Patterns of blood trail the floor. Projecting from the hanging light bulb, a beam of light sways and illuminates the darkness. The smell of musk and urine hang in the air. The sleeve of my house robe guards my nose and mouth. Falling droplets echo against the walls along with my own heels. Wind rushes and shakes the windowpanes lining the walls like Valkyrie knights darting into battle. Rain droplets beat upon the windowpanes like hands upon a tabla. Thunder clatters and rings my ears like the deafening explosion of a grenade upon one’s ears. I peer to the edge of the hallway. Droplets of blood continue their voyage. I stop abruptly at a red door. My hand freezes upon the knob. I am bitten and the bitter frosts of air escape my breath. I hesitantly turn the knob and open the door toward the room. The trail of blood ends here.
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“Are you safe?” My friend’s voice calls out to me over the phone.
I know not of how to reply. I am standing on the train overlooking the houses below out of the windows of the sliding doors. A blank stare sits upon the passengers’ faces. I’m safe, aren’t I?
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I can hear my veins pump blood throughout my heart. The thumping reverberates in my ears. A frosted mirror hangs above the white sink. Beside the sink, a toilet rests unclean. Opposite, a white porcelain tub is incased by frosted shower curtains. Lightning illuminates the bathroom through the skylight above the white porcelain tub. The ringing of a phone startles me. My heart runs and escapes me. I feel colder than before. I wrap my house robe tightly about myself and enter the room. The door hastily slams behind me startling also the pale shower curtains into motion. The ringing of the phone continues on. As I begin to take a look around the room the ringing of the phone abruptly stops. The playing of a piano takes its place. On the treble clef, the notes C, F♯, and G play four times over. At a lower pitch, the notes D, E♭, and F play four times over. Continuing the decline in scale; the notes B, C♯, D play four times over. The final four notes follow: A, B♭, and C play four times over.
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“Are you still there?” He continues to inquire.
I’ve always been here, I think. “Um.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
“About what?”
Silence lies between us.
“I’ve been dreaming about you.”
“What?”
“I lost you and couldn’t find you.”
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The sound of a finger rubbing against wet glass causes me to turn to the bath tub. I quickly draw the shower curtains to find the faucet dripping into a pool of blood. Thunder cracks the air and shatters the window. I turn to the frosted mirror and see written on it: LIVE YOUR LIFE.