I had walked a couple of blocks when I spotted a gas station. I went in, gave a head nod to the lady behind the counter, and then browsed around a bit. A few seconds later, two guys walked in and started lurking around. I wanted to get out of dodge just in case something was about to go down, but I didn't want to leave the clerk there alone with the strange men. One of the guys came up to me and started asking where I was from and did I need a ride. The other guy was walking toward the counter when a rent-a-cop walked in. I viewed that as my chance to get a head start on my potential predators. I left the store and went behind the building. I kicked a glass bottle and sat against the wall with my face in my hands contemplating the events of the day. Then, for some reason still unknown to me, a girl came out of the bushes and started walking toward me. She was about 5'4", looked about 17 or 18 years old, and she wore filthy clothes and half a shirt. She had a deranged stare fixated on me like I owed her money or something. I stood up and asked what she wanted; she started screaming at me in Spanish. Not only did I have no clue as to what she was saying, I really didn't need anymore drama, so I yelled, "Look, I’ve had a hell of a day, so just kcuf off!" Suddenly, she charged toward me, so I grabbed my pocketknife. Before I could think, I was carving into her spleen, crying, and screaming every obscenity I had ever heard. When I finally came to my senses, I stepped back and she fell to the ground. I gazed in horrified disbelief at the unfortunate corpse lying before me. It felt like everything I’d ever eaten was racing to the back of my throat. I bent over and let it hit the wall, which was my only support because my knees had turned to sludge some time between stabs. I wiped my face on my shirt, stood up, and took a deep breath. I knelt down and checked for her pulse and heartbeat, but I found neither. "O.k., Sid," I said to myself, "it was an accident, blind rage, self-defense." I used my jacket sleeve to wipe my fingerprints from the handle of the knife I had left inside her stomach. I didn't do this; I found her lying here in a pool of blood; she was already dead. As the sinful tears welled up in my eyes, I kissed the cross hanging from my necklace, and ran as fast as my fear would allow. The rent-a-cop spilled his coffee as I burst through the door crying hysterically, "Help! Somebody help! I think she's dead!"
