chunk of it into her mouth.

It was so good. Surprisingly good. She'd never had a chocolate cake this good. Maybe Tony was finally getting better at baking after all? She looked up at him, standing by the till laughing with a regular who was checking out.

Tony looked at her and for just a moment, their eyes met and she could feel them both lock into place, almost freezing time around them.

The cake that had just a second ago tasted so good turned to ash in her mouth.

And in that moment she knew.

She knew what Tony had done.

And he knew that she knew.

Before she could say anything, he'd picked up a gun.

Before she could even react to the gun, it went off.