dénouement

1929

you waited for her in a narrow alley, looking out onto the street and searching the face of every woman who passed by you, desperately looking for the face you were here for. Her.

She came from behind, a melee attack but not one that was entirely unwelcome. You gasped when she put her hands around your waist and wasted no time putting her lips on your neck and placing her fingers just above your collarbones, at the nape of your neck. Her sharp nails tracing your Adam's apple. Or Eve's apple in this case.

Her lips traveled upwards to your ears, her breath hot on my skin. Her warmth engulfed me, in sharp contrast to her icy demeanour, and in her usual husky manner of speaking she whispered, "You're going to hell, mon cherie."

My breath hitched in my throat as I gathered the courage to grab her arm and twist it behind her back, I spun on my heel and turned to face her, grabbing her chin down towards me so that she was at eye level. The height difference between us was embarrassingly evident but I brought our faces an inch from touching and stared directly at her smile as I replied, "if I'm going to hell then im taking you with me."

It was my turn to make her wonder whether she wanted to kill me or kiss me, and I could tell by the quiver of her lip that the confusion was setting in. Oh shit, I had been staring at her lips this whole time, they curled into a smile as I met her eyes once again. I had her restrained physically yet she had won this round psychologically.

Here we were, time moving slower than it ever had before while cars sped past us and coked up men in suits didn't even spare a glance. It was like we were invisible, only seen by each other.

She pulled away and backed down deeper into the alley, laughing gently as she put her ridiculous hat back oh her head, covering her eyes so that only a sinister curve of red lips and brown skin could be seen.

"Hell is our home mon petit oiseau, the only difference between us is that I've accepted it. I'm waiting until you can too."

and she was gone, like she had never existed and beside myself, I reached forward and held out my hands searching for any trace of her body, my search becoming more urgent.

And the people on the street finally stopped and spared a glance, amusing themselves at the crazy woman screaming to herself in the alley.