nine of diamonds

After six rounds of solitary rum and cokes I decided that it was time for a breather. I stumbled off my stool and paced accurately for the bathroom lighting a cigarette on the way.

The bartender said something like, “hey you can’t smoke in the bathroom you lush. Only smoking at the bar.”

I turned and gave him the finger and a crooked smile and within a fraction of a second ran the side of my face into a wall. I bounced back and caught myself making sure not to let the cigarette drop from in between my lips. The bartender was having a solid laugh behind the counter as I pushed into the bathroom.

The lighting in the bathroom was dim and the mirror over the scummy sink was cracked and almost falling off the wall. The wallpaper was peeling everywhere I looked and there was broken glass everywhere. I looked at myself in the mirror and shrugged. I threw my cigarette on the floor and ran some hot water. I felt rejuvenated as the water splashed on my face. I closed my eyes and imagined that I was at some majestic desert hot springs.

As I stood at the sink eyes closed and dreaming I felt a warm trickle run down my lip not akin to the warm water dripping from my chin. I opened my eyes and saw a bright red stream of bloody mary pouring out of my nose. I watched the drops hit the sink and stain the porcelain drop after drop. As I wiped the blood from my face more began to pour out. The blood seemed to come faster and faster and in more excess than before I wiped it. The sink was covered in blood droplets and the trashcan was littered with red on white little fireworks balls.

In a last ditch effort to stop the bleeding I rammed a wad of toilet paper up my nostril and wiped any remaining blood from my face. I pressed my hand to the cracked mirror and left a murderous looking hand print.

As I stumbled from the bathroom with the paper still up my nose the bartender gave me a shocked look. I approached the bar and paid the remainder of my tab with a twenty and headed for the door not speaking to the man behind the bar. He would soon discover the horrible mess I had left him in the lavatory.

Two steps from the door and the man called out, “hey what happened to your face in there?”

“Murder,” I said and walked out the door into the night.