I met Samantha shortly after nine o'clock. She was waiting outside her bakery when she checked the time. How would grown women greet each other. They saw us at the same time and greeted us. This was followed by hugs, kisses and the renewed question "How are you". We walked along the street and decided to sit in a café. As soon as we ordered a coffee, we started talking about the latest events, the new American sanctions and their impact on prices and inflation. In the middle of the conversation, when Sam was talking about the expensive ingredients, I took out my cake. She looked at my cake in surprise. Especially because I had made them myself. "They look beautiful," she said to me as she held a slice in her hand and looked at it. "It was done quickly for me," I replied and offered her to eat it. Sure enough, she bit into it and chewed away.
"Wow, it feels really good," she looked at me as she chewed.
"Isn't it?" I said with a discreet smile before continuing. I felt my larvae crawling around in her belly, looking for a way to her brain. Meanwhile, I told her how I made the cake. Although she also knew how to do it, I concentrated on my version of the cake.
After Sam took a moment to compose herself, she talked about a topping that could be put on the cake. That would make it much more edible. "Maybe," I added, when an alarm went off shortly afterwards. Sam grabbed the phone out because she had to get back to work. She exhaled deeply shortly afterwards. As we walked back down the street, she seemed a little withdrawn. Maybe because she knew what was waiting for her. Just before she went in, I offered her the rest of the cake for the team. Sam looked at me scrutinizingly. "You still need to eat it," she replied with a look.
"I don't want you to worry about me. I still have enough cake at home," I squeezed the cake in her hands. She glanced at the cake, thanking me as she slowly entered.
"Don't forget to share it with your colleagues," I said afterwards, but she might not have heard that. I returned home. I still felt Chrissy tired at the back of my mind. Maybe she was snoring or dreaming. And as long as she was doing that, I had plenty of time. Just her body and me.
On the way home, I picked up some pastries at a bakery near the house before arriving home. Zach worked on the computer while managing the kid at the same time.
"Here you are. How was it?" he immediately wanted to know. Possibly because he could give the child back to me.
"Not bad, but unfortunately too short," I replied.
"She might have a lot to do," he smiled at me. "As busy as I am," and handed me the children. I took it to me and rocked it like Chrissy would. I looked into her eyes. Like your mother's eyes, I thought.
I told Zach that I would take the kids outside and enjoy the sunny time. He replied that I shouldn't worry about him. I put Mina in the baby carriage and went outside. The hot weather was beating down on me.
By now it was just before twelve. I went outside with Mina, Stefanie and the rest of the cake. I still needed potential victims who would take my larvae into their bodies. But who? In a park that was newly developed for children, I let Mina onto a green meadow. I fed Stefanie while I took note of my surroundings. Neither I nor Chrissy knew many of the parents, but when I saw a familiar face among them, I knew she would be the next victim.
I grabbed Chrissy's children in my arms and went near Terri. When she suddenly saw me, I looked shocked too. I pretended that I hadn't spotted her and hugged and kissed her, as you normally do when you want to make new friends. Terri introduced me to her colleagues. Edina, a shorter Spanish woman with brown hair and an oval-round face. Then next to her was her husband Ele, a Turk with black hair and, of course, a beard. Lastly, her colleague Chloe Schaefer, a blonde, perhaps blonder than Terri, originally from Germany. You can tell by their thin bodies. Neither of them had children and worked in different professions that would suit me. While Edina worked as a communications manager at Häsel and Hopfler, Ele is a content creator in her own right. Chloe, on the other hand, was studying marketing and had found a job in marketing in Germany. Just as well that she visited her family there and found out about her grandfather's story. As she had found out a few years ago, she was originally from Germany. Her grandfather, a medical soldier in the Wehrmacht who experimented on human beings, escaped thanks to American help. Unusually, she didn't know why he was helped to come to America. Especially when she found his passport and all the documents, she was completely surprised.
I let the children play in the sand behind us. We had a beer each time. "Wow, you know something about your grandfather," Edina took a sip. "We don't know anything about our grandparents," she explained frustratingly, because of course she and Ele knew which country they came from, but never found out how their ancestors came to America. "It's better this way," Chloe tried to explain, because it had been a shock for her to find out about her grandfather's deeds. Above all, she didn't even know how to confide in her family. Terri drew a conclusion and tried to explain to her colleagues how difficult it was to come to terms with it in general. What was a boring conversation for me would be very interesting for Chrissy to hear. But she was still tired and asleep at the back of her mind, probably still dreaming. I just listened without taking part in the discussions. I was watching them talk when I looked at Mina. She crawled in my direction. I left the conversation for a short time and took Mina in my hands.
"What's wrong with you, my little child," I looked at her and she looked at me. "Are you hungry?" I asked. She nodded without saying a word. I fetched the baby food from the baby carriage and took out a spoon before feeding Mina. Although she had teeth at the age of one and a half, I had to feed her. Terri's colleagues watched me and smiled at me. "How old is she?" Edina asked. "Two years old. The youngest in the baby carriage a few days old," I replied with a smile. "Then she's no older than Terri's children," Eli added. "No, they're not. But good friends," I confirmed the good relationship with Terri. Chloe was also enchanted by the beauty of the children and asked me if she could hold Mina one day. "Why not," I handed Mina over to Chloe, who held her really well. "Who's a good child? Yes, you are," Chloe lovingly fed Chrissy's child until the child could eat no more and she was allowed to play in the sand again. I took care of the baby food while Stefanie slept soundly in the baby carriage. It was the best option for me to make further sacrifices, so I took out the cake and presented it. Like Chrissy, I proudly said: "I baked this cake. A top quality lemon cake." They looked at me as I gave it to them to taste. Who could refuse such a cake. I gave them the pieces I had already cut at home. One each to try. I handed them the cakes with napkins. They were already looking forward to becoming my new victims. I smiled as I handed them out. They looked at the yellowish cake. They couldn't see my larvae because they were hiding deep inside the cake. They just took a bite, then the next, until they ate it all. "What a beautiful cake," mentioned Ele, still talking with his mouth full. "Indeed," Edina added. "You must give me the recipe of this cake," Chloe demanded and they all laughed. "No, but seriously now. This cake is fantastic. Certainly one of the better cakes I've ever had."