I chose to use the following definition of Scarlet:
scarlet |ˈskärlit|
adjective
chiefly dated (of an offense or sin) wicked; heinous.
• immoral, esp. promiscuous or unchaste.
Her skin shone a brilliant shade of white – somewhere between silver and ivory – against the blackness of the night.
There was something so liberating about meeting him each night in the safety of the forest, far from the prying eyes of those cloistered mortals she called kin.
She knew if they were discovered she’d suffer the ultimate death; wantonness was no more tolerated in their speck-on-the-map town than blaspheme.
In fact in the eyes of the village, wantonness was far more heinous, especially when the offender was a woman.
She wondered what sort of agonizing death they would concoct for her, the scarlet wife of the preacher.
For more Five Sentence Fiction check out Lillie McFerrin’s blog.
For some reason your story has encouraged me to keep saying ‘wantonness’ out loud. I love that word now!
Your story is a slow burn, knowing the consequences adds quite a dimension of heat to the affair. Nicely done, Angie :))
I love the word too lol! Thanks for the lovely comment Jo-Anne 🙂
Nice work – I liked ‘cloistered mortals’.
Thank you!
I like that the theme is scarlet–yet you start out with a well-described white! Great write, and I’m wondering…where does all this “5 sentence” come into play? Or rather, where do the prompts originate?
Check out Lillie McFerrin’s blog for more details. There’s a link at the bottom of this post. She’s the Queen of Five Sentence Fiction 🙂
I like the word ‘heinous’ too! Your story even comes across with a slightly supernatural feel, with talk of her pale skin, the ‘cloistered mortals she called kin’ and such strong ramifications for her wrongs…a very interesting piece Angie!
Thank you Lisa! I had fun with this week’s word 🙂
“…the scarlet wife of the preacher.” I love that use of the prompt. This whole piece painted such an interesting, rebellious woman. You left this reader wanting more! Good job.
Thank you! 🙂
Oh man, I love this one. Of course, I love romances, especially sordid, hidden ones that happen in the woods. You could make this into a longer piece quite easily.
Thank you for your feedback!
Ah, wonderfully written! And very visual!
Thanks Steven!
I really like the way you went with Scarlet!! Wickedly well written 🙂
Thanks Lillie! And thanks for the awesome prompt 🙂
I love your take on the prompt; the use of scarlet and the language you have used. Typical though that the woman faces a grissly end compared to that of the man in your what seems to me a medieval village but could stand today in some parts of the world. . . . very thought provking and beautifully written. xx
Thanks Lizzie for your wonderful comment 🙂