Story by Mariia Tymoshchenko

 “Please, don’t! That’s all I have left,” 

a loud cry came out of a woman’s mouth.

“Oh, shut up, you stupid rich cow,” hissed the thief at her, “now, get out of here before I break your nose. That face of yours looks very punch-able”.

“What are you going to do with the money? Buy vodka? You homeless skunk! Get a job,” the lady’s companion remarked as they were leaving.

The soft crying started to disappear into the darkness, and the thief was finally able to take her mask off as she was walking through the narrow park alley. She entered a completely dark area, where only the moonlight could expose what she was hiding beneath the mask. Her masculine scared face appeared brutal in the dim light. She seemed to be wearing the mask during her nightly misadventures to hide her features, rather than for the victims to recognize or remember her. Having rested for a few minutes, she decided it was time to continue, so she put the mask back on.

She hit the cat as it was sitting on her way to her new victim. The next victim was a man, so he was less talkative and loud than the previous woman. This made the thief happy with how smoothly her work was going so far.

“45, 46, 47… 47.50! A couple of more and should be enough”.

She finished just before midnight and headed to the hostel.

“3 beds in an all-female room, please,” she asked with remarkable, almost humiliating for her politeness.

“Sorry, ma’am, but there’s only enough for 3 beds in a mixed room. Is that okay?”

“What? No, I asked for the all-female room! That’s not what your colleagues told me yesterday. Listen here, I really need a place to sleep tonight”.

“Sorry, ma’am, I must ask you to leave. We’re closing the doors for the night in 5 minutes, there’s nothing I can do for you”.

“Oh screw you!” This time, she didn’t hesitate to punch the receptionist in the face.

Frustrated, she made her way under the bridge, where 2 little girls were awaiting her.

“ Mommy, mommy! What are we having for dinner? Did you find a place for the night? Hush, I think Rosy’s already sleeping”.

“No. We’ll have to sleep here tonight, love. Go brush your teeth before going to sleep.

“Not again! It’s been a week already! Why can’t we just go back home? Is that because daddy gave you a black eye? It was never a problem before, we should just come back”.

“ No, baby. It’s because your father was doing terrible things to your little sister at nights”