Sleepless

2

At first the water feels cold against her hand, then slowly warms. Absent minded, she undresses and steps into the steamy water. The water glides down onto her head and shoulders, warming and soothing her tired body. Her muscles relax and the tension seems to fade as she lets the water simply cascade onto her.

3:00 a.m. still in the shower, she runs her hands through her soaked hair and untangles the knots her pillow left. Wiping the water from her eyes, she bends slightly to grasp the shampoo bottle and pour some of the light blue soup into her hand. Massaging it into her long hair she thinks of her favorite songs. Although she knows she doesn't have the best of singing voices she starts to hum and softly sing a slow song.

3:15 a.m. finished cleaning herself, she takes in the warmth and soothing feeling the water gives. Giving herself a few more minutes to enjoy it. But it's still late and she hasn't slept. The exhaustion is kicking in and she's growing more and more tired.

3:19 a.m. turning off the water, she reaches for her towel. She swiftly opens the shower curtain, not paying much attention to how much noise it makes. As she wraps the towel around herself, she starts to take her first step out of the shower. The first one meeting the soft, squishy mat next to the tub.

3:21 a.m. as she steps the rest of the way out of the shower, her other foot lands on the tile. Still dripping, she starts to dry off her arms. Not thinking much of it, she takes a step toward the mirror.

3:22 a.m. the tile has no grip and the water wins. The towel rack bends. A loud thud echos in the hallway outside of thee bathroom. The once grey-white tile stains red. And her vision fades slowly.

As darkness begins to consume her, her thoughts go blank. Finally peace and quiet in a chaotic mind. It feels odd to her, but it is a welcomed change. One that she could get used to. Feelings and emotions are no longer consuming her no longer aching heart. It is a freedom and a lifted weight she could enjoy. This she could fall in love with. But, what is this?

In the background she can hear distant noises. It almost sounds like the scratching of her dogs paws against the bathroom door. They are so far away she can't completely make them out though. The whines echo through the hall, but she can barely hear them. The sounds of the world around her are getting more and more distant. Soon, her sight turns to utter darkness. There is nothing.

Then it hits. The feeling of despair takes hold of her and grips her tightly, almost choking her. She tries to talk, she tries to yell, but nothing comes out. She tries to move, to feel any of her extremities, but she can't. The despair grows and tightens around her.

Suddenly, light is all she can see. Blinding light. No longer darkness. Feeling returns to her heart, making her almost wish for the freedom of the darkness.

Her eyes slowly open and quickly close. A sight that is engraved into her mind, or what would be her mind. Confused, that is all she feels. Then again, what else are you supposed to feel when you see your own lifeless body?