The Last Man Standing / l.p.

t w o

t w o

With Nora in bed, and some time to kill, I decided on ending the night with a quick shower and a few bills to be paid.

The bills were minor, but necessary, as all bills are. If not paid, they could easily turn into a lump sum of money that took forever to pay off.

Simple things such as the car insurance monthly payment, cable expenses, and Internet were my focuses for the night.

Without further pondering of the money I'd be paying out tonight, I stepped into the bathroom to ease the tension from the day that rested on my shoulders.

I slowly pulled my shirt over my head, stretching out my arms as I did so, pulling at the tight muscles that ached from overuse.

Before slipping my pants off, I turned on the water in the shower and waited a few seconds for the heat to finally kick in.

When I deemed it ready, I pushed my pants to my ankles and stepped in, closing my eyes and letting the warm of the water envelope me.

Life with Nora alone was tough. I had to be there for her preschool events, as well as work a full time job, as well as take care of daily necessities such as food, washing, and bedtime. Nora's mother, Caroline left us when Nora was 8 months old.

Caroline decided that as a 20 year old, she wasn't ready for a life with me and a child and that she wanted her freedom without being tied down to responsibilities such as a baby.

I thought it was complete rubbish.

The water drifted down my face and dripped out of my hair, leaving me feeling renewed and fresh.

Absentmindedly, I reached for the soap and lathered it all over my body, breathing in the thick scent of eucalyptus mint. But, something was off. The air had a metallic tinge to it, a smell that made me crinkle my nose and look around for the origin.

I pulled the shower curtain back and scoped out the bathroom, sticking my nose in the air for the source of the stench that had so strongly affected my senses.

After finding nothing, I closed the curtain and turned back to the water, only to stumble back a few steps in shock of what I saw.

Out of the shower head poured a thick, red liquid that was beginning to fill the bottom of the tub instead of going down the drain.

The metallic scent was growing by the second, leaving a nasty taste in my mouth.

I was standing in inches of blood.