A Peaceful Bath
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I closed my eyes and reached for the tap to turn it on and fill the bathtub. I turned on the tap and quickly turned away.

I was afraid of, what if the water turned to blood? Because it happens a lot in horror movies while this is just horrible. I can’t tolerate it, seeing blood coming out through my tap. I just wanted a bath.

But when I turned back I saw a painting on the wall. We didn’t had any painting in our bathroom as I remember it.

I leaned forward to see what kind of painting it was. It was a pretty strange painting all the colours were dull and looked more of a village type of a place.

I saw a there were open grounds, small houses, a street in between, a school…  IT WAS THAT super natural PLACE!

I quickly got back but it was too late just when I figured out that this painting is of that super natural place, I started going into that painting. I could see my hands becoming black and going inside that painting, they were looking like fabric now.

On one moment I was standing in my bathroom ready to bath, while on the other I was standing on the street of that super natural place which was haunting me since I last came here.

I was completely freaked out, I was standing in front of that school.  I started looking around me to check if those people were still there or not. There was no one.

Suddenly, I heard a dog running and barking behind me. I became scared because it was so sudden, plus I was already scared of this place. I crouched and looked back and the dog was running behind a crow to catch it.

The crow was flying very low and while I was watching them running and going further away from me, a loud noise of creaking of a huge and heavy metal door came from behind me.

This time I was legit scared. Not just the sound was very sudden but also loud and creepy.

I slowly turned to see that the gates of that school were opened.

I was really scared and didn’t wanted to go inside, and why would I. It would’ve been such a stupid decision, it was absolutely a trap.

The gates opened just for me in a super natural place where everybody wanted to kill me just a day before.

But then I saw something, I saw that girl.

The one who was standing on the roof of this very school the other day.

She was standing on ground in front of me but on the other side of that school.

I ran for her but just as I entered that school she went into one of the classes behind her.

I ran with my full speed. But, when I reached that class it was completely empty. There was no one.

I came out of the class and saw that the main gate of that school was closed. I had foolishly fallen for the trap.

Now I was in a state of panic. But, first I wanted to find that girl because she was the only person here who didn’t tried to kill me and seemed different and in a sense pretty normal to me.

I checked the whole school, went in all classes one by one. I even went into the offices of principal, vice principal and others.

Now only the roof was remaining, and I don’t know why but I had a strong feeling that she was on the roof.

I got hope to find her once again and I ran to the roof.

But she wasn’t there. Now I had searched this whole school and she was no where. To be honest, I was ready to search this whole school once again. It was so small so it wasn’t really a big deal.

But then I saw that place, where she was standing. I went to that place stood there for some time. Then I went to the other side of that roof to see the school ground from above.

I don’t know why and how but I wasn’t scared at this moment. I wasn’t even thinking about where I was and how I reached this place through a painting.

When I reached that corner of that roof, I saw her.

She was standing on the ground, looking at me. Perhaps she was waiting for me. Because she knew that I’m going to look there from that corner.

She was looking at me constantly. I shouted, “wait, I’m coming there”

On hearing this she said no by moving her head sideways and ran outside of that school. The door was opened now.

I quickly ran to that school’s main gate.

When I reached there, I was standing in front of the main gate and that girl was standing on the other side, outside of the school.

I would’ve ran to her, but she wasn’t alone...there was that super natural lady standing with her.

She was completely black. You can just tell by looking that it’s not a normal person but some sort of a demon, because she wasn’t black, black like people but had a kind of dark energy which always surrounded her and made her look completely black. It was like someone had poured black paint all over her and her clothes even her clothes weren’t normal black, they didn’t had a black die but became black due to the energy that surrounded her. In fact even some space around her looked pitch black because of that dark energy that she had with her. That black energy was like an outline for her, just some inches thick.

This was the first and the longest time I could saw and study her. She was standing right in front of me and wasn’t doing anything for once.

That girl was standing beside her. I started going forward, slowly.

They weren’t moving or doing anything, they were just standing still and watching me come.

I didn’t wanted to go near them, but just a little further. Repeating that in my mind I kept walking forward with very small steps.

But, when I reached the door, the door slammed in my face and just when it was about to hit me I came back in my bathroom, before it could hit me.

I was standing in my bathroom once again, the sound of running tap was all over the bathroom.

Then the cold water of that tap touched my feet, and I turned to saw that the bathtub was all filled up and the water was getting out of it.

I turned off the tap. I took a deep breadth.

What was happening with me? It had stolen my happiness, my smile from my face. I was so cheering before all this had happened while now I was scared all the time, depressed, didn’t really wanted to talk with anyone. All of these things were going through my head while bathing.

I had closed my eyes and was sitting in the bathtub. I remembered how I shouted at my dad yesterday at dinner. I didn’t wanted to shout at him.

He just asked me where did I went while cycling, was it fun?

Perhaps my mom had told him to do so, because I hadn’t talked with them the whole day and was looking very sad.

I didn’t wanted to shout at him, but I did.

After around five minutes I opened my eyes.

Just as I opened my eyes, I saw that the water level from the bathtub was slowly decreasing.

I didn’t knew what was happening. I haven’t pulled the  plug. But, still the water level was going down.

I looked at the plug and it was shining. It was still there, but was shining, and water was going through it.

I had no idea what I was seeing. I closed my eyes again.

I thought that perhaps I’m getting mad or something. I was seeing things. These things can’t be possible.

