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She was pouring coffee when he sat at the counter before her.  "Be with you in a minute."

He grinned up at her.  "How's about now?"

She laughed.  "How's about you wait your turn?  I won't be long."  True to her word it was only a few minutes before she was back before him, smoothing her apron.  "There.  What can I get you?"

"A bit of your time."  His smile could be called devastating; oh, she was tempted.

"I'm not off for a long while yet."

"I'll wait.  How's about a piece of that pie?"

As he said, he was waiting when she stepped into the dim parking lot.  Now she grew cautious, but he had already seen her.  When he asked her to walk with him it was not his smile that persuaded her but rather the black pistol held so casually with its barrel against her side.

He whistled softly as he walked her down the road.  Fur Elise.  She knew that song.  Odd that her murderer would remind her of her little sister.  Was that piano recital only last year?  She must have had another by now, wouldn't she?  A beautiful song.

It ended and he began again.

He likes it too.  We both like Fur Elise and he'll kill me, and then he'll walk away.  Will he whistle something else?  She looked at him.  He met her eyes and waved his free hand for her to continue walking.  No - he'd stick with the same song.

She decided that she did not like it enough for it to be the last song she ever heard.

She was still trying to figure out how to ask for a different song when they came to the railroad tracks.

Now he was behind her.  She could feel his presence, knew he was there the way a child knows there's a monster in the closet, except that this monster was not afraid of open spaces.

"Did..."

He waited, politely.  Of course he did.  He had all the time in the world.

"Did...they pay you a lot for me?"

"They paid enough."

She waited for the pain to start.  Or the nothing.  It depended on where he shot.  She hoped it would be the head.

She felt nothing, then hands grabbing her and throwing her to the ground as a blast reverberated, lights wavered, and a rumble vibrated into her chest.

Her killer held her down with his hand between her shoulders.  The train was still a ways off.

He's so cautious.

He's scared of the lights.

That made sense; monsters were always scared of the light.  Her nightlight was almost to them.  Over the tracks she could see the moon hanging low and bright.  So bright.  A Hunter's Moon.

I'm a hunter, too.

With a sudden push and a twist she swung her forearm into his throat.  His hand tightened on her blouse as she tried to leap forward and she ripped it so the buttons flew and the blouse fell away.

It was always an ugly blouse, she thought, even as she jumped across the tracks and unimaginable tons of steel screamed and rattled past her.  Lights.  Beautiful, beautiful lights.

She ran then. Through the dry grass that scratched her legs and over the clods of earth that tried to make her fall.  Here there be monsters and away there go lights.

The tempo of her running brought Fur Elise to mind.  Had she breath, she would have laughed.  A cautious killer.  He was so young.  Must have been new.  Too new to go solo.  "Should've...offered more.  Maybe gotten...someone who knows what to do."

Panting.  Where's town?  Where's the lights?

A shadow was coming.

She ducked low and hid in the tall grass, straightening it as she went.  Think.  Time to think.  Past time to think.  Thinkers live.  Time to think.

Fight?  Can't.  Too little, too weak.

Hide?  How long?  Here's too risky.  Hiding is only as good an idea as the hiding place.

"Was it here?"

She shrank from the voice she recognized, even before she knew who it belonged to.  This wasn't the wanna-be killer.  This was Caleb.

"Thought so."  And Finn.  Those big Irish brothers.  Should she call out?  If the killer were around, he'd see her go with them.  Even a reprieve...

"Hey there!"

Now again her choice was taken away.

"Son of a... what're you doing?  Get up!"  It was too dark to see which brother took her hand and led her into the open.

Description
She was pouring coffee when he sat at the counter before her.  "Be with you in a minute."

He grinned up at her.  "How's about now?"

She laughed.  "How's about you wait your turn?  I won't be long."  True to her word it was only a few minutes before she was back before him, smoothing her apron.  "There.  What can I get you?"

"A bit of your time."  His smile could be called devastating; oh, she was tempted.

"I'm not off for a long while yet."

"I'll wait.  How's about a piece of that pie?"

As he said, he was waiting when she stepped into the dim parking lot.  Now she grew cautious, but he had already seen her.  When he asked her to walk with him it was not his smile that persuaded her but rather the black pistol held so casually with its barrel against her side.

He whistled softly as he walked her down the road.  Fur Elise.  She knew that song.  Odd that her murderer would remind her of her little sister.  Was that piano recital only last year?  She must have had another by now, wouldn't she?  A beautiful song.

It ended and he began again.

He likes it too.  We both like Fur Elise and he'll kill me, and then he'll walk away.  Will he whistle something else?  She looked at him.  He met her eyes and waved his free hand for her to continue walking.  No - he'd stick with the same song.

She decided that she did not like it enough for it to be the last song she ever heard.

She was still trying to figure out how to ask for a different song when they came to the railroad tracks.

Now he was behind her.  She could feel his presence, knew he was there the way a child knows there's a monster in the closet, except that this monster was not afraid of open spaces.

"Did..."

He waited, politely.  Of course he did.  He had all the time in the world.

"Did...they pay you a lot for me?"

"They paid enough."

She waited for the pain to start.  Or the nothing.  It depended on where he shot.  She hoped it would be the head.

She felt nothing, then hands grabbing her and throwing her to the ground as a blast reverberated, lights wavered, and a rumble vibrated into her chest.

Her killer held her down with his hand between her shoulders.  The train was still a ways off.

He's so cautious.

He's scared of the lights.

That made sense; monsters were always scared of the light.  Her nightlight was almost to them.  Over the tracks she could see the moon hanging low and bright.  So bright.  A Hunter's Moon.

I'm a hunter, too.

With a sudden push and a twist she swung her forearm into his throat.  His hand tightened on her blouse as she tried to leap forward and she ripped it so the buttons flew and the blouse fell away.

It was always an ugly blouse, she thought, even as she jumped across the tracks and unimaginable tons of steel screamed and rattled past her.  Lights.  Beautiful, beautiful lights.

She ran then. Through the dry grass that scratched her legs and over the clods of earth that tried to make her fall.  Here there be monsters and away there go lights.

The tempo of her running brought Fur Elise to mind.  Had she breath, she would have laughed.  A cautious killer.  He was so young.  Must have been new.  Too new to go solo.  "Should've...offered more.  Maybe gotten...someone who knows what to do."

Panting.  Where's town?  Where's the lights?

A shadow was coming.

She ducked low and hid in the tall grass, straightening it as she went.  Think.  Time to think.  Past time to think.  Thinkers live.  Time to think.

Fight?  Can't.  Too little, too weak.

Hide?  How long?  Here's too risky.  Hiding is only as good an idea as the hiding place.

"Was it here?"

She shrank from the voice she recognized, even before she knew who it belonged to.  This wasn't the wanna-be killer.  This was Caleb.

"Thought so."  And Finn.  Those big Irish brothers.  Should she call out?  If the killer were around, he'd see her go with them.  Even a reprieve...

"Hey there!"

Now again her choice was taken away.

"Son of a... what're you doing?  Get up!"  It was too dark to see which brother took her hand and led her into the open.