Short Story Collection

Lipstick

I have always been a hopeless romantic. The few relationships I have had were ones were I fell fast and she didn't fall at all. After each ending I swore love would be the death of me.

My latest breakup happened last week so of course I am spending this weekend getting blitz. Anything that helps me forget become my new relationship. So in my local pub I am known well. I polish off my fifth jack and coke and begin my march to the bathroom. A women darts past me. The only thing I can see of her is her bright red lipstick. My romantic side is in a drunken stupor but it mumbles about how pretty she is. I tell it to politely shut the fuck up. I end up in front of the mirror in the bathroom; starring curiously at the red writing. The numbers swim in front of me.

"It's her's" the romantic mumbles at me again.

Those damn butterflies start their restless attempts to escape.

"Call the number"

I pull out my phone and dial the number. It takes a couple of tries but eventually I'm greeted by a female voice.

"Madeline's love line. How can I be of service to you?" she says

"Uhhhhh hi. I think I love you." I can't stop myself from saying those dreaded words.

"Ooohh sweetie I love you too." She coos to me "I want to meet my lover. Where are you tonight sweetie?"

"Al's pub. I'm......I'm a little drunk ya know. But shit I need someone to cuddle with." The words are flowing out of my mouth like vomit.

She whispered something that I couldn't quite make out so I hung up the phone. On my way back to the bar a red shape appeared in front of me. Well the dress was red, her bag was red, and her lips were red, but her hair and eyes were black.

I giggled like a school girl "You look like a girly devil." I managed to say in between fits of laughter.

A look passed over her features but returned to normal.

"Well baby I can be your little bad girl if you want me to." She had her arms looped around my neck.

I was sold. All I could do was nod. She half carried half drug me out of the pub. The cold night air felt amazing against my heated skin.

"So where to m....lady" I cooed at her

"We're going to go back to my place so we can play around and cuddle. Just like what you wanted." Her words were like silk

"mmmm oookkkk." I hummed as she pulled me into a taxi.

Out of her red bag she pulled a bottle of water. It was only half full but I was dying of thirst. She saw me eyeing it and gladly handed it over. I polished it off as fast as I had with my jacks.

"Good boy." I heard her whisper

I laid my head back and I was gone. Out cold. Nothing else was with me in this new dark world. I was just me. I had my thoughts. My memories to ponder over, especially todays. I was going to regret a whole lot of things when I woke up. Of course I went home with her. Of course I fell head over heel for a women I had called from a pub bathroom. I really should get my life in order.

The first thing I felt was excruciating pain. It shot through my right side like a bullet. I squirmed against the surface I was laying in but that made it worse. My head was spinning. A mix of alcohol and something else was screwing with me. I couldn't think properly. Hell I hadn't even opened my eyes yet. A mangled slew of curse words escaped when I tried to move again; this time in order to get away from the cold that was surrounding me. I wanted a blanket and some Advil.

The pain was making me more nauseous then my hangover. I pried me eyes open only to find that I was lying in a bathtub made of red. Everything was splattered in the poisonous color. My brain could discern what all I was looking at.....until I looked down at myself.

I was surrounded by murky red water. The jagged wound across the ride side of my ribs and stomach was the final piece of the puzzle. By now I was shaking very hard from the cold. My eyes could only see in little black tunnels. I knew what had happened. I knew what was going to happen to me now.

Love really was the death of me.