#dollrstore

yes, they are.

"look at you... so helpless down there on your knees. i bet you'd do anything i asked, wouldn't you? just like a good little pet."

"don't look at me like that... stop it! i didn't do anything wrong! ok? i'm not the bad guy here."

"i wanna go with you... take me, please! i can't stay here, and i don't wanna be without you. i don't care what you are, or what you've done, that doesn't matter to me! just take me."

It was a testament to small town America that the same lab Faye worked in, doing blood testing for the local hospital, also happened to be the lab that the police department had rolled a murder victim into only a few days ago. This was the third body found in the last few months, all girls around Faye's age, all petite framed with dirty blonde hair too, and yet her fascination far outweighed her fear. Despite her bright and bubbly demeanor, she also happened to be an avid consumer of true crime, and it would be a lie to say having a front row seat to an actual investigation wasn't a dream come true. "It's obvious that where they found her isn't where it happened, Dr. Thorpe got the pictures from the scene today," Faye mused, taking a long sip of her diet coke. "There were pretty deep stab wounds here." She motioned to her abdomen. "Here." And then her chest. "And a gnarly gash here." A finger swiped across her throat, the blonde making a face as if she was actually being cut. "Local police can't handle this kind of thing, and we aren't exactly a crime lab. Sheriff is trying to act like he knows what he's doing, but they might have to involve the state soon."

sometimes it felt like the stink of raw meat was forever stuck up his nose and toby wondered when he was supposed to go noseblind to it. he knew people that worked in gas station kitchen that couldn't smell the way the grease stuck to their clothes, but he knew people that worked in bakeries that loathed the smell of chocolate because you couldn't escape it. maybe it had something to do with how long you were away from it, toby didn't know, but he didn't care at that moment as long as he got to leave. he felt exhausted, but he still hung back, watching elsie and waiting for her to finish up what she was doing before sticking his hands in his pockets. "hey," he called out to her, jerking his head back towards the doors and freedom, his dinky little car parked out of the way of paying customers. "you ready to get out of here? i can give you a lift." couldn't guarantee he'd actually drop her off in a timely manner, but oh well.

"you're... not like how i thought you'd be." how was the guy she'd avoided in the halls at all costs for four years the very same guy who'd been making her giggle like a dopey teenager all night? somehow, he'd transformed from a creepy weirdo kitty was certain would gut her and wear her entrails like a scarf to someone she actually didn't mind being around, though she never would've taken a chance on him had she not been forced to wait on him. ever the believer in fate, kitty felt that maybe this encounter was meant to be. "y'know, i get off in a half hour, if you wanna, like... get a drink or something. if you're not busy, that is."