Ekphrasis – 33

Carmen Maria Machado

You turn left. As you do, you hear a shifting in the backseat. You see a shadow, and feel a cold blade pressing into your throat. A murmuring voice drops into your ear.

 

“You know as well as I do that you just made the wrong decision.”

 

You look into the rearview mirror, and Judith flashes a smile at you. The rich blue of her dress becomes more pronounced as a little more daylight illuminates it. She looks different than her painting. Less matter-of-fact, more… more cruel.

 

The broadsword catches the glow of the streetlight and throws it against the windshield. In the reflection of the glass, you and Judith are both ghosts.

 

“I know that you’ve always appreciated my grit,” she says. “Turn around. You know which way to go.”

 

You make a sharp U-turn, and begin to head up into the mountains.

 

 

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