Hit

He gripped the sink, hard

bracing himself,

staring at his reflection

in the dusty mirror.

With a sigh,

he turned on the tap,

dipped his head under the stream of water,

and allowed his mouth to part.

The colour of the sink turned pale pink,

as the blood washed from his lip –

the metallic taste began to fade,

but the throbbing in his jaw remained.