I Feel Like Eating

The sun was setting on the horizon, and Wren was organizing the contents of her bag while in her car. The driver was slowly getting across the jam brought by the police and people crowding in a certain city. When Wren turned to see what was happening, it was the same alley where she picked up Keagan. The coroner's people were taking away the bodies.

Next to their car was a pair of reporters taping their segment for their TV show airing later. She turned in their direction and watched them through her heavily tinted windows. She barely made out the words coming from the reporter's mouth.

"…seventh case of the wild serial attacks happening in the city… two men were gutted… be wary… the police…" The car simply got too far for her to understand everything.

"Madam, the serial killings are getting worse. Just earlier past midnight, another pair was found in that same alley. Hours later, another batch died. We should find another route home for your safety." The driver glanced at Wren through his rearview mirror. "The scent of their blood might grow too much for you to tolerate if the deaths keep on happening."

Wren placed her bag at the side, watching the scene far away from her other window. "Someone is rampaging in my city. I am not going to just sit still and wait for them to affect the Carousel. If an important person in an office dies, our workflow will be in trouble. For now, the targets remained to be the ones loitering at night. It should be contained."

The driver also glanced at his side mirror to see how the coroner's men pushed a gurney toward their ambulance. It was just that a small stone caused the wheel to lift. The slight rock made the body shift and drop its arm. Along with it came the pulled-out intestines. 

Screams quickly echoed in the place, and the cameramen either grabbed their cameras to cover the scene or zoomed in on the entrails. Someone even had to scoop those back inside the red blanket.

"…how wasteful," the driver murmured, Wren only humming in agreement. "If that person is eating humans, then it's rather wasteful. Could it be killing for sport, Madam? Could everyone be in even bigger trouble than I thought?"

"Let's just hear about it when Lev returns from his trip. It's about time for him to show up again." Wren leaned on the seat behind her and sighed. "Otto, let's drop by somewhere to buy something to eat. I feel hungry… and that Gephardt would want to eat the same thing I had."

Otto, the driver, nodded and took a different turn than what he normally took to go straight to Wren's Pineberry Estate. He was hoping the madam would find a place she'd fancy without having to turn around. It was just that he saw something peculiar in the distance.

The sky was beginning to darken, and so the store lights along the streets began to glow. It was just that a lone place didn't have any lights to brighten the signage. It was also the only place that had a beautiful girl waving around, shouting how the bread there was the most delicious. On a night when serial killings were happening, it was quite miraculous to pull in more people.

Wren and Otto squinted as they drove by the bakery. The man had to find more suitable parking next to a family diner that was a few steps away. 

The boss hummed as she took out a few bills from her wallet. "Buy the seafood specials for everyone. Wait for me to come back."

"Madam, reserve your cash for the bakery. It doesn't seem like they accept credit." Otto didn't accept her money, and Wren didn't force him to do so. She just told him to file a petty case report for her.

They exited the car at the same time, and Wren walked out of the parking lot to cross to the other side. She was suited in a white loose long-sleeved shirt and a pair of stylish light-green slacks. Her green heels clicked against the concrete, and her gold handbag was worth the envy.

Wren soon took off her aviator glasses and found her way to the woman promoting bread in front of the bakery. When their gazes met, Keagan froze.

"Miss Allard, what are you doing?" Wren asked before looking at the entirety of the bakery. "Do you work here? Aren't you supposed to be a…?"

"Madam Chastain… I'm very sorry for leaving!" Keagan gasped and held onto her handmade banner. She bit her lip. "I will speak to you again when I look proper! I just wanted to look my best when I—! Please don't fire Elijah! I swear I will even kneel to beg you!"

Wren eyed the bakery instead. She saw the pieces of bread from outside, as well as the old woman squinting in their direction. After all, Keagan was seemingly bowing down to this other lady. If she got picked up by a sister, then the old woman would only give her the four pieces she asked for.

Before Keagan could hug the ground, Wren turned to her again. Her hand moved to hold the handmade banner to read what was written on it. "…why are you doing this? Can't you sell anything?"

"Ah, no, our sales were actually good earlier. They just stopped coming…" Keagan flinched when Wren moved, so she just watched the female boss examine her banner. She even felt embarrassed because it was not the best one to be used for promotions. "Madam, you don't have to bother with this. Uh, do you walk past this place on your way home? Wait, shouldn't you be in a car?"

"…what do you get from selling? How much can you earn from one piece of bread?" Wren didn't answer Keagan's questions. She didn't even seem to realize that she ignored Keagan out of frustration. Her hold on the banner's corner was even crumpling it.

Keagan saw the look on Wren's face before dropping her begging expression. "Madam, don't be so mad. I just didn't have work anymore. Please let me do my job. If you have a few bucks to spare, please buy at least one. If I had money, I would have bought you a piece instead."

Wren looked at Keagan before sighing. She let go of the banner and turned to face the bakery. "All right, I will listen to your recommendations."

With a big smile, Keagan chirped and walked Wren inside the bakery. Since a sale was to be made, the old woman smiled at the seemingly stone-faced lady. 

Keagan rolled her banner and greeted Wren as if she just entered the bakery. "Welcome! What would you like to have, madam? Oh, we have…"

"Hm, there's so much to choose from." Wren hummed and tapped on her chin. Then, she looked straight at the old woman. "I guess I'll just buy them all. Every last piece, please."