Dark Reflections

Ashley stood under the scorching hot water, feeling it pound against her skin like a relentless drumbeat. She had been in the shower for what felt like an eternity, the warm water a meager comfort against the cold, dark emptiness that had taken up residence inside her. Her eyes wandered to the edge of the shower, where the razor lay, a small, glinting sliver of steel that seemed to be calling to her. As she gazed at the razor, a sense of numbness washed over her. It was as if she was floating outside her body, watching herself from afar. She thought about how easy it would be to end it all, to simply slip the razor across her wrist and let the pain wash away. She would be with Gerald and Corey soon, and the thought was both terrifying and tantalizing. Ashley's mind began to wander to all the what-ifs. What if she didn't have to feel this pain anymore? What if she could just escape into a peaceful nothingness? The thoughts swirled in her head like a maelstrom, pulling her under with their undertow. She raised her hand, her fingers hovering over the razor. For a moment, she was frozen in time, her heart pounding in her chest like a jackrabbit. She could feel the weight of her grief bearing down on her, the crushing pressure of her loss threatening to consume her. As she stood there, the water pouring down around her, Ashley felt like she was drowning in her own sorrow. She thought about all the things she would never get to do, all the experiences she would never have. She thought about the life she had planned with Gerald and Corey, the future they had envisioned together. The shower water continued to cascade down around her, but Ashley barely noticed. She was lost in her thoughts, trapped in a world of her own making. The razor seemed to be beckoning her, a siren's call to escape the pain and the anguish. But even as she stood there, her hand hovering over the razor, a small part of her was screaming to hold on. It was a tiny voice, barely audible over the din of her grief, but it was there. It was the voice of her mother, of her friends, of all the people who cared about her. Ashley's hand faltered, her fingers dropping away from the razor. She took a deep breath, the water pounding against her skin like a lifeline. She wasn't sure what the future held, but for now, she just stood there, frozen in indecision, as the water washed away her tears.