The Fast Red fade of Elysium

 She had long felt the glow of her red halo....
As if she were born under its neon din buzzing sign...

Causing her innocence to be flung tossed by the first wandering of fingers across lines and
up her too young thigh..

Red spent long before it should have and by men who had no right to her..

Her sign, she thought, was just too bright for any Elysium song...
So she did not indulge anymore
the daydreamer in her...
Any fancy of paradise was too peculiar sharp to shake fast...
To wake startled, and be forced to stare down the blue cold of reality in her Mothers tired eyes..
The forever there scared her silly.

She saw eternity stretch out into too much and never enough..
Into angry emptiness.
There was no just cause to dream in a void she figured.

She was hungry and furious with life that first time..
She walked fast down the grimy street,
He pulled up into the parking lot ahead in a big shiny black truck .
She understood he wanted a piece of her as his window slid down..

"How much?" he asked. Smiling.
The question crashed like a rogue wave from temple to temple and smashed against what little was left of her fragile heart...
The answer shook her...
I'm free she thought.

Finally the words "Twenty five Mister." ricocheted off her tongue like a bullet.
She looked at him with steely eyes of false self worth and bravado.
It worked.

He chuckled a "Get in darlin.."
His seat felt soft and warm..
She had been so cold.
She was grief stricken by its comfort.

Her cheeks grew hot as he chatted to her about his rough day and whiny wife,
"You sure are a purty lil thang, i was very happy, yes sirreee, very happy to see you.." he sang.

"How did you know?" she heard a voice escape her throat..
Terrified of an answer she was sure she already knew.
Her red halo buzz roared in her ears...
Salty wet filled her throat as she fought back and swallowed her rightful tears.

She heard a "click."
As he chuckled "Oh darlin, I know that look in your eyes."

Yes. She thought.
That must be it... the source of her light.
The seat sure did feel warm,
She sighed long and sank in.