It seeped out like anger. It was a deep, forlorn red. I had been clumsy, as usual. A lot of it was smeared on my Japanese kitchen knife. There, it almost looked like jam, only a rather runny one. Vampires would have loved it. A rich, glassy drop of it rested on the carrot I was chopping. I could almost see my reflection in it. I looked a lot angrier than I really was. Maybe because it made my face red…
I bandaged it up. The white of the bandage seemed helpless and scared with the wild recklessness of the deep, deep red.
I started humming to the loud and pretentious melody of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony that was playing on the radio. I looked across to my piano which rested peacefully in its tiny room. I walked to it and sat down on the smooth stool. I lifted up the lid and admired the perfect keys. Black and white. They seemed so perfect for each other.
I played a C minor chord from the Fifth Symphony. The grim sound filled the room. Then my fingers started gliding across the keys, and I found myself playing the opening to the symphony.
It started oozing out again. I was at the end of the first movement, so I carried on. The more I played, the more red oozed out though the bandage. But I was determined. I wanted to finish the first movement and I wouldn’t let a little blood block my way.
Oh, who cares about finishing? I certainly don’t! It’s time you started making good decisions for yourself.
I played the last chord, and shambled over to the bathroom. I removed the woeful bandage and washed my finger under the freezing cold stream of water. I saw myself again in Red. I looked up and I saw myself in the mirror. I looked around and I saw myself on the windows. I was everywhere.
Look at you. You’re a mess!
The keys were no longer the perfect black and white. They were angry too now. They had Red on them.
I went to the kitchen to fetch a damp cloth. I needed to clean the blood off the keys. My beautiful keys.
I looked out of the window, and I closed my eyes. I could see myself at the concert hall, in my superb gown, at the piano. Playing flawlessly.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. And then, it all went red.
