Faustina was in her room, covered in a blanket.  She had wrapped herself in this lovely cashmere blanket to feel warmth. The day wasn’t cold at all: the blanket was meant for her feelings of emptiness. She couldn’t feel anything, & she used the blanket to keep this emptiness away. It wasn’t working though, & her uninvited emptiness had been here for three days instead of the usual three hours.

She could go to the store to get a large box of cheap wine & numb her feelings. She could go on Tinder & find some chick to cast a spell on for some nasty fun. She could just do the meditation exercises her therapist had recommended.

She could, she could

And yet, they don’t always work. She knew one thing which never failed to lift her spirits up.

She put on a black hoodie. Luckily for her the clock said 02:34. She had no patience, & she would not have waited for nightfall anyway. Black sweatpants. Check. Tactical dagger. Check. Keys. Check. She opened the door, & the cool Andean night greeted her with a breeze full of the smell of rotting plantains from the haciendas surrounding this city.

A veces podría pensar en español, pero ya ha llevado tantos años usando el inglés como su idioma principal. She could think in Spanish when she needed to (like right now). She walked the street down to the park, slowing her pace. Normally, there’s a homeless person or two here—there, one was there. She was there all by herself. Faustina considered luring her back to her apartment. After all, dangling a hot shower in front of her would have been easy. Here, hot water is a luxury, & both her bathrooms both had water heaters.

However, Faustina loves a good challenge. She looked around the park & its environs. No one. Not even a vulture stirring. The homeless woman was in a drunken stupor. Barely breathing. She strode up to the woman, & she took out her dagger. She quietly stabbed her throat, making sure to cover her mouth in case she made any last-second yelps. However, this bitch was simple to put down. She stabbed the left carotid artery (so much blood gushed). She stooped over, & she began drinking the blood.

The thrill of the hunt alleviated her emptiness, but the blood would ensure that she would be good for a couple of days.

She also hoped that the corpse & the ensuing publicity & investigation would provide enough thrills so she can make it to therapy next week.

She took out a little baby bottle, & began spitting up the excess. She knew not to waste any in case she got a hankering once more.