The Christmas Darling

The morning came quickly, eyes close and in an instant the night has escaped into oblivion and the new day has started. Jennifer woke to heavy tired eyes and a sore aching body, on top of that, a half empty crystal wine glass resting sideways on her lap. Luckily, jeans were plentiful in her wardrobe and no time would be lost washing this pair.The San Diego sun fluttered through the blinds with each ray seemingly pounding on Jennifer's blue eyes. The pain was worth the celebration of a successful mission, it always was. This being the eighth time, it had become a tradition of sorts. A reminder that no-good deed goes unpunished.A little secret that most people do but do not cherish is falling asleep with the television on, you always get to wake up to something new and foreign to you. In this instance, the morning news was on. The reporters looked like dolls, plastered with makeup and hairspray, blasting from the television with a vivid image.The female reporte

The morning was eager apparently as it came very quickly. Things seem to work that way when you are mentally exhausted. Nevertheless, it was time for the Christmas Darling to rise from her despair and get on the hunt for the next contestant on the biggest Monster in the San Diego area.Before she spread and filtered the papers, removing sports and the comics, Jennifer decided to get some cleaning done. Her concern was not the piles of clothes taking root around the living space or the leaning tower of dishes ever growing from her dual sinks, the blade needed love and care. It had taken its eighth soul and needed to be inspected, stripped, washed, and reassembled to perfection. It had to be ready for the next kill, even if that event was months away.Jennifer shoved the pile of close from the counter to the floor ensuring the blade did not fall with them. She laid the sports and comic sections of the papers that she had pulled earlier out on the counter and went to retr

With no place to run, no clever excuse to evade, nothing could be done to prevent the meeting between our Christmas Darling and the two detectives she had interestingly conversed with months earlier.The fluorescent lights flickered, dancing an ominous jig, causing Jennifer's headache to grow as if it were a delicate flower being watered with Miracle-Grow. The sheet covering her body felt as if it were made from ten thread count material. Every adjustment caused an irritating bite of pain, rubbing against the skin with the consistency of sandpaper. The pillow her head rested on was enveloping her ears and provided absolutely zero support.She was in more pain from the hospital comfort than the panic attack remnants or throbbing headache. Her mind wrestled with what the hell hospitals spent all their money on because it sure was not patient comfort. Before Jennifer could finish preparing a solid thesis on this subject, her thought process was rudely interrupted with the

The paramedic's tall lanky frame entered the room fully and presented itself as a light in the darkness. The savior that was urgently needed so many times but never showed his face. With a nervous grin and a goofy smile, "It's good to see you again. How are you feeling?"Jennifer was cautious at this point to ensure she was safe in this person's company, "Well, I'd feel much better if you hadn't told the police about my intoxicated babbling last night."Shuffling his feet like a child, "Oh, gorgeous, that wasn't me. That was Ed. He drives the rig; I work the patients."Convinced but not enough to risk her life on it, "Well, that's good to know. Lift up your shirt, drop your pants and empty your pockets."A weak attempt at a rebuttal was made but failed, "What? You want..."Barking, "Now! Or get the hell out!"Jennifer had never seen someone disrobe so fast in her life. As he lifted his shirt, the fluorescents bounced off his name tag, 'Derri

The day had arrived quick and with a harshness to it that chilled to the bone.  Jennifer was in the back of a filthy yellow cab staring directly at the spit-stained partition wishing the drive to the airport was quick and disease free. She was not a stranger to using public transportation, but this one taxi was basically a living disease on wheels.  Nothing would please her more than making it out of the back of this disgusting piece of machinery. She walked in the front entrance of the bustling airport with her go bag in hand.  Approaching the check-in counter, the word casual continued to ring through her brain, "I need to check this bag in?  Is that going to be a problem?" The woman plucking away at the keyboard did not even look up to see who she was about to converse with, "Flight and name please." The apparition that appeared in front of her was more of a robot th