Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm

I woke up to a bright and sunny morning on the second day of my third rebirth. Saying good morning to my pink and blue flames, I cooked myself some breakfast before packing up the apartment all over again and heading out.

One thing about living every day like it was your last, you developed some really weird habits. Weird habit number one was that I would always pack up everything if I am going anywhere. Sure, things were more convenient with the space, but I even packed my backpack filled with what I considered important when I left the door of my apartment in the compound.

Since nothing was ever guaranteed, making it back to a safe place a night was never a sure thing. Therefore, it was always smarter to have whatever you needed on hand, at all times.

Although I was pretty sure that this body had a car, I had never driven it, nor had I passed a driving test in this world. As a result, I walked towards the first real estate office that offered farmland for sale.

Eight hours later, and six farms viewed, I began to think that maybe the second step was not as easy as it sounded. No place felt like the 'one'. Oh sure, the farmlands were beautiful, but they were either too close to people or the land was not suitable for both animals and crops. I sighed, realizing that this might take me a bit of time.

Putting the farm at the forefront of my mind, but on the back burner of my list, I smiled at the poor real estate agent that was hoping to make a quick and easy sale. She assured me that she would keep looking for land that met my requirements and I said goodbye for the day. Both food and my bed were calling my name and I hated to disappoint either of them.

I entered a café/dessert shop that was located down the street from my apartment and looked at the offerings. It had been over ten years since I last had something sweet, and now, absolutely everything was appealing. Blueberry crumble pies? Check! Rich, decadent chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and fluffy salted caramel buttercream? Check! Macrons of all colors and flavors? Yep! Had to have those too.

After ten years of not being able to choose my food, of some nights not even getting enough to eat, this shop was a glimpse of heaven that I had waited three lifetimes to find. What to choose, what to buy?!

Well, it was simple. When you couldn't choose, buy them all! Should I feel bad about buying out the place? Nope! I didn't care about the people that would come after me, wanting, needing that hit of sweetness to make their lives better. Everything was mine, and I was not sharing.

Sorry people, my fucks have runeth dry.

I smiled at the cashier as the person lucky enough to be in front of me put in their order and moved to the side, waiting for their slice of rapture. I stood in front of the cash and waited for the cashier to acknowledge me, and ask for my order. I vibrated in happiness.

"Hello, welcome to 'Le petite mort', how may I help you today," the overworked, underpaid cashier asked, as if she hadn't asked that question a hundred times today. I had to give her credit, her customer service was right on point.

"Hi!" I replied cheerfully, my eyes wide with the thought of eating all that delicious goodness. "I would like everything!"

She looked up at me, startled. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard," she said, trying to think about where she misheard me and what I actually met.

I shook my head, the smile on my face never leaving for a second. Maybe I was becoming a villain because the idea that all those people behind me would not get what they wanted made me feel even happier. "Nope! You heard right! I would like everything! Every cake, cookie, square, pie, tart, Napoleon, everything. I mean, it all looks so good!"

"Oh, you mean you would like one of each! Certainly! Not a problem! I will get that for you right now."

My smile dropped a bit as I looked at her. I stood up straighter and then slouched again. My head cocked, and I blinked rapidly. "Nope, I mean, I want every last thing in those display cases and behind in the kitchen. Every. Thing. As in, nothing left over, you can close the shop because you have sold everything, everything."

"But that is going to be hundreds of dollars if not thousands! And what about someone else? If you take everything, what are they going to have?"

I shrugged my shoulder and remembered step one: all people should die. Why should I care about what they want when no one had ever cared about what I wanted? People always seemed to want to take the moral high ground until it involved them, then their brains stopped, and it becomes all about what they wanted. People are inherently cruel, selfish, and narcissistic. The apocalypse taught me that in the harshest of ways.

I wanted every last one of those desserts in that case, and dammit, I was going to get it.

Putting on a "customer service smile" of my own, I look at the cashier. "I do not care about someone else, or even those standing in the line behind me. You asked for my order, this is it. Are you going to do it or not?"

She really did seem stunned at my response and even tilted to the side to see the faces of everyone else behind me. I could guess what they looked like, after all, I could hear the grumblings after I put my order in for the first time.

Once again, no more fucks to give.

"Let me check with my manager," the oh-so-stubborn cashier said. In my last two lives, I would love to say that I had never gotten upset over anything. Don't get me wrong, I had a temper, but I always bit my tongue and gave in in the end. This life was to be my way. No biting my tongue, no holding back my temper or my thoughts to make other people happy. My way.

"You do that. But you might want to hurry, people seem to be getting testy behind me," I said, waving my hand towards the "others" that she seemed so determined to make happy by making me upset.

Seriously, this was the easiest order in the world. EVERYTHING! What was so hard about that? It's not like she can get it wrong by giving me a raspberry tart instead of a blueberry one.

Within seconds, a young man came out, dressed as the manager. He, once again, smiled at me and asked what I wanted.

Sighing, I looked him in the eyes and said as slowly as I could. "I. Want. Every. Thing."

He looked me back in my eyes and I quickly figured out why he was the manager. "Of course, Miss. Will you be paying by cash or credit?"

Yup, I knew I liked him.

"Cash," I replied calmly, handing him a stack of bills totaling more than the cost of everything. I figured a tip was in order given how smart he was.

"Certainly."