LXIV | Some Sort of Threat

❦

When Asher
finally
hands me the new canvas,

I tell him

I don't need it anymore.

His face
went through

the same

stop-motion
of emotions:

Confusion,
anger,
disappointment,
pity,
passion,
defeat.

He didn't yell at me though.

He leaned the canvas
against the window

and disappeared.

I painted yesterday's tree

to the sound
of his yelling at Nina

for the rest of the day.

Things
have gotten

really tense

in the asylum.

Moonlight Sonata sings mournfully,
a juxtaposition

to this volatile
tension

that reminds me of a rumbling volcano.

I'm jumpy too because

Tammie
is perched

on the arm of my chair,

a clear violation

of Nina's 'order'
to be neat and tidy.

Go sit down,
I hiss at her.

She shrugs,

grey eyes languid.

She leans close to me
and smiles.

I see bits of cheese

trapped between
her teeth.

She refused

to eat dinner with me though.

You ate after all.
What did you have?

I ask.

She replies

but I only hear Nina's voice
from her armchair across the room.

Shut up, Fiona.

[Read the full story at novelconbini.com!]