“Welcome back to Fox FM news break, we’re right in the middle of another heat wave with soaring temperatures…”

  Taylor and Ever scooped and scooped. Flavors dwindled down, only to be replaced by new, full tubs. A few people bought full containers of ice cream to go.

  Even with the air conditioning on and standing next to a literal freezer, Ever was sweating. He could feel it trickling down the middle of his back. Initially he had found it weird going to shower everyday at the gym; he just didn’t feel dirty. It wasn’t like he was rolling around in the park. For the first time since he arrived, he looked forward to the water droplets hitting his face.

  Taylor had commended Ever on his improved smile too. ‘Less freaky,’ she had said, looking up from her programming book while he served the first few customers of the day. She hadn’t touched her book for hours now. It had been all hands on deck since the late morning and if the queue snaking out the door and around the corner was anything to go by, four hands weren’t enough.

  “I reckon we’re going to break some records today,” Taylor said, taking a quick swill of water. “I don’t remember it being this busy, ever.”

  “Cool bananas,” Ever said, not taking his eyes away from the order dockets in front of him.

  Taylor burst out laughing. “‘Cool bananas’? When did you start saying that?”

  Ever looked up to the sound system in the corner of the shop. “I’ve been listening to the radio.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Well, that makes one of us,” Taylor said, “I just put it on so it’s not so damn quiet.”

  Ever gave an ice cream to a customer then glanced at his colleague. “What’s so bad about silence?”

  Taylor stopped moving; Ever felt it before he could see it. His body tensed.

  ∞Hello, Death’s apprentice.∞

  It looked at him through Taylor’s eyes. Once again, there was the feeling of falling and accelerating towards a ground that never came. Something about seeing this primordial being in his friend’s body made Ever ball his hands into fists by his side.

  *What do you want?*

  ∞I’m bored.∞

  Ever forced himself to relax. *Let’s play a game, then.*

  ∞A game? Excellent idea. I’ll make the first move.∞

  “Hey! Snap out of it!” Taylor barked. She had pinched his arm and was twisting his skin.

  “Ow!” Ever looked around, getting his bearings. Something was different and wrong about the ice cream shop. “Why are the lights off?”

  “It’s not just the lights,” Taylor said, trying to call someone on her phone then giving up. “No signal even, all the power’s gone. The freezers also aren’t working. All the ice cream’s going to melt.”

  Its first move. It had to be that being. Customers were starting to murmur, realising what had happened and overhearing what Taylor had said. The temperature in the shop was getting hotter by the second.

  What’s my next move?