red ribbon demons

we left - myla

red stood facing me with his hands in my hair, soap suds dripping down into my collarbones and down the crevices of my back, i stood there in awe of him with my hands on his chest continuing our intense eye contact.

breaking the silence slowly, red whispered in my ear,
"this waters so hot, not what i'm used to."
his eyes trailed down my body and i followed his gaze to my thighs, his hand grazed over my battle scars and i nestled my head into his neck, letting the water pound into the back of my neck and down over us both, binding us together.

~

with towels wrapped round us, we scurried back down the hall under the skylight window with the rain pittering lightly on it. we entered my room to sit back down on my bed, i clicked the tv remote one of the old 'the chase' came on, we bickered about the answers and joked around with each other and when the tv shut off we sat. red was sat behind me and he traced shapes into my back, swirling the water droplets round to create whatever he wanted on this blank canvas.

"red?" i turned and asked,
"yes ma'am," he returned and smirked.
"why?" i started, he looked puzzled, "why do you love me?"
"myla, myla, myla, how could one not love you?" he reached over and lifted my legs and put me on his lap.
"you make me happy, and as long as i'm happy i'll love you. i love you because you're you, i love the way your top and bottom lip fit together, i love the way your left eye has a brown spot in it that the right doesn't, i love all the ways you have of telling me you love me, i love your sister, i love you myla, i'll love you forever." even if forever wasn't that long, i thought. i smiled at him and stayed silent, cupping his face with my hands.
"can we go now?i have to get away," i whispered. he nodded and threw me up in the air.
"where are we going?" he asked me through kisses.
"anywhere not in wareham." i sighed
"OH OH!" he exclaimed. "i've got the best idea in the world oh my god, let's go to bournemouth, as different people."
i looked at him, puzzled.
he continued,
"like, let's go to bournemouth, and not be red and myla, let's be someone else for a while."
i smiled and said abruptly, "plan."

we escaped my castle of a house with a caravan of personality taking only the keys and ourselves. we hopped in my dads old car - illegally - and drove away, not sure where we would end up, but knowing we would have fun.

~

on the car clock, which was probably wrong, it said 22:54 when we stopped under the 'welcome to bournemouth, please drive safely' sign. i could tell red was tired and i wanted to do what the sign said, he gave me his wallet to go and get what i thought we would need for our trip, and he told me he would get the car ready for our overnight stay with the family of mould and the broken window seals.

i walked to the nearest corner shop which wasn't near at all, it was situated smack bang in the middle of a row of shops, every few still had a light on or a shutter half down. i got us what i thought we could eat and drink, two lighters and three packs of lambert and butler.

i stepped out that store, into the orange streetlight and the nipping cold and saw there was a hardware store with its green shutter still wide open, its fluorescent lights still on and its resident old man pottering around and such.

i knocked on the door to check he was still open and he came with a warm smile to welcome me at the door. shivering still, i walked in.
"it's frighteningly cold dear, if you're here to have a mooch can i offer you a nice hot brew?"
"yeah actually, that would be lovely" i smiled and put my hand out to him, "lisa, by the way."
that was the first step to me and reds fun filled trip, a different person.
"lisa, what are you after and i'll get you it, you just hop up on the counter and get warm, you must be freezing in those clothes," the man said, his eyes danced down my legs and back up. i pulled my skirt down slightly, blushing.

he went to the back room and a couple of minutes later returned with a cup of tea in a cracked dalmation cup, i put my hands on the counter and pushed myself up. the split hem in the black skirt i was wearing widened when i sat and my scars exposed quickly themselves enough for me to cringe at the thought of it before i could cover the gap with my hands.

the man stood before me looking into my eyes,
"what can i get you then darling," he placed his hand on my bare thigh.
"ehm, can i have two blankets, double layered, a spare car battery and have u by any chance got some kind of heater that can plug into the cigarette lighter bit of a car?" i asked, smiling to mask how uncomfortable i was.
"coming right up," he winked at me and walked away.

i sat there for what could've been fifteen minutes dangling my feet and watching what i could see of the aladdins cave i found myself in. i managed to drink the whole cup of hot tea which heated me up, without even thinking about the fact this creepy man could have easily drugged it. i didn't want to think about it.

him, his limp and his gold teeth smile returned with a bag of goods for me, he nodded towards my legs,
"not very lady like, i can see what u had for breakfast," he chuckled. i jumped down onto the floor, walked round to the til. pulled a cigarette from behind my ear and put it in my mouth,
"ring me up then," i paused "darling."
he glanced at me again,
"more feisty than i thought, just take it."
"good lad" i said, and walked out the shop, bag in one hand, lighter in the other.