[ WP ] You overhear a seemingly offending conversation , but you just missed the conversation topic .

I scratched the back of my neck and yawned as I began walking down the corridor from the restroom back towards my office cubicle. 
 
 There was a blind right-turn after the drinking fountain up ahead, and I could hear Marcy's shrill laughter echoing from the other side, and the voice of someone else from my department talking to her. Bill, maybe? I stopped and listened more closely. No, it was n't Bill, it was Todd. I could hear the distinctive rasp in his voice now, as I sidled up as close to the corner of the walls as I dared, to eavesdrop in on the conversation... 
 
 Todd: `` Yea, you got ta be really careful to lock their cages though. Those little kids look cute and innocent, but they'll sneak out on you, at night.'' 
 
 Marcy: `` Yea, I'd imagine they might be troublemakers if you give them the chance.'' 
 
 Todd: `` It's worth all the trouble though, in the end. I mean, once they grow up, you can make a lot of money off by milking them. You'd be surprised how much people are willing to pay for their milk. And as for the males, you can just kill them and chop'em up for the meat. They taste pretty good actually, if you barbecue them just right. Does n't seem too popular in America though, but in far corners of the world, you'd be shocked how many people are willing to eat their flesh.'' 
 
 Marcy: `` Wow, that's crazy, I never realized people would actually be willing to eat them, but I guess different cultures have different tastes. Anyway, yea I dunno, I've thought about it a lot. I mean, I live out in that rural farm house all by myself, often figured it might be nice to have some kids around, but just always felt like it would be too much of a life commitment. Even if I kept them locked up in pens or cages, I'd still have to feed them and clean up all their crap and all that, and of course having to keep them up on their shots and everything. Seems like kind of a hassle just to have a few kids around, especially when I'd probably end up slaughtering them a few years later when I got tired of them or if I got a good enough offer from a specialty buyer, you know one of those butchers who actually does kids. I figure in 2015 there's got ta be at least a few of them in our state that do.'' 
 
 Todd: ( his voice hushed down a bit quieter ) `` Yea, well hey, just give it some thought you know? I never thought I'd be into it, but it can really be gratifying once you give it a try. And there's so few women out there who do it. Usually it's only men who get into raising kids in this sort of way, so it'd be nice to add a little diversity to our little... community... hahaha. But uh, let's keep all this on the down-low yeah? I do n't want the rest of the office finding out about all these kids I have, I feel like they would n't understand, and would look at me differently if they knew how I end up slaughtering half of them like that once they grow up. These city slickers tend to be real uptight about stuff like that. They do n't know about the rural life, rural culture.'' 
 
 Marcy: `` Yea of course, no problem. I mean, like I said, I'm still thinking about maybe trying it myself. And yea, I know how judgmental some of these politically correct neo-hipster types can be around here, especially about stuff like this, so no worries, your secret is safe with me, hehehe.'' 
 
 My hands trembled as I leaned, gasping for air, against the wall, on the verge of having a panic attack. I could n't believe what I had just overheard. Todd... a *serial killer*. And Marcy too, maybe? His lover-partner-in-atrocities, like that Homolka chick and that other guy in Canada? Oh God, how could I have been working side by side with a couple monsters of this magnitude for all these years without even realizing it!? 
 
 Everything was turning a sickly shade of yellowish gray. I felt myself vomiting, but could n't see anymore, everything was black now. I felt the cool, slick tiles of the floor against the side of my head. Someone's hand on my shoulder, shaking me. The warbly sounds of someone screaming, `` Allen!?'' `` Allen, are you OKAY!?'' `` Hey, someone call an ambulance, Allen is passed out in the hallway, something's wrong with him! Hurry, someoneeee.... caaaaaooooowwllllll aaaaaaaannnnn.........'' the words stretching out slower, longer, and dimmer, as my consciousness faded out... 
 
 *****30 seconds earlier***** ( unbeknownst to Allen ): 
 
 Todd: `` Hey Marcy, have you thought about buying some of those kids from that ranch guy from upstate I told you about last week?'' 
 
 Marcy: `` Huh? Oh, the baby goats? Haha, sorry I always get all confused and weirded out for a second before I remember that `` kids'' are what baby goats are called.'' 
 
 Todd: `` Hahahaha, yea true.'' 
 
 Marcy: `` So is everything going well with yours, so far?'' 
 
 Todd: `` Yea, you got ta be really careful to lock their cages though. Those little kids look cute and innocent, but they'll sneak out on you, at night.''
