Mother’s in a red nightgown, red’s the color on my tongue, stained from cherry lollipops.
“Take meds!” grandmother begged, but mother tossed them, played piano, melodies rising-rising with dirty hair, a broken mind.
I thought I’d save her, in my princess nightgown, feet slapping around on linoleum, chasing her ghosts.
Angela Carlton’s fiction has been published in Every Writer, Everyday Fiction, 6S, 50 Word Stories, Spillwords Press, and Paragraph Planet. In 2018, her story “The Roommates,” was made into a short film. In 2023, her story “Swallowed,” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. See more at Angela Carlton Stories & Art.
Yep! Sounds right.
Reminds me of one of the Hopper paintings.
Your imagery is always the best! I can see the story playing out in my mind and the desire of the young child to save her mother from her illusive thoughts! Well done!