Paradise Rot

if he could hear me pee, if he could hear the difference between my sharp fast stream and Carral’s slow dripping trickle

First I thought I was soaked in sweat, but when I woke up properly I recognised the sharp, bitter smell of urine. A thin, warm stream trickled against my thigh from Carral’s body.

and as I peed I looked down between my legs and watched the two liquids mixing

I went into the bathroom it smelled faintly of urine and the liquid in the toilet bowl was the colour of melted butter.

‘Sorry I got stressed out. I don’t like rotten things.’

From my bed I could hear her pee at night

Maybe peeing and talking is a bit like singing and playing an instrument at the same time, I thought, two sets of muscles having to work side by side.

and finally a trickling

Urine streamed against the porcelain bowl.

turned around, sat down on the toilet seat and looked down between my legs, where a thin stream of urine trickled into the bowl.