red blogpost#20

Red, the most vibrant of them all. The shade that signifies power, fury and anger. The color of the blood coursing through our veins. It stands for danger and alertness. And as some of us humans like to live life on the edge, the color draws us towards it, grabbing our attention quicker than any else. A natural calling towards a spectrum of light that our eyes can perceive. Some stray away from it while some charge towards it like a bull to the matador, who is also flaunting red. How can we have so much emotion linked to a color? Perhaps it’s our primal senses. Maybe seeing something that runs under our skin latches out for our attention.

Pulling up to an intersection in the middle of a hazy, deserted night. Glancing over both shoulders and seeing nothing that refrains you from moving forwards. Nothing, but the red light of the traffic signal, basking you in its glow, shining against the rain drops that trickle on the windshield of your car. With each passing second, the sheer agony from your shoulder intensifies. Covered in the dampness of your shirt, you reach to soak your fingertips. You click your tongue as your pull your palm below your chin to see the same color smeared against your palm, red. You can almost taste the iron. One bright shade, insinuating danger if you were to cross the intersection recklessly, one dark shade compelling you to drive off to stop the pain sooner.

You remain, deciding to not risk any more danger but a glint of red shines against your rear view mirror, radiating off the siren of a police car advancing your way. You change your mind and your boot settles the pedal against the floor. A blaring truck horn passes as you rush the intersection, fading behind you as you catch speed. A chill flows through your spine, all the way to your tailbone. The needle on your dashboard that signifies how fast you’re going is crossing into the red zone, a danger zone for your car. But there’s larger things at stake. As time passes by, your shirt becomes damp all across your chest and the vision begins to go dark like the night skies around you. With trees racing past you on both sides, you rush. You reach into the glove box to get a hold of your painkillers but your fingers prick against something, looking over you see the set of roses you bought at the store you’ve just robbed. A familiar shade of red brings a smile across your face. You fade into the darkness and you decide to shut your eyes, no longer wanting to know how far your headlights can throw its beam.

 The next thing you know, you open your eyes to find your world upside down and dust settling around you. The same taste of iron by the edge of your lips as blood flows down your neck and makes its way to your hair. The only thing holding you in place is your seat-belt and the gunshot to your shoulder is the last of your worries. A vehicle in red and white is all you see through the shattered windshield as your eyelids feel the weight of your night. The last thing you feel is the grasp of an arm reaching in to help you. You peek to notice the same roses against his wrist, the same shade of red on the tattoo. Existence is beyond you now, you begin to enjoy the silence, hoping it lasts.