1 A Lesson of Hindsight

Men were liars.

The thought echoed in Gabriela's mind as she power walked through the parking lot of her apartment complex. Her quick steps hastened as she avoided puddles of random fluids, broken glass, and the pitted holes of shattered asphalt.

They were lying, faithless creatures who were not capable of thinking beyond their dicks. Tears ran down her cheeks as she determinedly wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Her eyes burned as her 12-hour mascara finally gave up the fight. Her hair escaped the tight ponytail she had raked it into earlier with a few deep brown wispy curls framing her face. The scent of stale beer combined with the overpowering scent of fried foods emitted from her uniform caused her to pause in her blind flight away from what waited for her in that apartment.

The image pasted itself into her memories and mind.

Her boyfriend of a year and her perfect blond lab partner tangled together in her bed.

On her freshly washed sheets and comforter. That hurt more than anything, she had spent the day prior washing all their bedding leaving the pleasant scent of Lavender Spring the only scent to snuggle into. Instead, those crisp clean sheets would stink of sex, of sweat, and of betrayal.

How could she have been so stupid? The question rattled about casting blame on herself. On her every defect. She was short, curvy, and while pretty she wasn't stunning. Between working 40 hours a week plus a full college course load; she just didn't have time to doll up or even do more with her hair that keep it pulled back in a variety of braids, pony tails, or buns as a desperate bid to contain the unruly curls.

So, when she introduced the immaculately groomed Rachel to her boyfriend a couple weeks ago she should have suspected things were going to turn out bad. Blond, tall, and the perfect balance between feminine curves and stick thin; Gabriela should have known she was going to be a problem. 

Hindsight was a bitch and foresight didn't seem to be something she had ample supply of. Her mind continued to roll between blame, anger, grief, and resignment. After all, she was used to being in the background of her family, why should her boyfriend be any different? Maybe because without her he would be still rotating through the beer stained couches of his 'bros' 

Her scuffing footsteps soon were drowned out by the distorted cacophony of old rock, country, and current pop songs. A thumping bass countered them as the revving of a car engine pulled it through like a roving jukebox.

Gabriela's nose wrinkled as the scent of old booze, urine, and vomit mixed with the petrichor of wet asphalt and earth. She paused there, finally taking in her surroundings.

How far had she walked?

The bars on either side of the road were interrupted with seedy convenience stores, dilapidated small businesses, and vacant lots long since surrendered to the slow urban decay of the lower income portion of the city.

Drunks and homeless men both leaned on buildings, perched on street curbs, or lay on bus benches. Others walked down the sidewalks with too bright eyes and hazy speech.

Another booming roll of bass and 50 cent's In Da Club earned a groan from her even as the car gave a short sharp exhale as it backfired. The passengers of the car looked about her age, ranging in their early 20's.

Heavily made up and styled for a night of clubbing, they fit this section of town she had wandered into far better than her sensible non-slip shoes, 50's themed polyester diner uniform, and her mascara streaked cheeks.

"Shit…" The curse escaped her without the usual embarrassment of using foul language. Gabriel paused and leaned back against a cleaner patch of stucco siding.

"God damn hobosexual asshole." Her hand rose to angrily swipe away tears. She should have listened when the snickers behind her back had started at her first date with Jayden.

Should have had some suspicions but between midterms, work, and the rising cost of everything Gabriela had been too busy to delve into any concerns with her boyfriend. Survival alone consumed any ounce of extra energy she had. 

Now everything that she had ignored or pushed aside because she had been flattered at his attention, that he told her she was beautiful despite her stomach never being quite flat, or her hair usually a mess.

Sure he had spent their weekly grocery money that once to buy the new expansion of Everquest; but she hadn't clearly specified that is what the money in the old coffee can on the counter was for. She understood his issue in finding and holding a job. They were at a premium now and working around a college schedule made it even more impossible.

