Close but no cigar

Untitled part

A year before

"Hold the gun with confidence. Your hands can't shake. You can't give them a chance. I hope you'll learn this lesson."

"Yes, Mistress, I will. I promise. I won't let you down."

"Of course, you won't, sweetheart," Mistress' voice was soft and soothing. "Remember that you're just a weak girl, but it doesn't take a lot of physical strength to pull a trigger."

Six months before

The hot shower was burning Irene's skin, but she wasn't even noticing that. She was thinking about Mistress. Irene has been living with her for 15 years and still doesn't even know her name. Her real name. Mistress wasn't a really talkative person, but sometimes she told Irene about her life. The young girl found her speeches way opaque, but still Irene understood some things about her mistress. 1. She used to be a prostitute. 2. She hates men. But Mistress didn't rain her mighty wrath down on all men. 3. She only killed the worst of them. 4. She wanted Irene to kill one man too.

Two months before

"You shouldn't worry about him. He doesn't deserve it."

"But why?" asked Irene a little louder than she wanted. "We traversed the country from east to west because of him. What did he do? Why does he have to die? Why should I kill him?"

"Time will tell you," that was one of the Mistress' favorite answers.

A week before

"The best thing you can do after and before you kill someone is to calm down. And I'll give you your first cigar after you'll kill him"

Irene kept quiet, and Mistress walked out of her room.

Five days before

She couldn't sleep. Mistress said she had saved Irene. But she never told Irene about her parents. She learned to be ruthless all her childhood.

"Your thoughts about the man should be like a suspension." Mistress liked metaphors. "Your sympathy is water and your desire to kill is oil. These liquids can be in one glass, but they will never mix"

One day before

"You have to persuade him to follow you."

"What if he doesn't want to?" Irene immediately decided that her question was too naive, because Mistress taught her everything.

Three hours before

Irene took her first hesitant step in the large hall of the restaurant. She thought that no one noticed her appearance. But Irene was stunning in this long evening dress with a high slit. Now all men were looking at her. And each their look was more annoying and salacious than the last.

Two hours before

Mistress was right about this man. He couldn't resist a beautiful young girl. The man hasn't been a freshman in about 30 years. So he had shortness of breath and sweaty palms. Irene was sure he took Viagra. She closed her eyes as he tried to crawl under her dress. It was disgusting.

"You know, I never dreamed of having sex in the restroom. But I know one beautiful place nearby" Irene was almost in a panic when he got to her underwear.

"My car is in the parking lot" a large bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

30 minutes before

The car stopped in the little forest. The man was so impatient that he didn't notice at what point he himself became a victim. Irene handcuffed him to the car door.

"The little whore wants to play?" he grinned.

"Of course, she wants" a grown woman's voice was confident, she came closer to look at the man. "Especially after you killed her mother 15 years ago"

"What the fuck? Who are you?"

"I am the one whose love you killed 15 years ago. I am Mistress."

15 minutes before

He seemed to remember the night he decided to kill a prostitute instead of paying for her services. The man looked silly brandishing a wad of cash trying to buy reconciliation.

Irene couldn't believe in all this shit. Mistress was in love with her mother, then the man killed her. And Mistress was obsessed with revenge. Irene was just a weapon. Symbolic weapon. And what do murderers do with the murder weapon? They just get rid of it...

5 minutes before

"What are you waiting for, Irene? Just do it as I taught you"

"Yes, Mistress"

Irene paid no attention to the pleading man. She took aim and pulled the trigger. He screamed in pain.

"Close, but no cigar" Mistress pointed it out, his shoulder was bleeding. "Finish him off"

"Just so you know" started Irene, there were tears in her eyes. "I don't smoke" she took aim at the Mistress' heart and pulled the trigger a second time.