“Four Colors.”

by Linda McMullen

Four Colors

            For Halloween, I donned a cerulean bridesmaid’s dress from Goodwill.  A would-be princess.  You dressed as the Phantom and kissed me with your mask still on.  You tightened your indigo-pressure grip when my knees buckled. 

            We cut the cake.  You mashed it into my face, the snowy Wilton roses stealing color from my lips.  That night, I learned that salt water loosens the starch in bleached hotel pillowcases.

            And that fingernails and knuckles blanch.

            You can keep the house, I said, my fingers clutching the handle of my crimson suitcase. 

Then you saw red…

            …I faded to black.

Linda McMullen is a wife, mother, diplomat, and homesick Wisconsinite. Her short stories and the occasional poem have appeared in over ninety literary magazines. She received Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations in 2020. She may be found on Twitter: @LindaCMcMullen.