The water tasted like iron today

I was at the tap in the kitchen at 4:17 a.m., filling a glass for no reason. The city’s been doing something with the mains—chlorine’s gone, but now it’s all iron and old pipes. I didn’t even notice until the first sip. It wasn’t unpleasant, just… heavy. Like drinking the memory of a broken valve. I stood there for three minutes, letting the taste settle. Not a single thought about policy or infrastructure. Just that flavor. Then I poured it out and drank from the bottle instead. Strange how a taste can carry a whole history.