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Nell's day had started off on the dark side. The whole town was in an uproar over the recent death of six local women. They had all been viciously murdered, Miss Lucy being number six. Miss Lucy had been found dead in an alleyway, her body so badly beaten the police couldn’t identify her head from her torso. What really frightened Nell to a high degree was the fact that her heart had been taken out. Now, don’t get her wrong, she did dislike her. The main reason was that she was overly rude to her and was disrespectful all the time. She looked down on Nell because she was wealthy. Even though she wasn’t a nice person, Nell wouldn’t wish death on anyone. There was a killer in their small town and no one had a clue as to who was causing these bloody murders. Easten Wood was a small community. Everybody knew everybody. So, to think that one of your neighbors could be a bloodthirsty murderer was scary. Nell somberly advised her mother not to answer the door if she wasn't home. Her poor sickly mother was too weak to fight off any attackers in her current state. Walking through the cobblestoned streets, she looked up at the dreary sky and took a deep breath and sighed. Today was going to be a long day, she felt it.

May the universe show pity on me, she thought to herself. Her mood was somber and the weather didn’t help to brighten her day. The sky was littered with dark clouds and it was drizzling.

With that, she headed towards the coffee shop to open it up. Humming a tune, she slid the brass key into the lock and with a slight grunt, lifted the heavy metal covering. Walking into the dark store, she quickly set up the tables and started to boil the water. Grabbing a wash rag and a small bucket of water and soap, she wiped the Cherrywood tables until they shined. Looking down into her slightly misshapen reflection, she admired her murky brown eyes that she got from her

mother. Her hair was tied back into a single braid going down her back. The loud whistle announced that the water had come to a steady boil. Walking over to the kettle, she added the coffee beans to start the coffee. Looking around, she admired the shop and how much it had grown over the years. Her boss, Mr. Jason Leyfo, had put his blood, sweat, and his son's college money into building the success of this coffee shop. His wife had been so angry, Nell thought she would divorce him for wasting their savings. But, she just gritted her teeth and told him that if this didn't work out, she was leaving and taking their son.

At first, the shop hadn't been a success, the main reason being because everyone drank tea or other beverages instead of coffee. Mr. Leyfo had worked his tailbone off to make it a success with her help. That was three years ago. Nell had only been seventeen during that time and had really needed the job. Nell had been so desperate because her mother's health was rapidly failing and they needed the cash. She was twenty now.