Arianta and Shannon walked towards the café, the sounds of the bustling city filled their ears. Honking cars and chatter from pedestrians mixed with the distant sound of a street performer's guitar. The chill in the air made them pull their jackets tighter around their bodies.
As they passed the bookstore, Arianta's gaze was drawn to the display in the window, something deeper calling her attention. One book in particular seemed to glow under the store’s spotlight. It was a new release with Katherine Bishop's name prominently displayed on the cover. The title, “Scream in the Dark” was all so appropriate as she still screamed in the middle of the night with haunting dreams of her experience.
“Looks like someone finished the book after you left,” Shannon commented, peering over Arianta's shoulder at the display.
“Poor girl.” She pulled her collar up closer to her neck and moved on towards the café, a hint of sadness for a faceless and nameless woman.
They were seated at a table next to a window. The conversation returned to Katherine. “I still can’t believe she paid you for the work you did,” Shannon said.
Arianta sighed. “Can we just forget about her? I’ve moved on.”
“I don't think you've actually moved on. Your dating calendar has been empty, and all you do is write day and night.”
“I’m trying to finish this book,” Arianta said, feeling slightly defensive.
Shannon continued, “It’s probably a love story about her.”
Arianta rolled her eyes because sadly, it was. “Again, let’s change the subject.”
“So, it is. I knew it!”
Determined to change the subject, she began to talk about her recent visit to her father who had just moved to Canada. It had been over a year since she had left Texas and Katherine behind, but even after all this time, Katherine still dominated her thoughts. She spent most of her waking hours writing her version of the events that had led to her discovery of a cannibal living in a sleepy rural town.
Shannon had been right about her dating calendar being empty. She had tried to move on with her life, but she found that she couldn't bring herself to date anyone. She had gone to a local lesbian bar, met a woman, and went home with her, but when the woman asked about the scar on her arm, Arianta froze up. How could she explain that someone had literally taken a chunk of her flesh and popped it her mouth like a piece of gum?
As they sat in the café, sipping their coffee, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned her head, looking out the window for a second before returning to Shannon’s adventures from the night before. Arianta let out a soft screech of a startle, darting her eyes back to the street where she knew she had seen Katherine outside the café. No one was there, but there was no doubt that she had seen her.
“What's wrong?” Shannon asked.
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