SECRETS - On the inside

You can pull the cord but the light wont come on. You can see a little from the street lamp outside, but the shaddows hide the secrets of this room. There is a cold wind whistling through the open window, forcing the curtains to dance to its song. Rain beats hard against the glass. Catching a ride it shoots through the open gap. The curtains become heavy with water and the rythem slows down.

You may find that you are drawn to the strong smell of chemicals and quite rightly. If you take a closer look around, you can just make out the shiny finish on the taps. In fact, the whole room is spotless. You might expect to see shampoo bottles on the side of the bath or toothpaste next to the sink, but nothing is on show. If you take a step closer you will hear the crunching of thin glass under your feet. Prehaps it is that of the light bulb. The walls are lined with small tiles, so shiny you could almost see your reflection.

There is a neat little shelf on your left, it feels like it is made from stainless steel. It is cold to touch, every now and then it sparkles. The cars that drive by steel the darkness for a split second as their headlights beam into the room. Just enough time to reveal three bottles sitting with their labels facing forward and all of the same height. Everything is just so, until you catch a glimpse of the mirror. The mirror is splintered as if something hard has hit it. The fragments catch the light, glistening like crystal shards, each with its own identity.

As you shut the bathroom door you notice there is something written on the back. If you wait for the next car to pass there will be enough light for you to read 'Dirty Slut'. The writing is in large capital letters with what looks to be red lipstick. You can sence anger and adrenalin behind each letter. Down from that in the corner between the door and the wall, sits a neat pile. The contents of the pile is hidden by the shaddows. You must reach down and drag what you can to the middle of the room where the street lamp glows.

As you work carefully through the pile you find great clumps of shiny red hair. It smells of sweet perfume and is soft to the touch. Tangled in the long strands is a pair of scissors. You dig deeper and find a dainty little brush still wet with varnish, the bottle up side down and empty. There are compact eye powders with the colours sratched out and spread over the hair. Lipsticks are missing from their holders, mashed into a satin dress. The dress has been cut. You lift the clothing up high to reveal the elegancy it once had. Beads fall. Beautiful glass beads, some still attached to string. There are earings to match and even a bracelet. A pair of healed sandals lay at the bottom. The colour matches that of the dress and they too have been cut.