But I need striped pillows, she replied

Copyright Douglas M. Macilroy
Copyright Douglas M. Macilroy

 

As she stood among the living room displays at Ikea staring at an old-fashioned diving helmet on a shelf, Becca had a memory. It arrived unformed, in an odd stream of shapes and colors. Here the shocking red of the barricades, there a vertical expanse of yellow wood, in the corner pink stripes on little girl legs.

The muted walls faded into invisibility. Looking at several sofas at once, Becca felt pink stripes at her throat and panic clogging her chest.

Becca grabbed her sister’s hand. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered to avoid attracting attention.

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10 thoughts on “But I need striped pillows, she replied

  1. Oooh, I like the pink strips clogging her chest. I wondered what made her panic. I wished I had said something about the striped tights now. Nice one, Christy!

  2. I think the idea of a memory that’s frightening but you can’t really remember is possibly worse than those that are clear and can, perhaps, be dealt with. Nice feel of panic here.

    janet

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