Kat

Setting aside her book, Kat took stock of her evening. It had been hours since Daisy and Lucy had left for the night. Not that either had been good company. Daisy still seemed unwell, even if she said otherwise. Everyone at the store looked tired; it was expected. But Daisy’s long, glassy stares and slouched shoulders, those were concerning. Meanwhile, Lucy, that relationship might not be repairable.

She’s trying, but you’ve known girls like her.

Hayden would be on for her next shift, but they still didn’t have a good rapport. He seemed determined to save her from Tom, which just added confusion onto the bonfire she had smoking in her brain. There was a gloominess to the Crossroads that evening, made all the worse by her efforts not to be so needy.

I don’t need to check up on Tom. He’s a big boy and we’re not even…

But even after putting her phone on silent, he was on her mind.

Tom was a slow burn, just like her. It might take them forever to actually go out, and all this talk about the guy he used to be… that wasn’t helping.

“How do people actually do this?” She asked aloud. “Dating is garbage.”

You’re not dating.

“You know what I mean.”

And now she was talking to herself. A perfect log for the fire. Just the right amount of crazy to really make it burn.

Something moved.

She snapped her head towards the window, frantically searching for the danger she felt. Her heart beat against her chest as she stood, still yet broiling with sudden adrenaline, waiting for the inevitable strike —

There was nothing there but her own reflection.

“Figures.”

Just the person she wanted to see the least.

Kat stretched and then walked around the counter. It was time for a snack.

She sauntered through the shelves and back towards the Pizza Stack.

Daisy had left her an overcooked garlic fingers. Well, overcooked, according to the customer. To Kat, it was just the right level of crisp.

She ripped off a ‘finger’ and munched away. Soph had experimented a while back with “Halifax-style” donair sauce, but it never took off. She missed it, though; the sweet, spicy garlic dip was perfect for extra crispy munchies.

She’d have to settle for a bit of pizza sauce.

Bradley wouldn’t like to see her that distracted, but he wasn’t there so…

Oh shit, he has cameras.

She looked to the front where one hung in the corner.

It was fine; she’d caught him eating before. It was just that creep Douglas who took that stuff seriously.

Tom’s night shift log was weighing on her too. She’d only ever seen Bradley respond to those, but as soon as Rodney was mentioned, Soph had jumped right in.

Why was she so dismissive?

Sophie always seemed so hands-off with these kinds of things, then that one pulled her in.

But why would her aunt care about any of that? Ghost stories seemed a bit beyond her, and she hadn’t even mentioned Rodney by name in front of her; yet she shut the conversation down.

Why did she care?

Any further interrogation would have to wait.

She checked her silenced phone…she had a dozen messages from Tom.

Her eyes scanned the stream of troubling info.

“Rodney worked at a bar…I think I found his address…look at this…”

Kat squinted at the picture, unsure what it even meant until, with horrifying realization, she called Tom.

“Tom, what the hell was he doing!”

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