‘BLOODLINES’, ‘THE WEEDS’ Eleanor Maddock

BLOOD

LINES by Eleanor Maddock CW: Blood

when the bleeding started, she was twelve white sheets stained an odd sort of ruddy brown the girl stared for a few minutes making out the shape of a rabbit in the blotches

she gingerly reached beneath her nightie until she could feel it the blood seeping underneath her fingernails it was dark red and thin, like paint water she let it run down her skin where it pooled in her soft palm

a perverse curiosity overcame her she touched the rouge to her lips

it was metallic and warm

and marked each cheek with the same finger rubbing the blood into her skin with a child’s hands

in the mirror, she saw the image of her mother dark lips and blushing cheeks beautiful she whispered

she pressed her lips to the glass the red blotch distorting her mirrored image blood dripping down her thighs

THE WEEDS

we grow into the image of our mothers if we aren’t careful

we slice ourselves open and pour out our love just to feel empty

but we wanted this we asked for

it