I’m going to be late to work. Again. Were the first thoughts that popped into Kristy’s head as she stood in a growing line at a local fast food joint. It certainly wasn’t fast, but it certainly was good. And addicting, for that matter. She’d found herself thinking more and more about it as the days passed.

She waited and waited as she got closer to the front of the line. She thought about every single item on the menu, pondering whether she should get a regular burger combo, or get a double patty burger combo. It was a hard choice, considering that this place had the best burgers in town. She didn’t want to make the wrong decision . . . 

At long last, there was only one person in front of her. She listened as the man ordered several large combo meals, and listened as the woman at front apologized.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir, but we’re almost out of patties, we’ll only be able to serve you five out of the seven combos you just ordered.” She said in a chirpy voice, a smile on her face as she looked directly into her eyes.

“But I’m next and I wanted a burger combo!” Kristy yelled, fuming. She couldn’t believe that the man had the audacity to buy so much!

The woman at front put a finger to her lips and winked. She went into the back for a few minutes and came back with the man’s orders. He paid and left to sit at one of the booths. Is he seriously going to eat that all by himself? There’s no way that he- Kristy’s thoughts were cut off as the woman motioned to her.

“You said you wanted a burger combo, right?” Kristy nodded, unaware that now she was the only customer in the store, other than the eating man. “Then come with me. There’s an extra shack full of patties in the back. At least, it’ll soon be full with patties.” She giggled and led Kristy to a small shack.

When she entered, it was cold. The air was frigid, as the shack was seemingly meant to keep supplies cold. The woman shut the door behind Kristy, momentarily leaving them both in pitch darkness.

“You didn’t need to-”

“Yes I did!” The woman interrupted, a smile on her face. “We don’t need our food getting warm, now do we?”

Kristy looked around, a feeling of dread entering her body. “But there’s nothing else in here. . . .”

“Don’t worry, darling. It’ll soon be full of plump, delicious patties ready for people like you!”

Kristy felt a tear fall. “But . . . why me?” She asked, backing away as the woman grabbed a large butcher’s knife.

“Simple. You were next in line.”