I let my mind wander aimlessly as ice cold water cascaded down my tired and aching back. I was numb already--why should more cold make any difference? I turned my body around just as the heat started to kick in, a soft moan escaping my lips as the tension started to ebb away slowly.
Why should one person make a difference?
Patting myself dry, I tried my best not to re-open any of my wounds. Most of the minor cuts and abrasions had healed sufficiently, but there were still many places where my smooth, somewhat tan skin was marred by purple or even green.
I escaped with my life…but at what cost?
A flashback of another, similar day attacked my mind and left me crumpled in a heap on the hard bathroom floor. I was getting rather familiar with the beige rug in front of the sink…
Eternity, it seems, swallowed me up and began to chew viciously as one by one the images of my past assaulted the inside of my eyelids. Laughter turned to a surprised and horrified gasp and then things went dark for a moment. Not black, but like black and crimson cellophane had been glued onto my eyes.
Thankfully, I pulled myself out of eternity's maw before things got too bad.
Oh, look--the lipstick smudge from last time…
I peeled my worn body from its prone position on the floor and fumbled with the door as my hands continued shaking. It was warm beneath my trembling fingers and gave just as soon as I touched it. I braced myself against the dark room beyond.
There would be no more sleep for me tonight.