The Perfect Prey

Angel stubbed out her last cigarette with a shaking hand and took a final sip of lukewarm coffee, leaving her last imprint of sinfully red lipstick #69 on the faded mug. She’d been tucked into a sticky olive-green booth in the back of this diner for hours.She’d didn’t even know what part of the city she was in tonight. Her thoughts continued to rotate and tangle like a distorted carousel.

“Hey honey, are you sure you don’t want anything to eat? Kitchen closes soon.” The waitress’s wispy gray fly aways framed her wrinkled copper brown cheeks. “It’s no trouble,” she said, her glossy brown eyes sweeping from Angel’s red stiletto heels to the torn fishnets that covered her tanned shapely legs, and up to the oversized black hoodie she huddled under.

Angel had been searching all night and it was nearly midnight. Her hands shook with urgency, a need for release. Her eyes roamed around the lowly lit diner, carefully avoiding eye contact with him. A few customers remained, mostly men sitting alone. The hum of the neon “we’re open” sign sounded as if it was getting louder.

“No, it’s fine.” Angel said, snatching her ear buds off and throwing them into her bag. She didn’t want to be on this lady’s radar. Her stomach quivered. This was a mistake, and she was going home. But as she stood up, she couldn’t help but let her hoodie slip open revealing the tight-fitting leather crop top that barely covered her ample chest. Her glittery spandex shorts threw light around the room like stars as she crawled out of the booth, wobbling onto her 6-inch heels.

He whistled.

Angel felt her pulse began to race. No, I’m going home, she thought. Her tongue felt like it was stuck to the roof of her mouth. She hastily pulled out a few dollars bills and dropped them on the table. As she turned around only to come face to face with him.

“Hellllooo...” He drew the word out unnecessarily. His breathe told her that he had something smothered in onions and gravy tonight that he’d tried and failed to cover up with an altoid.

She couldn’t look into his eyes, so she stared at his plaid shirt. An expensive shirt that he had likely purchased tonight to appear more like an average guy. A shirt that he had neatly tucked into his silky slacks, foolishly giving himself away.

“Excuse me,” Angel stammered trying to walk away.

“Wait,” he said grabbing her arm gently.

His shiny watch felt cool on her skin.

“Slow night? I noticed you out there earlier. No takers?”

Angel froze, every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire.

She looked at him. A slip of his blonde hair fell across his ocean blue eyes as he nearly salivated onto the grimy dinner floor. He’d been watching her for some time.

“Come on sugar, I know you wanna play,” he said with a saccharine grin. He grabbed one of her waist length red braids and moved it behind her shoulder. “What do they call you?” His voice was low and rough as he pressed his leg between her thighs.

She wouldn’t deny herself anymore.

“They call me Angel,” she whispered, arching her back and opening her legs a little.

“Why? Are you gonna take me to heaven or something? He couldn’t contain his smirk, his casual good guy mask falling away for just a second.

“That depends. Are you a good boy or bad boy?” she said.

***

Angel let out a sigh and released the car seat lever to sit up right. The sun would be up soon, and sleep was calling to her. She almost didn’t want to get out of his fancy truck that had heated soft leather seats, she felt so cozy sitting next to him. His lifeless eyes stared at the roof of the car, his mouth still framing the perfect oh from when she slipped her favorite hooked blade (the blade she’d name Tina), through his neck with a steady slow hand.

“Well, I guess you were a bad boy after all,” she said to his lifeless body. “I can’t believe I almost let you slip away, but you insisted,” she laughed and patted his knee. “Don’t feel bad, your kind always does,” she said.

He had wasted no time getting rough with her, slipping his hands through her braids and yanking her head back before she’d barely straddled him.She stretched her arms out Infront of her and let out a yawn.

“Time to go.” she said.

She grabbed the blood-soaked rags slipping them into a giant sealable baggy and tossing it into her bag.Her badge glinted in the moonlight next to the empty kerosene can. It was stupid to bring her badge, but she brought it as insurance incase things ever went wrong.

He was the third guy this week, but none of them had been reported or they would have made their way into her case files. She couldn’t hide her little grin as she stepped out of the truck. She knew that she was gorging herself, but it was just too easy to hunt at night.

“Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said bowing to the discolored corpse.

She tossed a lit match into the truck, not bothering to turn around as she walked toward the car she had “borrowed” from the impoundment for the night. This abandoned junk yard had been the perfect playground. She zipped up her hoodie and pulled her braids into a messy bun.

The sky was already water colored, and she would only have a few hours before work. She opened the car door, but something caught her eye.Something was different out here.She looked around the abandoned lot, filled with forgotten things, and then more closely at the crumbling building in front of her. She walked toward the building unable to stop herself even though something inside of her was telling her to run.

“Shit,” she gasped, as she stood there staring at a newly installed security camera that was staring back at her.

It took a few seconds for her to realize that she was utterly and completely lost.