Lucifer's Calling

Chapter 1
Anatomy of a Killer

On a storm ridden evening, as the sky crashed down upon the earth, a man covered by the darkness lay waiting for his next victim. He had been at this for a few years now, imparting terror and death upon so many unsuspecting souls. His feelings for life itself were hardly worth the fifty-cent piece he carried in his right front pocket. He’d taken it off his very first victim. He remembered the death of the young woman and how powerful he had felt afterwards. Murder was how he had chosen to define the nickname his mother had labeled him with, when disciplining him so many years earlier. “Lucifer” was the condescending name she had taunted him with for so long… He recalled his first “masterpiece” by revisiting his conquest, as he prepared to kill again.

That night had been similar to this one with one exception; the rain had been gently bouncing off the streets in a way that had almost seemed acrobatic in its form. A tall young woman named Angela Deeds was carrying a dark umbrella in one hand and a set of keys in the other. Her light blue pantsuit hugged her figure like a second skin, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She was running toward her bright yellow sports car, trying to avoid the falling raindrops. Lucifer had smiled thinking, not getting wet would be the least of her worries in a few short moments. Lucifer knew the destiny of this female was to be his first masterpiece in a line of many that would follow. There had been a previous death at my hands, but it was not really worthy of the effort. He watched as she approached the vehicle and came even closer to where he was hidden. All the muscles in his body tensed up and the two instruments he had chosen to start his new craft with seemed to weigh down his hands. Get a hold of yourself; this is easy, Lucifer thought.

He had peeked through the prickly bushes and remembered how exquisite she looked. Angela’s hair was the silkiest and shiniest he’d ever seen, like those untouchable women advertising shampoo in a television commercial. Lucifer was excited as he tightened his hands around that night’s weapons of choice: a small syringe full of his paralytic concoction and the silver nickel-plated 9mm semi-automatic Mazre handgun. He hadn’t held a firearm for many years and really only wanted to use it in case something went wrong.

Lucifer had planned the assault in his mind for many days: watching her walk from her vehicle in the morning and knowing she left at the same time every evening. Lucifer had walked past Angela’s place of business and purchased some items from a lingerie store adjacent to her office. He had even made eye contact with this striking beauty at the coffee shop, just a half block away from her designated parking area. Now as he watched his future victim only a few short feet away, Angela was trying to hold the umbrella and open her car door at the same time. When she bent over to unlock the door, the keys slipped out of her hand. They clattered to the ground and rested underneath the vehicle. Lucifer slipped out from his hiding spot and approached her undetected. Angela Deeds had been oblivious to the sudden movement in the bushes and then it was too late.

There was a searing pain at the base of her skull as the young woman tumbled to the cold wet pavement and landed on her back. She looked up and Lucifer noticed the anguish in her eyes. She remembered having seen this man somewhere before, but couldn’t quite place where. Lucifer slowly smiled as he towered over his victim, deciding to use the handgun instead of waiting for the drug to take effect. He remembered how pulling the silver slide back and the clicking sound of the bullet being chambered into position had thrilled him. Lucifer watched as Angela Deeds’ breathing became labored and she clutched desperately at her throat, trying to force out the last bite of air.
Lucifer watched her hands relax and he knew she would never be able to move again. He lowered the firearm so it was pointed between her eyes. He passionately gazed into them and beamed with delight as her pupils dilated. Lucifer gently eased the trigger back until a deafening explosion erupted, propelling the blunt projectile through the front of her skull. The impact of the small round scattered her brain matter upon the saturated pavement… Lucifer was pleased with his performance and how his victim had been unable to react. He fingered through all of her belongings and located several fifty-cent pieces scattered in the bottom of her blood-spattered purse. He quickly placed one in his pocket as he thought; this would be how he would honor all my victims. I’ll take a piece of each with me, making his or her death a part of my life forever.

That was the first day of his new life. Lucifer would keep the fifty-cent piece with him always to commemorate that day—until the day he died.