The sound of the overflow drains on the bathtub startled Darius from his thoughts. He had been staring at the prescription pill bottle in his hands. He wondered if Mary, the woman he had stolen the Coumadin from, had managed to get her prescription refilled. After all, anti-coagulants were essential to those with heart conditions, and he did not know how he would sleep at night if an older woman had a stroke because of him.
Darius got up from the toilet next to the bathtub and gazed at his nude reflection in the mirror. A chuckle escaped his throat as he noticed dried blood on his collar bone; what as one more sin to add to anchor that would surely drag him down to Hell. Not that Darius was sure of his belief in Hell, his belief in God was steadfast. He had seen and experienced too many things as a Police Officer to disqualify the faith in God. Julie had believed in God, as she was a devout Catholic. She had even taken their Son to Mass every Sunday even though Darius had to work the weekends. Darius must believe in heaven as Julie, and their Son must be there, Right?
Darius knew his thoughts were fuzzy from all the Medications kicking in. He was even swaying in front of the mirror. Drunkenly, He gazed up to his reflection one more time; Brown smears of dried blood speckled his body, and he almost picked up the washcloth to try to wipe them away.
Instead, He decided it was time to pay the piper. Darius grabbed the dirty hunting knife off the counter and the laminated photo next to it. More falling into the tub than sitting into it, Darius noticed the water was already turning colors from the grim on his body. This thought did not occupy him for long as the photo, one of his favorites, caught his attention.
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It was of Julie, and Joshua, at a small park not far from their home in Missouri. Julies had a blue dress, and a bright smile contrasted with the onesie their sleeping Son was wearing. That day was perfect, a day Darius would willingly relive forever. If only life could be captured like in the photo in his hand.
Darius fought hard to remember Julie’s face as in the picture, not how that Creature had left her. He partly failed, but that gave him the will power to do what he needed to. Darius brought the Hunting knife up to his inner elbow and quickly made three deep cuts to his elbow. Pain flared as the knife fell to the bottom of the tub, but Darius managed to grip the photo in his slick palm.
Darius continued to look at his wife in the photo as the world grew cold. This was odd because he knew the water was scalding hot, but his muddled mind quickly lost the thought as his vision dimmed. With his peripheral vision gone, Darius was tunnel-visioned on the photograph.
“I love you, Darius,” Julies’ voice sounded in his ear.
“I love you too, Love,” Darius whispered, “Forgive me for the monster I’ve become.”
The world went dark, and the photo sank into the bloody water.