They recognised one another, the bloodsucking intent they both shared.
The same prey. There is only room for one and both would try to eliminate
The other, badmouthing each other and poison her heart and infiltrate her
Mind. She could have seen it all coming, their true natures, ever-feasting egos.
Yet she believed in her values reflected in them and ignored the warnings that
Erupted from sincere places. She walked into a prison where love had never resided.
How could a face transform itself into a harrowing grimace?
How could a smile deform itself into a horror mask?
The thought of them, a tightening hand around her throat?
How could they take up even more room after she had discovered,
Identified them? How could fear take over after she understood their true
Size? Their irrelevance in her life? She did, after all, survive.
“Woman with Red Hair” by Albert Herter (1871-1950)
Croque-Melpomene 