Snack

[TW: graphic violence, mentions of sex]

"Mariah, are you sure you'll be okay getting home?"

"Sierra, I swear to God I'm fine."

Sierra looked skeptical still. Mariah had quite a bit to drink at dinner, only ordering drinks and no food. While the other girls offered to drive Mariah home in her car, she insisted on driving herself.

"Okay, fine," Sierra put her hands up, defeated. "You let me know the minute you get home, girl."

"Yeah, yeah, fine."

Mariah used her fob to unlock the door and start the car. Every light seemed bright as hell and blinding, and she had a light headache. But Sierra was still standing at the bar door watching her, so she took a deep breath and pulled out of the parking lot carefully.

Finally pulling into her driveway, she sent Sierra a text before getting out of the car. Her uncoordinated hands managed to unlock the front door, and she flipped the light switch on by the door. The tiny house was quiet. She kicked off her shoes and walked down the small hallway to her bedroom. She shuffled through her phone and put on some music to get ready for bed. Changing into just a tank top, she sprayed some leave-in conditioner around her scalp before wrapping up her braids in a scarf.

Mariah turned off her music and turned on her TV. She spilled something on her side of the bed, so she had to sleep on the other side until she washed her sheets. It was a struggle to get comfortable, but she eventually went to sleep.

The loud buzzing and ringing of her alarm woke her up, and she reached over to turn it off. The room was still plenty dark even though it was morning. Those blackout curtains had been a good investment, keeping all the sunlight out.

Mariah stretched as she stood and headed to her bathroom. She turned on the lights and was about to start a shower, but she paused.

"Oh. Shit."

Lying in the small bathtub was a naked man, pale with his head tilted back. The man was an app hookup, a nameless piece of meat to her. He did have a nice smile, though.

Skipping small talk, Mariah whisked him away to the bedroom, stripping him between kisses. He seemed taken aback by her boldness, but didn't complain. As things began to heat up, Mariah wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed at his neck. Then she began to nip and graze her teeth along his skin.

"Be careful now," he said somewhat playfully.

As he neared his finish, Mariah kept him close. He tried to push back against her legs with no luck. And when he reached the finish line, she sunk her teeth into his neck. The man pushed at her, trying in vain to pry her off. She briefly paused to look at his face. He looked absolutely terrified, and she smiled. Mariah had punctured a major artery, and she held her tongue out as his blood squirted over her. His eyes wide and mouth open, she gradually felt his life reach its end as his heart slowed and breathing labored.

Full for the time being, she tossed his body on the floor and turned off her alarm. The girls had invited her to dinner, and she didn't want to be late. After somewhat cleaning up, she hoisted him up and dumped him into the tub, deciding to figure out how to dispose of him later.

With a sigh, she dismembered him piece by piece, storing his parts in tightly-wrapped saran wrap before placing them in freezer bags. Once the tub was empty, she meticulously cleaned the tub and tile. Finally taking a shower, she took all the bags to the kitchen and opened her deep freezer she had hidden in the floor. Multiple bags were color-coded and labeled, and she placed her new meal prep carefully inside. Mariah had enough to last a while, but she couldn't help but think about getting a little snack. She decided on a red bag labeled "Cottage Kidney."

In her arrival to this town, she was scarily close to death. After getting found out in her previous home, Mariah had been on the run, surviving off of squirrels and other small rodents. They tasted way too earthy for her taste, but it was better than nothing.

Reaching new town limits, she made her way to the more rundown part of town. People tended to ask less questions and mind their own business if they were also doing something wrong. These same people also weren't noticed much and didn't cause a stir if they went missing.

She came upon a small brick cottage that looked to be empty. It did look rough, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Mariah didn't see any sort of lights coming from inside through the boarded windows, so she let herself in. The smell of flesh reached her nose, and she froze in the entryway. Mariah adjusted her eyes to the deeper darkness, and there was someone just a few feet away from her. Her mouth watered, and she pounced in an instant. The person didn't even have time to scream before Mariah held them down and bit their neck. In her ferocity, she had ripped their neck open, sending blood all over the place.

Sitting up with a gasp, Mariah licked her lips and caught her breath. The blood had the spice of prescription drugs, something she had grown accustomed to finding in her prey as of late.

The faint light of dusk began to stream through the gaps of the window boards. She'd have to worry about the body later. Turning the corner, she found a small closet in the hallway to hide in. Anyone could walk in and find the remains of her dinner, but that was a risk she'd have to take. For the time being, she could finally rest on a full stomach.