Bobby

 The green digital display read 6:46.

Bobby smiled as they sat at the table they liked by the window. It was the best seat in the little cafe, at least he liked to think so. He knew what he wanted to order but picked up the laminated menu to look it over anyway. 

He was trying not to look at his companion too much because he did not want her to see how nervous he was. "So the cafe is pretty full tonight" he thought some small talk might help keep him calm.

"It's not a cafe. It's more of a diner. There's a big difference."

Bobby nodded agreement and smiled. She was probably right. She was usually right about that sort of cultural stuff. That was one of the many reasons he was going to ask her to move in with him. That and the way she ran to get out of the rain. Her laugh, when she let herself laugh. 

He couldn't wait until after they ordered. It was time.

"I'm glad you were available tonight, it's been a few days since we've gotten together. You know, we've been dating for quite some time now and I think it might be good for us to- to start talking about where we take things from here." He sighed, he couldn't believe he'd made it through the start of it all at once.

She looked confused, that was not what he was expecting. She started to say something but hesitated. Bobby's heart sunk but then she cleared her throat and asked, "so you think we should break up too?"

Bobby felt warm and tried to find the words to correct her. His reply was lost in the roar of the explosion. There was a flash and the window shattered into jagged shards. Bobby was peppered with dozens of those shards and was gone before his mind could register any of what was happening. 

Dr. Spencer

 Dr. Spencer was not actually a doctor,  but he liked to think of himself that way. He had referred to himself as doctor ever since he had been kicked out of medical school. He had managed to force the member of the school administration that he blamed most for his removal to call him doctor. 

A smile snuck onto Spencer's face as he fingered the jar holding the administrator's eyeball. He took stock of the specimen jars lining his special shelf. He lost himself in the memories of each surgery he had performed in his operating theater. It was not an actual operating theater  but a corner of his basement he had personally installed a drain and tiled in aqua green. So many surgeries had been performed there.

Spencer continued smiling and looking over his specimen collection. Everything from the eyeball, to a spleen, to a section of a carotid artery. That one made him giggle at the memory of that patient. 

He was lost in the memories for some time. Spencer was brought back to the present by the feel of the jar at his side. He had almost forgotten what he was doing because of the beauty of his collection. But now this latest specimen could take it's place with the others.

Spencer jerked away from the shelf and looked at the stairs. It sounded like the front door but that could not be the case. It was locked and no one ever came to visit, not willingly. He carefully pulled the scalpel from the pocket of his lab coat. 

He listened as hard as he could but only heard his heartbeat roaring in his ears. He found himself halfway up the stairs but could not remember walking over to them. A deep breath helped steady him a little. 

It was over before Spencer knew what had happened to him. He slowly opened the door at the top of the stairs and was startled by the dark figure in the doorway. There was a flash as the figure lashed out with a knife. Spencer gasped as he fell back and tumbled down the stairs unable to comprehend the fatal cut.

The stranger felt their left bicep and let out a grunt. The bastard must have had a blade that caught that arm as he flailed before falling back. There was some blood but it was nothing serious. 

Karbaka

 Karbaka let out a roar as he reached the top of the small rise. His weapon spat death to the feeble defenders below him in their makeshift fortifications. They were no more than piles of wood or other materials that the defenders were able to gather when they realized Karbaka's army was closing in on their settlement.

The defenders made an doomed counter charge at Karbaka himself but it was scattered as Karbaka's troops finally caught up with their leader and fell upon the defenders. 

Karbaka proudly watched the mayhem play out before him. He took shots at the defenders when the opportunity arose. Then came the shot.

The sniper had patiently waited to get a clear view of Karbaka's face. He squeezed off the fatal round and muttered a curse before seeking other targets to try and help the faltering defense. Despite taking out the leader of the attackers the day was far from won.

Squirreliana

Based on actual events. 

He arched  his body as he jumped twice landing a foot or so from the side of the road. He stood tall and looked at the tree across the road that was his current goal. 

He quickly crawled to the middle of the road and then turned back. He didn't stop until he was back in the grass.

He looked around and decided it was safe to venture back into the road. He heard something coming along the road and started to run forward across the road but changed his mind and started back towards the grass.

He stopped before getting to the grass and turned back to cross the road. The large thing was getting closer but he knew he could make it and dashed to the other side of the road.

He stopped and looked as the thing passed by. He then turned to look for the tree. There it was, not very far away now.

He crouched and started to move carefully again through the grass. There was a darkness that caught him by surprise. Was it a bird? What was it?

It was over before he could react.

The small car flag twisted halfway and came to rest a foot or so from his lifeless body.

Anne

Anne locked the door and checked that it would not open. She lifted back the small curtain over the little window in the door just enough to peek out to make sure no one was near the house on the street.

The door to the basement creaked as Anne opened it and descended into the dark. At the bottom of the stairs she flipped the switch to turn on the light. She made her way to the workbench on the far side of the basement.

On the workbench there was a sewing box and a photo album. Anne opened the album slowly, savoring the feel of the fake leather cover as she anticipated the contents she would see.

Page after page was neatly filled with photographs of young women's head and neck. If she didn't know better she would think they were sleeping. Her eyes focused on each neck, admiring the slight bruising around the pink ribbon tied into a simple bow. 

Anne was startled by the squeak of metal springs off in the corner of the basement. She took a deep breath and tried to stifle a smile. "It's okay, dear. It will only be a little while now."

She opened the sewing box and gently lifted a length of pink ribbon out. Then she turned and slowly walked toward the cot in the corner. Anne ran the pink ribbon through her fingers as she walked.

"It will be over soon, dear." Anne knelt by the cot while wrapping part of the ribbon around her left hand.