"I am an idiot." All the explanations, all the things she had let slide, came to a head. Gabriela knew she would have to face this and find the strength to not just roll over and forgive him. The very idea of confronting him made her stomach churn.

Be nice, she had been taught growing up, be polite, be kind. Points drilled into her with fists and belts each time she had pushed back for her own boundaries and needs until she learned that her wants simply didn't matter. Until the harsh words of her family matriarchs tore away any sense of self worth as the sum of her value was placed on her losing another 15lbs.

"Not exactly what I would call it." A raspy voice breathed over her shoulder. The stink of garlic, beer, and some mixture of spices had her gagging as she whirled to face the owner of that foul breath.

Middle aged, with slicked back black hair, a sharp goatee, and narrow flint gray eyes he radiated a hostile exterior. A black faux leather duster, with bits of the pleather separating from the backing, scuffed up old combat boots. Combined with the well worn jeans, and ratty t-shirt he looked like a bad cliche from the recent rash of vampire movies Hollywood pumped out.

"Oh, didn't see you there. I should just.." Gabriela spoke hastily, her voice breathless as she took a few steps towards the dimly lit, but more populated street.

"I don't think so." He moved faster than he should have. His hand was hard and punishing along her upper arm as he turned them both further into the shadows of the alley.

The glint of metal against the street light and then pressure against her stomach was the first inkling of true danger. Her breath caught in her throat as the cold material touched her skin and her frantic mind identified it as a knife. 

"See, I don't take kindly to those consorting with the undead. Servants of evil creatures." He muttered. A whimper escaped her as she realized the man was both crazy and violent. Her throat tightened as she swallowed back a scream, afraid to antagonize him further.

"I don't know what you are talking about…" Somehow she managed to keep from stammering. Her pelvic muscles tightened as she fought the urge to soil herself in fear. Experience had taught her that further struggle, that trying to defend herself, would only escalate the issue.

Instead, Gabriela swallowed her emotions, penned them up, made herself smaller than the armed man holding her so tightly between him and the abrasive surface of the wall. A little frightened whimper escaped her as the blade traced up her abdomen. She heard the faint plink of a button striking the debris ridden alley at the same time feeling the cool night air brush over skin previously covered.

"You don't? I have been watching you girlie. Just as sweet and friendly as you serve up other patrons to that abomination." He hissed and she felt the cold bite of steel as the edge of the knife traced over that half inch of bared skin.

"I know that J.R is kinda sleazy and his cooking is pretty bad but I wouldn't call our night cook a monster." Attempts at humor, anything, the deluge of words fell from her lips as she struggled to keep her knees from folding. To keep her mind alert for any escape; any chance of survival.

"Honestly, I don't know.." Her words stopped with a hiss as a burning pain laced along her stomach. The hot well of blood trickled down to stain the cheap polyester uniform.

"Liar! You know who I am talking about. That woman you serve every night. The only one you never see before the sunsets." Another button popped away and her control on her bladder loosened. The hot trickle of urine down her legs only echoed the trace of heated trail of blood as it ran down her stomach in a narrow line as he cut away the material of her uniform.

"Oh, I can see you connecting the dots. You are going to tell me everything about her before you beg me for death…" He clenched her hair and dragged her further into the shadows. A scream erupted from her as foresight finally kicked in.

She knew in that instant, she would die badly. Fear and instinct for survival overrode any control she had, as her scream echoed through the ally. Gabriela tried to stop him from pulling her further, planted her feet only to have her non-slip shoes skid across the patchy weeds and dirt and gravel substrate.

Her head slammed against the wall, silencing her screams. The world seemed distant after that, shock and terror cushioning her against the worst of the situation. It seemed a universe away when that knife traced a long curving line from her navel to under her ribs as he started his interrogation.

The man was right, in the end she did beg. Until even the will to do that fell away and she just accepted the agony, as she fell into it and tried to let the darkness carry her away. Her last waking memory filled with the scent of blood, a splash of gore across her cheek, and a too cold hand cupping her face.