Red.

Scarlet was the color of her hair, it was the color of her round lips, it was the color painted on her nails, it was the color of her dress, it was the color of her shoes, it was the color of her necklace, it was the color of the lace undergarments. It was the color of the blood in her veins, it was the color of her lustful heart, and it was the color that was her name.

Her eyes were icy grey unless she cried, which she did every night. As the moon rose and her eyes bulged with tears, like a gloss, her eyes were glazed in a crystal blue, but no one ever saw those rarities.

Scarlet rubbed her sore sides with ointment where finger-shaped bruises wrapped around her torso and down her back. She flinched, cursed quietly, and continued rubbing the thick cream-colored medicine over her marks of shame.  Tired from the previous night, the evening lady slathered skin-toned cream under her eyes and re-applied the shadows, liners, and lashes. She blinked twice and forced her seductive smile that hid her pearly whites. As she held the mask in place, her muscles ached around her mouth and she let it down. Her fist came down hard on her bathroom counter as her whole façade fell to pieces as tears began to well-up. Her head hung below the mirror’s cynical reflection, out of sight. She clinched her eyes tight, sucked in a deep breath and held it, counted: 1-2….3. She lifted her head high into the face of her reflection and forced her mask back and stood tall in her heels, sucked another deep breath and let it out slowly and steadily through her teeth. Her hair fell perfectly around her neck and layered around her petite bosom. Her ruby locks turned a flame white as the lights poured around her head. Like a halo, she felt as if she could see an angelic light behind her, but as she turned, she only saw her shadow, dark and lurking behind her.

Despite her appearance, she was no prostitute. Her love for the color red was purely preference, nothing more. She even had a true love at one point in time. The bond was tight, strong, and everlasting- at least that’s what she believed.

Now, she walked the streets that had no streetlight. She walked amongst the wolves and knowingly she wore her red garbs. One or two would snap her heels, but she hardly flinched. She merely stepped to the side and continued down the street. She became a quick target and like her shadow, danger lurked behind her.

“My name is Terrence.” His grin, crooked, yet seductive. “What is a beautiful creature as yourself, wandering these nasty hollow alleys?” He quirked his dark eyebrow and Scarlet became enticed with his mischievously glimmering green eyes.