Here’s my entry to this week’s Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers!
Picture credit to pixabay.com
Word Count: 150
It’s funny, Jane thought as she slumped across the small table, how many kinds of red there are.
There was the red of her dress: shining, bright. It was cheerful and elegant, but there was still that slight hint of danger.
There was the red of the room: the deep crimson. It was darker, subtler, more refined, but there was still the primal nature beneath it.
Then there was the red of her lipstick: seductive, entrancing. That was the purest red, she decided. It was primitive and pure, speaking of blood and love.
The light flickered. It was a pure white, like snow and new beginnings.
New beginnings. The words echoed in her mind. Do I get one of those?
She could feel the poison sweeping through her. Everything apart from her mind was numb now.
Red. She would have smiled if she could. Red for danger. Red for death.
Excellent! I love how you focused your story around the color red. Too bad she took her life at the end. I’m assuming that is what she is doing which means she probably doesn’t get a new beginning.
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Thank you! I left it ambiguous as to exactly why and how she was poisoned, so it’s possible that it wasn’t suicide. I had a few ideas about it (suicide was one and murder was another) but ultimately I decided to leave it up to the reader.
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Thanks J.A. I think I assumed it was suicide because of the last line. Great story!
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Haunting and well-written.
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Thank you!
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I read past the first sentence. Thank you.
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I’m not entirely certain what you mean by this. Could you explain?
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Sometime the first few words of a piece stop me from reading on. The words can be awkward. Really, I was paying you a compliment. Sorry you missed it.
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Ok, thanks! I just wasn’t quite sure what you meant. Thank you for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it.
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This has such a sad ending JA, a build up to the personas own end, but you wrote it very well…
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Thank you!
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I like the ambiguity here. Did she poison herself or was she poisoned? Good stuff!
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Thank you!
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That last line… J.A., your story left me wanting for more. Such suspense!
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Thank you!
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Nice story – suspense and sadness…
I too centered one of my previous flash fiction stories around red. But that was an obsessive trait in the character..
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Thank you!
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Poor Jane’s going to see black real soon…I love all your interpretations of red, creative and insightful.
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Thanks!
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