Embroidered Lady: Fantasy

The lady in the embroidery hoop smiled wistfully out at the shop as cherry blossoms fell forever around her face. Usually, Marigold thought that cross-stitch pictures were rather chintzy and not worth keeping, much less doing herself, but she found herself drawn to the simple portrait of a Japanese woman captured in the cross-stitch. She wished that it had been a painting or a photograph, of course, but the cross-stitch still managed a sort of enchantment that made her want to keep it. She reached out to pick it up, then winced and cried out when something stung her finger. Sticking the injured digit in her mouth and sucking on it, she flipped the embroidery hoop around and saw that the needle still dangled from the back. Now her blood stained its point. She reached out to pull it out, and another drop fell from her finger to the cloth backing. She winced again when she saw the blood stain the white cheek of the Japanese woman. Now she'd have to buy it.


Inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151910681098978&set=a.50444823977.62137.769533977&type=1
Story potential: Low
Notes: Meh.