Run: 2026-03-11-01KKFJ3ZP7H0C6083J0KHVWRRG

The scent of cinnamon hung thick in the warm air of "Morning Glory Bakery," where the only sound was the gentle hum of the display case. Dust motes danced in the slanted morning light. "Two poppy seed bagels and a large coffee, black. To go." The words were brisk, spoken by someone already scanning the empty counter. "Right away. The morning rush was a bit slow today, wasn't it?" The baker's voice was soft, preoccupied. The sound of a bag crinkling. "That’ll be six-fifty." "Too slow. People hear about trouble, they tend to stay home." A pause, the sound of coins dropped onto the wood. "You were here late last night. Saw the light on." The crinkling stopped. "The oven timer was acting up. Needed to reset it." "Uh-huh. Strange time for oven problems. Right after the fireworks down by the old mill." "The mill’s always had electrical gremlins, especially with the damp. That’ll be your change." A quiet, final statement, a door opening to the jingling bell. "Have a better day now." The silence that followed was filled only by the hum of the fridge, heavy with things unsaid. The baker slowly wiped down an already clean counter, her eyes fixed on the empty sidewalk where the first customer had hurriedly walked away. She looked down at her own hands, then at the half-filled pastry bag, and a thought, cold and sharp, settled in her chest.