I stared at her for a long time. My eyes had become accustomed to the gloom and the moonlight was enough to see her. Erica was soaked in blood, but she was smiling as if she had gotten dirty painting or playing in the mud. She held out a hand to help me. I wanted to cry.

I was shaking all over. I tried to lift my hand, tried to smile at her, but I couldn't move. I didn't want her to see me, I didn't want her to know I was there, not after what I had seen what she was capable of.

She grabbed me by an armpit and lifted me up smoothly.

—Ah... ah... —I stammered.

I wanted to tell her something like "that's great, you saved me" or "you're a hero". I wanted her to know I was on her side, I wanted to avoid pissing her off at all costs. I wanted to keep that monster from killing me. But nothing would come out. I tried to smile, I don't know if I succeeded.

—You'll be fine— she assured me, as she patted me on the shoulder— it's shocking the first time, I know. Don't you want to throw up?

I didn't quite understand what she was saying. Was she satisfied with me? Wasn't she going to kill me? Why did she say I wanted to vomit?

But just at that moment, a reflux came from my stomach. I barely had time to lean over, the vomit came by surprise. A great flow went up my throat. Everything I had eaten at the party, half processed, came out on the street.

As I was running out of food, I noticed a rubbing on my back. Erica was massaging me to help the flow.

As I finished, I stood hunched over. I felt sick. I looked around, the mutilated bodies were still there. Some still had a shocked expression on their faces. Erica helped me walk, and led me around the corner.

—I usually try to be careful with others. Not to hurt anyone and stuff like that. But when I see people like that, who think they can take advantage because I look helpless, it makes me really angry.

After I said that, there was a long silence. I was still shaking.

—I hope I didn't scare you. I thought...— she paused— I guess it's a little late to ask, would you have liked it if I hadn't killed them?

I stared at her, puzzled. At that moment I was so shocked that I simply couldn't process her question. I understood her, but I had no will to find any answer, I just couldn't. However, after thinking about the incident over the weekend, I realized that question didn't make much sense. It wasn't that she had killed those guys, it was that she had proved to me that she could do it, and she could do it very easily, and the fact that she had come out so unaffected that after all that she could talk and walk as if nothing had happened.

—I'm all right— I said at last, something small to keep her happy. I quickly thought of something else— you... saved me. That's what counts. You did good, really. You saved me.

I didn't sound very convincing, but she smiled anyway. Seeing her like that, I was overcome with a cascade of relief.

—As long as she doesn't get mad at me, I won't end up like those guys— I thought, hopeful.

----------------------------------------------

Soon we reached the next square. We hadn't seen anyone pass through the streets in all that time. Maybe that's why I was so surprised when the headlights of a car shone on us. I almost fell on my butt again, but Erica held me before I could fall.

One person got out of the car.

—No! Not another one!— I exclaimed in a low voice— Erica, let's just go! No more....

—Dad?— she guessed.

The person who got out of the car approached us and smiled proudly. He was a middle-aged man, with short hair and standing locks like a rock musician. His features were large and expressive, but right then he was relaxed, smiling.

—Princess!— he exclaimed, in a powerful voice.

Erica left me for a while to go hug him. Then they approached and the man held out his hand to me. He was about my size, a few centimeters taller. I was surprised at how much he looked like Erica, it was as if she transformed into a man and aged about twenty to thirty years. His hand wrapped around mine and he squeezed me with controlled force, in a slightly more exaggerated gesture than normal.

His gaze was enigmatic and pleasing at the same time. It was hard to take my eyes off him.

—Hi, I'm Lucifer Sanz, but everyone calls me Luci.

—Ah... Ock... Ocko... Ocko... my name is Ocko— I barely answered.

He smiled, and as he did so, the wrinkles on his face returned.

—So you're the famous Ocko— he said— I've heard a lot about you from Erica.

—Dad!— she pleaded.

He laughed. I felt a little intimidated, after all he was the father of the girl I wanted to take to bed. But her tone alone was enough for me to know that he didn't hold a grudge against me for anything. I was a bit relieved.

—Did you have an accident on the way over?— he asked Erica.

She put an expression of guilt.

—I'm sorry. Some guys jumped us.

—They didn't do anything to you?— her dad continued.

She fixed her hair in a confident gesture and crossed her arms, proudly.

—Of course not. I even dodged all their bullets!

Any father would have shouted and argued at the mention of "bullets", but Lucifer just laughed and ruffled her hair.

—That's my girl!

I couldn't believe he was taking it so lightly, although I guess it was normal for him too, since he hadn't even bothered about the dried blood staining his daughter's clothes, face and hair.

—Well, let's go home— he announced— Ocko, where do you live?

I looked at him, puzzled.

—What?

—I'm going to drive you to your house— he smiled confidently— How else would you get home? Walking? no. Can you imagine being mugged again? It would be horrible.

I still hadn't recovered from what I had seen. From the things he had said and his calm attitude, I imagined that this man was completely used to his daughter killing people. I wanted to ask "What about the bodies?", but more than that, I didn't want those people to start thinking of me as someone they had to get rid of.

In the end I got in the car. I told him my home address and he drove me there, calmly.

As he drove, he asked us a couple of questions, things like how well we were doing in school, if the teachers were too strict, how we felt about it being our last year. His voice, his mannerisms, his pauses, his intonation, everything about him was pleasant, he was engaging, he was hypnotic. I struggled to respond, because my head almost went blank watching him move his mouth. I had only known him for a few minutes, but I liked him very much.

—Argh! I can't believe this is our last year!— Erica exclaimed, as if she had forgotten.

Lucifer chuckled. In the quiet interior of the car, I dared to chuckle too.

—Are you excited that you won't have classes anymore?— Lucifer asked.

—Yes, but more than that, I know this year will be different.

That caught my attention.

—In what way?— I asked.

I guess I should have kept my big mouth shut. Erica grunted, as if the question was difficult and made her think hard. Then she turned to me. She looked a little sad.

—For a few years now it's been hard for me to finish a school year— she admitted— things like this happen to me, people comment, and I end up getting expelled. It's... hard. But I'm going to finish this year, no matter what!

—Yeah!— exclaimed his father.

"For some years now", "things like this". That confirmed it. Erica had been killing people for some time. She was a serial killer, one who didn't mind slaughtering a group of men. I swallowed hard, but regulated my breathing and managed to look calm.

—Since... When was the last year you did a full year?— I dared to ask.

She thought about it for a while.

—Sixth grade— her dad answered.

—Sixth?!— she cried— No way! Didn't I do the whole eighth grade?

You broke your teacher's nose during the end of year ceremony— her dad reminded her.

—It's true! That fucking bitch!

Erica explained that her eight grade teacher had been a horrible person. The way she described her, I would surely have been very frustrated under her tutelage. But breaking a teacher's nose was something else entirely. However, Erica and her dad downplayed it with a laugh, and went off to talk about other things, as if it didn't matter.

Nothing else happened during the night. They took me home and left. As I watched them leave and waved them goodbye as a friend, I began to question whether it was safe to continue hanging out with Erica.