Cat of Danube

For so long, I've existed and muddled through life with a single purpose. To pay the debts owed and collect the interest of the debts long forgotten. Everyday I've been telling myself that my revenge would take one step at a time.

My mentor told me that if I've embarked on this road of revenge, I should be prepared to have one foot in the grave. I told him that to achieve my purpose I'm willing to jump with both feet. The hatred deep inside me made me numb, an emotionless bastard.

And a bastard I am. Just like my sisters and brothers before me. What could you expect from a girl with a mother working in a brothel. We are all bastards of our own, but my mother never let her work, her background and inadequacies deter her from raising us in a home filled with love.

Those sporadic memories of warmth kept me sane and from going berserk. You may ask what I can do with this small frail body of mine, but with enough desperation and hatred, back then I believed I could take down a giant. But enough with this monologue. I need to prepare for my greatest mission, the purpose of my existence.

I was sucked out of my internal musings by a loud knock on my door. "Katarina, your act should be up next. Get ready and the stage director is fuming with Katya's mistake, so he should be especially rough with you guys tonight."

"I understand Maude, I would do well. This is what I'm born to do." I replied.

"I know, just get ready soon, I trust you but I don't trust those newbies that the boss insisted to accompany you."

With that reply, Maude, the Assistant Stage Director left to remind the other actors to mind their actions.

I realized I was spacing out again in front of the blank parchment in front of me. With shaking hands, I picked up the quill and dipped it into the ink.

Dear All,

My name is Katarina Stoil, or that is the name everyone knows me, my real name, Anya Evdokimov born from a courtesan at the Big Bear Brothel, secretly owned by the ever benevolent Duke Sergei Korsakov, or so everyone thought.

For all the things that happens today, you can blame it on that ever benevolent Duke of yours and his atrocious act

20 years ago. An act that robbed a 3 year old her entire family for the sake of his greed and lust.

I do not hope that everyone remember my name, I only hope to finally join my family in the netherworld bearing the head of the reaper that cost them their lives.

Mom, Sister Anatalya, Sister Sophia, Brother Andrey and Brother Volodymyr, wait for me in the afterlife. This final act of mine is for you.

YA privetstvuyu svoyu smert's rasprostertymi ob"yatiyami. Ya, nakonets, byl osvobozhden.

Goodbye,

Katarina, Anya