Leaving the doctor’s office after losing a son, Karen and her husband split up, unable to handle the grief. She moved into a studio apartment in Big City and shut herself in. A close friend came knocking one day, pulling her out of her dark abyss.

“Judith? It’s been so long, what are you doing here?” Karen leaned on the slightly open door, viewing her friend through the crack. Judith shouldered the center of the door and adjusted her pantsuit back into place.

“It’s been two weeks. We need to get you out of this CAVE.” The apartment was decorated with garbage and clothing. Judith made like she was going to be sick and picked out an outfit from the closet for Karen. “I’ve already let the girls know we’re coming. Let’s go.”

Big City Central Park was serene as ever. Birds were chirping and joggers circled the pond at the center. Water was still as baby ducks paddled softly. The sun was hidden behind a single cloud and the air was cool. Children played in the grass while their parents watched, smiling.

“EXCUSE ME!” screamed Karen’s friend Ellen, shoving aside a man in a wheelchair. “UNBELIEVABLE.”

“People are SO inconsiderate.” Karen chimed in.

The entire park looked at the four women power walking around the pond now, knowing they were soon to make a scene just by their appearances.

“Why don’t they clean this place up? Ugh.” Karen exclaimed, pointing at a squirrel as if it were a rat fresh from the sewer.

“Absolutely disgusting.” replied Barbara.

People who were also walking avoided the herd of cloned, blonde, short-haired women. They moved their bodies as if they were moving very quickly, though people actually had to stop entirely so they could pass. Each time, receiving nasty looks and scoffs.

Finally around the entire pond, the hawks landed upon a vendor. On the counter of a small, rickety stand were three low-level toasters, being sold for a posted “$10”. Judith looked to Karen, knowing this was a major issue for her.

“Hello?!”

“Hello, ma’am.” the young, nervous man replied, confused at her aggravated tone.

“My father owns ToasterCo. Do you even have a permit to sell here?”

“I do.”

“Who in their right mind gave you a permit?”

“Uhh, the city?” he answered. Karen stood with her hands on her hips, furious. Her friends started getting closer to the salesman threateningly with their phones out to record.

Karen, swept up in the heat of the moment that she created, grabbed a toaster off the counter to toss. The boy reached for it and they battled for control.

Balance was lost and Karen won the battle, to her demise. She fell with the toaster into the pond, and was electrocuted powerfully.

In a state of the art facility, Judith, Ellen, and Barbara huddled around a hospital bed, their friend clinging onto life by a thread. The doctors entered the room and shook their heads at her odds. The three women looked at them and whined confidently in unison, “We need to speak to your manager. Now.”

After some back and forth, a higher-up at the strange facility entered the room. It was a woman…named… Karen.

“She’s one of us.” the other Karen stated. “I can make her… stronger.”

“We can just add you to the group, we really just need a Karen to round it out.”

“She needs MORE POWER.” 

The Karen pulled a lever that nobody had seen beforehand. Electricity vibrated the room.

“MORE… KAREN.”

Karen began to wake up, energized by the shock. The pain, however, gave her reason to complain. Her friends fled as the other Karen laughed, watching her grow in her hospital bed, shouting obscenities. “And you’d think a place like this would be better run!”

She went on and on, her body growing to a monumental size. The other Karen brushed off the yelling, and laughed maniacally while her creation grew.

“MEGA KAREEEEEEEE-” a piece of the ceiling fell directly on the other Karen. Now there was but one.