The sink is red with blood. I can hear myself panting. More soap. The water’s running; not enough. I can see specks of blood everywhere. Scrubbing. More soap. Pink bubbles. My hands, still bright with the color of guilt. More soap. Not enough water. Head dizzy.
I lean into the bathroom counter as I close my eyes and force my breathing to slow. All I can hear is the sound of the running water flowing past my fingers. How long I stay there in the darkness behind my eyelids, an hour or a minute, it’s enough.
No one’s coming. I’ve got time to kill, I remind myself. I gave myself time to kill. Time to clean. I’ve only got to keep my head now, I remonstrate. Look at this mess you’ve made! My hands had been shaking so, I’d splashed the bloody water everywhere.
Tale Told 