It was Hector’s birthday and I have absolutely everything ready for his surprise party. All of his friends and family are positioned and silent as I wait for the door to open.

I see the outside light flicker on and wonder what his face will look like when he sees their smiling, unmoving faces.

“It is time to run for two minutes, Sarah!” the voice in her earphones announced cheerfully, to which Sarah complied, pumping her aching legs and gasping for stinging air.

She had downloaded the app the night before and programmed a daily 6am run for the next month. When she received a phone call this morning, she could hear her daughter crying in the background.

Her date had not drunk any of the wine he had brought over, she realised as she felt inexplicably drowsy. She saw a look of concern on his face as she lay down on the couch, but it was not for her. She smiled as she saw the first drops of blood falling from his mouth and eyes – it was, after all, much easier to hide poison in food than drinks.