‘COUPLE FOUND DEAD. 5TH DEATH THIS WEEK .’ Citrine sighs at the headlines on the newspaper stands and walks on to the convenience store. Chicago has never been a good place to live. With a big city also came a big crime, which was never fun. Citrine never knew when she could turn a corner and have it be her last. Now, with this apparent serial killer on the loose, she had to even more wary than usual.

Walking into the store, Citrine grabs a bottle of Tylenol and walks up to the cashier. Ah, the cashier. His name was Thomas. Citrine’s heart fluttered every time she saw his pale skin, raven hair, and almond eyes.
“Your total is $2.30,” there it was. Citrine’s favorite part about him. That smile. That adorable smile. That smile lit up Citrine’s whole world. She happily hands over the money along with a little tip.

“You better come around tonight. I got a special recipe I want you to try!” Citrine laughs gently and watches Thomas close. She inspects his every move, trying to search for any hints of affection in his body language.

“I… I would but you know…” The boy pauses and takes a deep breath, “These past two weeks have been rough. So many people I have been around for the past week have just...”

“Dropped dead?”

“Yeah...”

“Well, that is why you need to try my new recipe! Come to my restaurant after hours,” Citrine desperately prods on. She couldn’t handle her crush being under such stress.

“Well uh! OK? See you then Trina,” Thomas laughs awkwardly and watches Citrine leave. Once Citrine was out of the pharmacy, she finally had some hope for the night. Something to keep her going. Thomas was going to come to her restaurant. Oh if this wasn’t a date, Citrine did not know what was.

Citrine frantically tidies up the kitchen, waiting for that delightful bell at the door, to tell her that the adorable Thomas is in her restaurant, eating her food that he would most definitely love! Citrine places the ingredients out for her recipe and looks around the spotless kitchen until her eyes still on the rat poison. She hides the box away in the cabinet.

Ding! With that little bell, Citrine rushes to the front, eagerly looking up and down Thomas. He was dressed dreadfully… average. Thomas was still in his work clothes and apron. Citrine forces a smile upon her face and gleefully leads him to a table.

“So what would you like, Mr…?” Citrine pulls a chair out for Thomas and twirls her blonde hair around her pale finger. She takes a chair beside him, crossing her legs and leaning very close to Thomas.

“Uh… Trina? You know my name! And you invited me here to try out your new recipe,” Thomas innocently smiles. He was just excited to get a good meal from his best friend! She was so nice, never had he had a girl be this nice to him!

Citrine’s frown returns, much more obvious now. She reluctantly stands up and walks back to the kitchen, with very few words. She prepares Thomas’ meal, chopping the pine nuts and rolling out the pasta dough. Citrine grins, admiring the beautiful meal. A perfect masterpiece. She prepared a perfect pasta painted in pesto, peppered with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and shaved parmesan. As Citrine admired her meal, she sighs. Thomas has to realize her crush this time. She invited him after hours to try out her food in her 5-star restaurant. Sure… he didn’t dress for the occasion, but maybe he just wanted to get here in time… yeah.

Citrine splashes water on her face and then heads out of the kitchen to the dining room. She sets the pasta plate onto the table and then sits right beside him. The dim lighting and candlelit table finally came alive with the smell of Italian food. Citrine smiles dreamily and watches Thomas.

“How is it?” Citrine creeps a hand closer across the table, silently begging for him to hold her hand. She watches his eyes and leans her other hand upon her chin.

“Pretty good! If my girlfriend could cook this good, she would be perfect!” Thomas happily comments, not expecting a reaction.

Citrine could feel the room spin around her. She grew nauseous as she holds her head, trying to resist tears, “Your… girlfriend?” 

“Yeah! She is wonderful.” Thomas watches Citrine.

Citrine excuses herself and walks into the kitchen. Citrine clenches her fist and punches the wall, before shaking off her hand. She storms over to the cabinet and tearfully opens it, snagging the rat poison. Citrine prepares an ice cream sundae, adding whipped cream and cherries to make it pretty, before she grabs a handful of the poison, and sprinkles it upon the dessert. Citrine feigns peace and storms out to the table, sitting down in the seat. Citrine sets the dessert down carefully, “And here it is. My perfect dessert. The ice cream sundae. Its to die for.”

“Well, it looks amazing!” Thomas grabs a spooning, skipping the rest of his dinner for the ice cream. He begins wolfing it down, ‘sprinkles’ and all.

Citrine watches him with a smirk, “So. The last people killed were your parents, right? Then an ex? And two friends?”

Thomas glances up and only pauses eating to answer, “Yeah… it is really bad. I just wish I could see them all again.”

“I know… nothing that one more bite of ice cream couldn’t save!” Thomas looks at Citrine confused and does as she says, her smirk growing into an evil grin. Thomas holds his head, swaying. He looks around the room, barely able to figure out where he is.

Thomas was about to answer but he gasps, realizing he lost his breath. Citrine just chuckles, watching him, ‘Come on… you have to finish your food. It's just one more bite Tommy!” She grabs the spoon full of cyanide and ice cream, shoving it in his mouth. Thomas grabs his throat and gasps. He spits out the ice cream. Thomas passes out, falling off of the chair. Dropped dead.