It was the middle of summer. Kids were outside playing and their laughter could be heard from miles away. The sun was beaming down on the small town. The thermostat read above 100°F. The grass and leaves were noticeably becoming a darker shade of green than the usual lime color due to the sweltering heat. This was already the second heatwave of the summer. Flowers were drying out and AC units were breaking at the bat of an eye. However, the town did have one saving grace: The ice cream truck. 

The bustling noise of squeaky tires and the classic tunes being played over the speakers made the parents nostalgic and brought a smile to their faces. Children ran towards the ice cream truck in their flip-flops every day to try to find an escape from the heat. 

They love the town’s Ice Cream Man. He was acquaintances with the parents and carried a sharp smile followed by the gracious amounts of ice cream he happily provided. He wore a bright blue shirt that matched his young eyes perfectly. His brown hair was covered by his light pink hat that had the universal ice cream cone logo attached. 

Once the town could hear him bustling down the street children all around raced towards the ice cream truck. They could be heard shouting and screaming with joy. 

Oddly enough, the ice cream truck was always parked at the end of the street. Immediately after the truck stopped, the Ice Cream Man turned the volume of the speakers noticeably louder, letting the town filled with uplifting music.

 He opened the vertical door and poked his head out, waving the children over. Children began to tower over each other, begging to be first in line. The Ice Cream Man patiently gave the children their ice cream cones and treats. 

However, there was always something special about the last kid he served ice cream to. Whether they were kind-hearted and purposely decided to be last in line, or just got unlucky and arrived at the truck later than everyone else, it didn’t matter. They were special regardless. They were so special to the Ice Cream Man that he always decided to give them a second treat. 

Today was just like any other summer day, “I have more flavors in the back of my truck,” said the Ice Cream Man with a smile on his face. “Want to come inside and take a look?” Each child always said yes while excitedly jumping up and down. Today was no different. The Ice Cream Man opened up the back of his decorated truck and gave the child assistance to get inside. He quietly locked the door and catered to the child inside. “My name is Sid,” said the small boy. The Ice Cream Man stayed silent with a subtle grin forming at the corner of his mouth and nodded his head. 

Once he knew the child was distracted enough to not notice his movements, he carefully grabbed a small toolbox that hid in the corner of the truck and struck the boy. Sid immediately fell to the ground, noticeably unconscious. 

The Ice Cream Man was pleased with his actions and grabbed the scissors located on one of the countertops. He stabbed the little boy in his throat and chest until it was certain he was no longer alive. 

The Ice Cream Man grabbed Sid by his ankles and dragged him on the cold, sticky floor toward one of the freezers. Sid was thankfully light. The Ice Cream Man quickly reached the freezer, put the child inside, and then closed and locked the freezer. 

As the Ice Cream Man was driving away from his usual parking spot at the end of the neighborhood, he was very thankful of how successful today was. He was casually driving his way home when suddenly he heard police sirens. He looked down at his speed limit and realized he was twenty over. He quickly pulled over in hopes of the officer not making a fuss. As he was sitting and waiting for the police officer to walk up to his truck he felt anxiety creeping inside of him. His legs were bouncing up and down, his hands were shaking, and he felt his stomach begin to cramp.

The officer finally walked up to the Ice Cream Man’s truck and asked him what the cause was for going over the speed limit. “I was just in a rush to get home, Sir,” said the Ice Cream Man. The officer wasn’t convinced and asked the Ice Cream Man if he could look inside the truck. The Ice Cream Man hesitated, which made the officer more suspicious. The officer looked around inside the truck and noticed blood stains inside. He searched some more and noticed the locked freezer. “Do you mind unlocking this for me?” Asked the officer. The Ice Cream Man’s face quickly turned gray and his mouth drew open. There was no Ice Cream Man the next day.