The Bath (A short story)

She needed to take a bath to let the blood of the day drain out of her system. She had a sore body after a long days work, and she managed to finish the day with a sore mind as well. She turned on the tap, only allowing the most scalding temperature to ooze out. She mixed the boiling bed with lavender, a delicious scent that reminded her of places she will one day visit. She lit a candle, opened a window and got all the supplies necessary to be able to clean herself off. She switched off the tap. She put one hand on the wall, and slowly dipped one of her toes into her long awaited bath, only to realize it was horribly painful. She proceeded to enter the burning pit, taking her other foot with her. She began to turn on the cold water, only feeling something that resembled a cold frostbitten day in the winter. She began to sit down in the pool, and knew she deserved whatever pain she knew she would experience. This was no moment to relax and enjoy, this was something she knew was long awaited, her punishment. She began to feel her pulse rise, and began to feel light headed- the heat was getting to her, and her body was reacting in the worst of ways. She stayed still- as the music her lover recommended played appropriately in the background. She eventually proceeded to lower herself into the depths, and her back began to arch. Her breathing became heavier, almost sounding as she was in pain. Her neck eventually met the top of the tub, and her knees and breasts were the only parts that were not submerged. At this point, she began to feel the blood beat through her muscles. She felt the tenseness in her body go away, and she began to open her legs apart. She stretched her legs to the bottom of the tub, and the warmth was excruciating. She knew that the only truth about what she had just felt was that she could only experience this feeling again with her lover. She continued to move her legs downwards, and her body began to quiver with pleasure. The warmth she was craving for years was getting to her, and she was quietly moaning, enjoying every second of it. She eventually slipped deeper into the tub, until everything but her mouth and nose were in the water. She could hear her body scream with relief as she was under the water. When she eventually came back up, she began to wash her body, ever so tenderly. She began to grow tired of the heat- and begged for some relief. She grabbed the tea she brought with her, and poured the cooled liquid ontop of her head, only to have goosebumps develop over her body. She licked her lips as it ran down her face, loving the additional taste of her skin on her tongue. After she finished tending to her body, she sat upright, her back leaning on the wall. She got her tool designed for beauty, to break apart her razor, which she knew she would need for later on. The moment she waited for all night, was about to unfold. She cleared her throat, and began to speak of the vow she would make to herself. "I know what I want. Everytime I let something get in my way- For I know I am soely responsible for what I do- I will let a peice of myself free." She then ever so quietly cut a mark of promise into her flesh, knowing she had just began a new life for herself. As she began to leave the bath, the blood of the day followed the water down the drain.

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