Red

• A Drop of Scarlet

Red

The color that she can't live without..

or so she said.

Everything in her possession were painted red..

Her bag,

her pencils,

her notebooks,

and more. But the one that she loved the most

Her poncho.

She's so attached to it that you can't see her without it.

Even in hot weather, you can see it around her.

I ask her if she doesn't feel hot

She only shrugged her shoulders while saying,

"I like this poncho. No. To be precise, I love it. So it doesn't matter whether I feel hot or cold"

I remembered shaking my head at that. She's weird. And coming from me that's not good..

She loves Red

Everything that's painted with that color.. Especially that poncho..

But one day,

I asked her, "Where are you going?"

"My friend's"

"Who?"

I don't remember her having a friend. She doesn't talk a lot in school and only likes to be left alone. So it came as a surprise when she said she's going to someone's place.

"No one important that you needed to know"

"Rude"

She only stuck her tongue out at me and then smiled,

"I'll be back before 5 pm"

and then she's out of the door.

It's already 5 pm. No sign of her.

Another hour have passed. Again, no sign of her.

Mother and I are so worried. I phoned all of her classmates asking whether she had been in their place but everyone said "No. She's not"

We're getting restless. Mother's already dialing the police Dept. number when the front door opened.

Both of us rush at the door. And there we saw her. Mother was about to ask where she have been but she only whispered. I needed to strain my ears to hear her. And what I heard is baffling..

"I hate red. I don't like it anymore.."

I asked her what happened. But she only look down on the floor. I followed her gaze and that's when I— we saw it..

Red .

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Running down her legs..

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She hates red.

Everything that's painted with that color.. Especially that poncho..

She hates them.

I do too...