The Kill Society (Sandman Slim 9)

“See? I fooled her, too, and she’s known me a lot longer than you halo polishers.”

Slowly, Raziel’s body fades and soon it’s gone.

“Is he dead?” says Daja.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

Wanuri puts an arm around her and Daja starts to cry.

Cherry stands with her arms wrapped around herself. She looks like she just saw a ghost, a unicorn, and Hello Kitty having a three-way in a clown car and they didn’t invite her.

I walk over.

“Nice trick,” I say.

“You’re welcome,” she says a little absently. “Is killing someone always like this?”

“Just the first couple of times. After that it’s like folding socks. But that’s just me.”

She takes a couple of breaths and blinks, getting herself together.

“Okay. Wow. That wasn’t what I expected it to be.”

“Maybe you ought to sit down.”

“I’d like that. Can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?”

“Sure.”

I take her around the side of the flatbeds where no one can see us.

“If you want to throw up or something, it’s okay. Everyone’s first kill is rough.”

“No. I’m okay,” she says. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

“Say what you have to say, but no stupid ‘let’s fuck’ lines. I’m sick of that.”

She looks around, making sure we’re alone.

“I helped you, right?”

“I just said so.”

“That means you owe me.”

Great. Where is this going?

“Maybe. What do you want?”

“I don’t want anything. I want to help you some more. I can save you. Don’t you want to go home?”

I get a really bad feeling in my gut and it’s not from being hungry.

“Just say what you want to say, Cherry.”

“All I’ve wanted to do is help you, ever since you got here. I mean, I was surprised as anyone when I saw you, but then I told them and they said it was okay.”

“Who did you tell?”