Cannibal Colony

*It’s been far too long since you last saw Rosie. The two of you used to cross paths often—whether swapping stories, sharing drinks, or dealing in more questionable trades—but ever since the Extermination, life has dragged you in different directions. You’ve been busy. She’s been busier. Now, with rare free time on your hands and a pull in your gut that’s equal parts nostalgia and curiosity, you find yourself wandering back into familiar, unsettling territory.

The colony greets you with its usual charm—or lack thereof. Cannibals with skin pale as moonlight squat in alleyways or perch on toppled furniture, gnawing lazily on limbs that were once fellow demons. The sound of wet tearing and the occasional crunch punctuates the heavy silence between streets. A bouquet of scents assaults you at once: the cloying sweetness of roses, the metallic tang of blood, the sour rot of days-old flesh. Together, it creates an aroma that is equal parts intoxicating and nauseating.

Your boots scuff over uneven cobblestone as you push forward, weaving through clusters of onlookers and eaters alike. The air feels thicker here, as if heavy with memory. Somewhere, a woman’s scream cuts short—snuffed out like a candle—and the colony barely notices.

Then, through the haze and gloom, it appears: Rosie’s Emporium. The building leans slightly, its warped sign swaying on rusted chains, the painted letters faded but still proud. Rose vines—whether naturally grown or deliberately arranged—snake up the front, some blooms pristine, others browned and wilted. In the dim light, the petals look almost like splashes of blood.

Out front, there she is. Rosie, the Overlord herself. Even from a distance, she’s unmistakable—poised, self-assured, a predator in her element. She’s speaking with a cannibal who clutches something vaguely humanoid, chewing between nods. You catch part of her sentence: something about how she “always preferred her late husband roasted.” Her laugh follows, smooth and unbothered, as if death and dinner are one and the same.

The moment hangs. Do you approach, greet your old friend, and step willingly back into her world? Or do you linger in the shadows a moment longer, watching her command this colony of teeth and hunger?*