Smothering

Saturday, 17/05/2025, opened with the lazy hush of downtown Rio. I messaged Mistress Juju before getting out of bed, asking if she had room for me before noon. Her reply arrived almost instantly,“Come at 12.” Tight timing, but when the queen summons you, you run on her clock.

I reached the neighborhood early and hid in a café, jittery and counting down minutes through the rim of an espresso cup. When my phone buzzed with the address a few breaths before midday, I headed out, heartbeat matching the traffic lights. The building stood modest and anonymous. An elevator, a hallway, one knock,she opened the door before the echo faded, smile bright enough to bleach the entryway. “She’s even more stunning in person,” I caught myself thinking, the phrase glowing like a marquee.