Cold Scarlet

The blindfold was suddenly removed from his face and the dim-lit room slowly came to him as his eyes focused to the darkness.1

“Hey, Ret.” A beautifully buxom young woman leaned seductively against a slick black piano. A devil red evening dress shimmered in the moonlight. 2

“Gloria?” he said in disbelief. But, she’d been gone for years…3

“Nuh-uh,” she replied, a smile playing at her red lips. “It’s Scarlet now.”4

Ret was left speechless and gaped at her with his mouth open. Gloria? The simple little housewife? But it couldn’t be…5

He fumbled for words. “Gloria…Gloria, this is ridiculous. Just untie me now, let me go, and we can talk this over – ”6

She giggled. “Oh, it’s too late now, Ret. Far too late. You should have thought of this first before you slept with that tramp and kicked me out of our house. You knew better than that…”7

She spoke to him as if she were speaking to a disobedient child. He didn’t like it.8

“Gloria,” he said more aggressively, “you let me go this second or you’ll be dealing with my lawyers!”9

Like a cobra, she struck him, her face twisted in ugly fury, barely an inch away from his own. “Did you not hear me?” she snarled. “My name’s not Gloria! Gloria was weak and subservient. She let you get away with anything you wanted, didn’t she? All for love.” She spat the word. She suddenly seemed to compose herself. “But not now,” she whispered slowly, watching his eyes, his lips. “You won’t get away with anything this time…”10

He trembled as she studied his face in silence. “You haven’t changed at all, have you?”11

When he didn’t respond, she laughed loudly and stepped away from him. “Of course not. Still a coward through and through…of course not…”12

Her heels echoed through the empty room. “I’ve changed, Ret,” she said after a moment. “I’m a lot stronger now. You wouldn’t believe it.” She laughed again.13

Her back was turned to him and she seemed to be rummaging for something in a shimmery red clutch. Chills ran violently up Ret’s spine as he imagined a gun but ceased as she pulled out a tube of red lipstick.14

“I made it myself,” she said, thoughtfully, sliding it over her full lips. She rubbed them together and turned to look at him. She caught his eye and he saw her soften.15

She sighed. “What do you say, Ret? Put all this business behind us? After all, it was the past and…I’ve missed you so much…” She reached behind her neck and her evening dress fell to her feet.16

Ret’s eyes roamed over her body, her hourglass shape embraced perfectly in black lace. “Yes, the past…” Ret murmured absently, his mind already on other things. “I’ve missed you too.”17

She tipped her chin and grinned devilishly. “Let’s have a little fun.”18

She slithered into his lap, running her hands slowly up Ret’s chest, making him gasp for air. She straddled him, one leg on either side, and pressed her lips to his passionately. Ret bit and sucked her lips hungrily as she grasped his hair and pushed him in for more. Ret eagerly complied but suddenly she giggled. He ignored her and trailed her neck and breasts with as much sloppy kisses as he could muster from his tightly bound position. Her giggles grew into full-on laughter and he pulled away and glared at her angrily.19

“What?” he snapped.20

She laughed even harder, shrieking, with tears running down her face.21

“What is it?!” he cried, cold fear beginning to spread at the base of his stomach.22

She stood up, pacing in front of him and breathing hard, trying to compose herself.23

“You didn’t ask what was in it,” she hiccupped and burst into a new fit of giggles.24

“I what?” Ret asked in disbelief.25

“You didn’t ask what was in the lipstick I made,” she said breathlessly. She let out another shriek of glee that she tried to stifle with her hand.26

“What was in it?” Ret whispered.27

She now lay cackling on the dirty floor28

“GODAMMIT GLORIA, WHAT WAS IN IT?” screamed Ret, unable to contain his panic.29

Stretching her face to keep from smiling, she looked at him dead in the face. “Rat poisoning,” she said, “cyanide, and venom.”30

“Jesus Christ, Gloria, don’t you know that we’re both gonna die?!” Ret cried.31

She shook her head, shaking with laughter. “No, you’re gonna die. I’ve got the antidote.” She pulled a small purple vial from her clutch along with a white handkerchief which she used to wipe her lips.32

Ret’s mind had temporarily gone numb but now he began to spit frantically, saliva stretching and dripping from his chin.33

“It’s too late, Ret!” she sang happily. “Haven’t I told you it’s too late? You’re gonna pay for what you did!”34

“No,” wailed Ret, beginning to cry. “No, I can’t. I’m sorry Gloria! I’m sorry! Save me please!”35

“Save you?!” she snorted and cackled some more. She was mad. Absolutely crazy.36

Ret started to scream, now far beyond panic. The sounds that came from his mouth weren’t even words, just desperateness for survival.37

“Calm down!” she cried a little indignantly over his wailing. The empty vial lay beside her dress on the filthy floor. “It works fast, doesn’t it? Can’t you feel the poison eating through your guts now?” She grinned. “Like acid.”38

And he did feel it. That terrible, terrible feeling, like everything was falling and burning. His skin was cold and clammy and with one mighty heave he began to vomit. Blood poured from his mouth, mingled with his spit, soaked through his shirt, ruined his shoes, and he died.39

Gloria sat back on the floor, laughing quietly, breathily to herself. She stood up, draped her dress over her arm, and her heels echoed as she walked over to the man in the chair. She stepped around the blood and mess and stooped to kiss him on his nose, his eyes still focused in fear where she had sat, laughing. She touched him on his forehead, smiling down on him, lost in memory, and then walked out of the room.40