The slow drip of water from the spigot broke the room's silence. Her occasional shuddered breath was the only other sound.
Drip. Drip. Sigh. Drip. Drip.
Her eyes grew heavy. She fought the sleeping tide. A little longer. Just a little longer.
A brief chill washed through her. She shivered briefly. Another breath. Another drip.
Peace. It would be peaceful soon. No more pain. No more suffering. Just peace. Still calm.
Gentle nothingness.
Drip. Drip. Sigh.
She flinched. Almost lost it there. Not yet. Soon. She pushed out with her toes; her jaw raised out of the water. Soon. Not yet.
Outside, she could hear the neighbors. Their kids were playing some sort of game. Sounded like tag. Nice. Nice kids. She always liked them. They were kind. Soft spoken. Well mannered. Good people. Not like others.
Not like her friends. Her so called friends.
A tear rolled down her cheek. She didn’t notice. The pain was familiar, an old friend. Friend. What an odd word. What is a friend anyway? Had she ever known? Were they ever friends? Really friends?
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She shut her eyes. She could still see them. Why? Why think of them now? Time to forget. Time for peace. Let them go. Don’t think about them.
Empty.
She started to drift again.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Flinch.
No. Not yet. One more push, toes against the tub. Head back up. Eyes open. Not thinking about that. Not now.
Time for peace.
Her vacant stare drifted to the window over the tub. Fluffy white clouds drifted by, high in the sky, the gentle breeze drove them slowly across the window. A bird called out nearby. Another answered. A mother's call. Children’s answer. Doors being shut. Then silence. The breeze moved gently through the trees nearby, leaving a faint rustle in their passing.
Peace. Time for peace.
Drip. Drip. Sigh.
Her eyes drifted back to the facet.
Drip. Drip.
Each drop left little ripples. Concentric circles, rolling outwards towards her. So small. So gentle. Tiny ripples moved across the water’s surface.
Further down were pools of darkness. Little clouds of crimson, spreading slowly by her sides. The little clouds scattered, giving the water a slightly reddish tint. She could smell the slightly coperic tang.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Her eyes closed again. She didn’t notice. She was a million miles away. Somewhere else. Some when else. In a time before the pain. Before the anguish. Before. Before…
Before friendship.
It hurt. Stop. Stop. STOP! Let it go. Peace. Not now. Let it go. Almost over. Stop.
Almost.
Drip. Drip.
Faces.
Angry. Hurt. Angry faces. Raised voices. Angry words. Hateful words. So much pain. So much anguish. Why? Why…
She whispered quietly.
“I didn’t do it.”
A tear fell. She didn’t hear herself. She wasn’t there, not anymore. A million miles away. Another where. Another when.
“I didn’t do it. I would never do it.”
One more tear. It rolled gently down her cheek, unnoticed.
No more tears. Peace. It was time.
Drip. Drip. Sigh.
From another room, there was muzzled buzzing. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. On a desk, forgotten, a journal vibrated.
Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt.
It went unnoticed.
She wasn’t there. No longer. A million miles away. Another where. Another when. Somewhere else. Peace.
Elysium.
Slowly, her eyes shut.
Slowly, her head sank under the water.