Picnic for Two
Fiction by Madison McFarlen
Untitled by Koda Christensen
Soft quilted fabric rested under her hand. A tote bag was next to her, contents spread out on the blanket. Thin slices of deli meat, cheddar and gouda cheese. Small egg salad sandwiches stacked neatly on a plastic plate. A bottle of merlot, notes of spices and plum, balanced carefully on the uneven ground.
Selene brought her glass to her burgundy lips, letting the dry alcohol rest in her mouth before finally swallowing.
It had been the perfect day for this; a romantic picnic by the lake. Sunny, but not sweltering. Grass a vibrant green and soft to the touch. The lake Selene sat next to was a mirror of the sky above. Light blue with drifting clouds sliding across the surface. Briefly, Selene wished her husband was next to her. The second wine glass was empty, tipped on its side.
Not unlike their marriage, Selene thought.
She watched the calm surface of the water, thinking back to the happiest day of her life. Dressed in all white, her gown made of delicate lace that trailed behind her as she walked. The church pews filled with family and friends. Then at the altar, the man that would become her husband. His smile was as radiant as his eyes, which stayed locked on her visage. He brought a hand up to his face, gently wiping a tear away.
How did we get here? Selene wondered, alone on what should have been a date for two. Fighting turned into lying. Then lying turned into late nights out with friends, while she sat home alone, mourning the man that she had married. But he wasn’t always with friends. Sometimes he was with her. Selene had learned about her three months ago. A confrontation, screaming and crying. He swore it was a one-time thing, that it didn’t mean anything and would never happen again. Selene believed him.
She took another sip from her glass. What was meant to be a day dedicated to the rekindling of their failing romance had only further fractured it. The break was messy, would never heal right, if it healed at all. In the sun, her pear-shaped diamond ring would usually sparkle. They used to joke that astronauts could see it from the International Space Station. But her finger was bare, the ring now nestled where it sank into the lake.
He’d gone in after it, because of course he had. It was expensive, and maybe Selene should have considered pawning the white gold ring instead. She had watched him enter the lake, sinking further and further until the water was up past his hip. Selene remained dry on the shore, cheeks stained black with her mascara, watching him fumble around. All the while, he continued to scream at her.
She makes me happier than you ever could! It was the happiest day of her life.
She’s funny and smart, and she actually understands me! Her dress was white, made of delicate lace.
I love her and I’m leaving you! His smile was radiant.
Selene’s eyes had surveyed the ruined picnic, but then they landed on the unopened bottle of merlot. Her fingers curled around the neck. Heavy, thick glass greeted her hand. Selene stalked into the lake. Water rushed to move out of her way, but not quick enough, as it crashed into her calves. Her naive husband was crouched down to his shoulders, faced away from her.
Selene raised the ruby-filled bottle over her head.
His skull made a satisfying crake as she brought the bottle down. He went limp in the water, sinking slightly in his daze. A wicked smile spread across Selene’s face. She released the bottle, reaching for her husband’s neck instead. He didn’t put up a fight in his stunned state, only slightly twitching against the assault of water on his lungs.
Selene shivered against the gentle breeze, her floral blouse clinging to her pale skin. Wet from retrieving the wine bottle from the lakebed. After the act, she had trudged up the shore and collapsed onto the picnic blanket again. The bottle was still perfectly intact, and Selene had poured herself a glass in sick celebration.
She surveyed the lake again, the ends of her hair damp and sticking to her shoulders. The sun was beginning to set behind the trees surrounding the lake, casting the area in shadow. The reflection of trees on the lake surface looked similar to jagged teeth. Floating in the open maw was her husband’s body. Ripples lapped against it, the only disturbance on the otherwise calm surface. His body was relaxed, pliant. It reminded her of when he would take naps on their green suede couch.
Selene raised the glass to her lips, taking a long sip of the deep, spiced plum flavour. She smiled, feeling joy for the first time in months. Her teeth were stained red.
Madison McFarlen is a student at Okanagan College, enrolled in the Associates of Arts program. She is an unpublished writer that spends most of her time thinking about things to write, while procrastinating any actual writing. Madison has won an award for not missing a day of class in grade 5, which is not related to writing but worth mentioning. She currently live in Kelowna, located on the unceded territory of the Syilx people, with her partner and their pet rats (who receive many head kisses).