Bath

Michael walked into his apartment and threw his keys on the sofa. He knew he'd be frantically looking for them the next morning, but in all honesty, he couldn't care less right now. His dwelling was a total mess. He could clean it, but the guy had zero motivation for doing so. The floor was littered with old take away boxes and newspaper. The aroma can only be described as mouldy, and there was no light in the room. Just a faint grey glow as the sunlight tried to creep through the thick fog outside.  To say his day at work had been crap, well, that would mean he had just had the best day ever. A whole day of being shouted at by customers who were awkward for the sake of being awkward. He sat on his sofa and sighed his lungs out. As he reached over for the remote he noticed a great tear in the bottom of the arm. 


Mike: How the...fuck sake


He shrugged it off and attempted to turn the television on. Nothing happened. 


Mike: Oh for...


He got up and pressed the button on the set, again, nothing. He scrunched his lips and walked over to the lightswitch, flicking it on and off. No power. He punched the wall and cracked the wallpaper slightly. He screamed at the top of his voice and kicked over a small table covered in blank lined paper and old, chewed pens. After kicking a few sheets into the air he headed into the bathroom and noticed his bath was completely squeaky clean, with a calm body of very hot water in it. Also, the light shone in the room brighter than it ever has done. 


Mike: Seriously...


The bathroom door slammed shut and he was suddenly drawn to the water. There was no steam in the room, in fact there was a static chill. The room eventually reached a temperature where Mike began to shiver. He looked at the mirror and his heart skipped a beat. He saw his reflection slowly change, into as if a window had been installed into the sidewalk outside. Just a series of people walking on it, and then the thick white of the sky. Mike was shaking now, and not just because of the cold. He tried to open his door, and eventually did...only to find a brick wall at the other side of it. 


Mike: What the fuck is happening here??? 


He stepped away from the wall and felt a great force push him into the water. There was no splash, he was just absorbed into the bath. As he lifted his head up out of the water to catch breath, he noticed his clothes were hung up on a rusty coathanger on the knob of the door. The light went out, and flashed back on. Sat opposite him was a creature that was smiling at him. It's head was triangular and a brilliant white. It's eyes were very much like a human's, only a bright yellow and slightly bigger. The creature's teeth were an unhealthy yellow, and a green "blood" oozed out its gums. The creature's body seemed to be just bone, and had long fingers that looked like pork crackling on a lump of meat. When it moved it creaked and cracked hideously. It stared into Mike's eyes, whilst tapping its fingers on side of the bath. 


Mike: Oh jesus...what the fuck...


The creature opened its mouth with a loud snap and spoke with a perfect English accent so fine you would think of him as royalty


Creature: Fuck jesus, Oh what the. Mike...


Mike stared, paralyzed by fear


Creature: MIKE!!


Mike tried to shuffle away from it, but the water was suddenly very heavy and almost impossible to move in


Mike: What do you want...what the fuck are you...


Creature: What do you fuck...what are you want....Mike I think we are going to be happy in here...


Mike: What?? 


Creature: Me. And you. We're going to be in here forever you know. You died on the way home didn't you?


Mike: No...no I didn't.


Creature: Yes you did. You didn't look when you stepped out in front of that autobusmobile. Splat!! You flew through the air and scraped your face on the road. 


The creature cackled at this causing the room to shudder. A few tiles fell off the wall and into the bath.


Mike sat in deep thought for a few moments and tried to remember his walk home


Creature: You got hit by the number 9 bus. Ouchhh. 


Mike's eyes widened...suddenly everything felt real...


Mike left Burger King, whopper meal in hand and headed down the street. It was busy, as you'd expect on a day as glorious as this one. He took his hat off and dropped it into a JJB sports bag he had acquired earlier in the day. He reached his bus stop and sat on the pavement. A blind man was stood next to him and accidentally hit him with his bag. 


Mike: Oi!! Watch it will ya?? Jesus...


Blind man: Sorry 


Mike started eating his burger and noticed a poster in the window of a River Island shop opposite him "Sale! 20% off!". He looked at his watch and noticed he had half an hour until his next bus. He got up and crossed the road, only to be alerted by a loud car horn. He looked to his right and saw a bright, pixelated number 9. 


Mike shed a tear, which when landed in the bath, turned it a thick black. 


Creature: Yes you are a corpse now Michael. At least, in the physical plane. Here you are a trapped spirit. Yes..yes in purgatory if you like. I don't like to use such a strong word like hell...no no it's far too a strong word. Seventeen years ago you were born a bright happy innocent littley baby, you were oh so very much loved by your mummy and daddy. Then you went to school times and you enjoyed every day. What happened then Mike? 


Mike burst into tears and shook his head


Creature: Yes Mike you got into fights and your innocence you had when you were little evaporated like hot water. You KILLED Tom Vincent didn't you. On that school trip he didn't slip on the wet grass, oh no no you pushed him off that cliff. You should have heard his neck snap on those rocks Micheal. Ooo I did enjoy it. You are in hell now Mike. Time to pay for what you did. 


Mike: I'm sorry...I'm sorry Tom...please...please forgive me...


Creature: No Mike. You stay here now. With Tom.


The room then transformed into a windy, rainy coastline. Mike was now sat in a rockpool. The water was freezing and waves crashed up and covered him in water, which didn't fill the pool. He couldn't move an inch. 


Opposite him was the lifeless broken corpse of Tom Vincent. His eyes were open. Staring at him.


END