S L O W T O W N

Hands

The rain pelted down onto his back, his shirt, pants and socks were already soaked from the minutes he had spent outside already, sweat now joining the rain as it trickled down his brow and neck. Tyler's hands had started to blister against the raw wood of the handle he gripped so tightly. Once he was done filling in the two holes, he stopped for a minute, taking in what he had just done, the blood and dirt mixed on his hands and he began to scratch at his wrists with his dirty finger nails.

He sat down between the two mounds and sighed, staring at the muddy earth below him. He started to scratch again, at his neck this time, smearing the filthy mixture along his neck.

Tyler started to shake, fear and the cold now only just hitting him.

What had he done?

The sky cried harder, and he picked himself up from the sloppy dirt, everything on him covered in mud and blood and rain, and tears.

He pushed the front door open with two fingers in an attempt to not cover everything in his mistakes. He took his socks off and placed them by the fire place to dry as he walked past the stains left on the lounge and living room floor.

Tyler headed upstairs to the bathroom with hesitation and started the shower once he had gotten inside, moving to the vanity whilst waiting for the water to warm to an acceptable temperature.

"No need to lock the door," he spoke to himself, neck itching as he waited for the shower to heat up. He leant both muddied hands against the basin and stared into the mirror, lightening now picking up outside, filling up the dark bathroom with bright blue lights every now and then.

Tyler stared at himself harder, his brow set and hard, scowling. The dirt and blood down his neck looked almost familiar, his hands had stopped shaking, and he was at peace with what had happened, what he had just done.

"No more, no more, no more, clean it away,"

As the lightening struck and Tyler stared, the brown iris' his mother loved glowed red. Tyler jumped back, caught off guard, he stumbled and his feet hit the edge of the bathtub , he nearly slipped as he climbed into the shower, clothes still clinging to his body as he sat down in the warmth, letting it consume his shaking small form.

"Wash me,"