"Cassandra" is a science fiction short story by American writer C. J. Cherryh.
It was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in October 1978, and won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1979.
[1] Short story writing is an activity that Cherryh generally only undertakes upon request or when an idea surfaces that does not lend itself to a novel.
[2] This short story is Cherryh's modern take on the Greek mythological figure Cassandra who had the gift of prophecy.
In Cherryh's story, Crazy Alis leaves her burning apartment each morning and heads for the bombed-out coffee shop, passing charred corpses on the way.