Red roses. A sign of romantic interest, elegant sensuality, and passionate love.
Yes, I have received red roses, but mine weren’t accompanied by affection, butterflies fluttering around my stomach, or flirtatious kisses and caresses.
Mine came with feminine shame, a statement of sexual entitlement, and a paranoia I just can’t shake. I fear I see him in the cereal aisle while picking out my Cheerios. I peek over my shoulder again and again as I walk the driveway to my mailbox. I wake in the predawn, still riding the waves of a nightmare that bleeds into waking reality.
All because of red roses.
Maranda Russell 
Trauma fear has power, stealth and longevity
It arrives without input, without concern for our emotional sanity
Know that many small the same path
Hope you find a way around it
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Thanks for the comment Marty. This is a bit of a fictionalized story, but it is based on things that happened to myself and my family. Stalking and domestic abuse are scary subjects.
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The question here is: what brough the trauma? Is it someone stalking her or does she have a bad memory attached to the red roses? 😉 That would be interesting to know to understand her better as a person, yet, the moment itself is well described.
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I feel like flash fiction is sort of made for wondering those types of things lol. I like the ambiguity of very short writing forms, but I agree that this could definitely be expanded into a longer story!
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Since it was title with “fiction” I did not associate it to you, of course. If that person can be identified as suffering from the same symptoms than you do, then it is pretty understandable why she feels this way. So it could also be seen as the pain you endure in situations where other people do not suffer and you show to them how you feel that moment, if we assume for a while that it is not 100 percent fiction.
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Well, most, if not all fiction has an element of the author in it 🙂
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I see. 🙂
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Maranda, the symbolism of the red roses carries throughout this story. It places the cruel irony of something filled with love and beauty being portrayed as something filled with darkness and hate.
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I’m glad you got that 🙂
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