Was it possible? Was I mad? How can this be possible?

No, I’m not mad. This all is real and I need to fight it to get out of this. Just like movies, everything gets alright in the end. Yes, that’s it. I have to fight it. Tell my family, and fight it with all the power I have. With everyone I can.

Or perhaps I’m seeing all these things, because I am thinking a lot about them. I should just forget about them.

Thinking all this I opened my eyes.

There was very less water left in the bathtub now.

I was just watching the water sink. I wasn’t thinking about all those things this time. But, they were still going on in my head.

No matter, how many times I try but that all kept going through my head. That lady, that school, that girl, that street, those people, that dream, my mom and everything. All of those things kept revolving around my head.

Now, only the last of the water was remaining.

But, something strange started happening with the last of the water. Actually it was happening with me.

When the last of the water was sinking it started becoming black and not just black but complete black. Like, it wasn’t looking like water I couldn’t see through it, it was so concentrated and dark.

But that wasn’t the problem. Why will I care if the water’s black or transparent.

But the thing was that my body was  dissolving in that water!!!

I was sitting in that bathtub and suddenly I couldn’t feel my feet in that water. I tried to pull my leg out of the water, But I couldn’t.

I was like paralysed. I couldn’t move my body, I couldn’t stand. I wanted to just stand up and get out of this bathtub but I couldn’t. I was like paralysed.

All of my body sank with that black water.

I didn’t knew what was happening to me.

My body started sinking with water which turned black by itself which in itself was sinking through a plugged hole.

If I ever told this to anyone then there’s no way that he won’t take me to be mad and out of my mind.

For anyone else this might sound completely insane, but for me, I knew that it was happening with me. For real.

I was sinking through the pipe now.

I couldn’t really see anything everything was completely dark I didn’t even knew how I was seeing things while I had turned into water.

I saw myself going into the pipe through the bathtub. I couldn’t see anywhere else but straight forward when I was going to the pipe.

I was now travelling through something which I didn’t knew what it was perhaps it was the pipe through which water goes because that’s what it should be.

But, it can’t be. How can I be going through a pipe?

The problem was that it was so dark that I could not see anything.

I just knew that I was going through something.

I couldn’t feel my body. I couldn’t feel anything. I could only think and see. Actually I didn’t even knew if I could even see anything, until I saw a ball of light in front of me.

It was so bright and white and was becoming bigger and bigger by every second. Perhaps because I was going towards it.

It was so bright that, even when I closed my eyes, it was still white everywhere.

Then when it came too closer to me, everything became completely white.

I was blinded for a second.

But then, I could see. I could see a light blue coloured light everywhere.

Then I noticed something else, I could move my head now. I tried to look at my body as soon as I noticed that I could move my neck now.

My whole body was there. But, when I looked down I saw that, that sky blue light I saw before wasn’t just some light but, it was sky and I was currently floating in the sky.

I screamed so hard and covered my face with my hand while constantly screaming.

Then I removed a finger of my hand to see what was happening, I was still screaming…

I was flying in the sky. I wasn’t falling down or something In was just stuck in one place.

Which, is even worse actually if you ask me. Especially when you just came out from somewhere which was completely dark and you couldn’t see anything or feel your body, where in itself you reached by sinking with rest of the water in your bathtub, which was sinking through a plugged hole. I was going complete crazy at this point.

When I figured out that I’m not falling or anything. I tried to move around by swimming,  but it wasn’t working.

A bird flew just two inches away from my face. I tried to chase it, for fun. But something awesome happened.

I just thought about going behind that bird, and I went that way, automatically.

I stopped chasing that bird that very second, and started admiring this new thing I just found.

It was just like walking I wasn’t technically doing it, it was just happening all by itself. Just me thinking that I wanna do it. I think I wanna go forward, I go forward, I think I want to go in circles and the same happens. It was awesome.

I looked up and started going up to the sky with my full speed. Then at some height (I thought was high enough) I stopped and just left control over my flight and tried to fall down.

I had my arms all stretched out as far as I could. I always wanted to do this, flying weightlessly.

But my luck…

When I started falling down everything was okay I was enjoying my fall, just like skydiving, but better because I could fly not just fall. I could go in any direction I wanted at any time but.

When I reached a bit closer to the ground. For the first time I really noticed where I was. I looked at all the things and houses below me seriously and I was shocked.

Shock has actually become so normal for me now after encountering that street that perhaps these shocks might not be even counted as a shock after sometime.

But till now, it do was a shock, and yes, I was flying over that super natural place.

I was looking down while falling when I noticed that school.

I searched for that girl in that school for so much time and, that’s why I remembered how it looks from above. A ground in middle, not very big but not very small too. That roof and those trees as boundary between the classes and the ground.

I looked around and it was that same place.

Only now, it wasn’t like, all quiet and deserted with no people around. Instead it was all filled with people this time, normal people. Actually a lot of people, like a crowd. It had a market here this time, just in front of that school.

There were stalls of things like toys, clothes and even vegetables. I was amazed by how wonderful this place looks now than it did before with all those monsters.

But, it still looked like a village with backward people, and you can tell by just looking at their clothes. They were like those clothes that people used to wear before and now as fancy dresses.

I started coming down, but when I was coming down a thought struck my mind.

How will these people react if they saw me just flying like this? Will they chase me down like they did before?

While thinking that I tried to get at some height.

But, when I got a foot high I saw her! That lady, that super natural lady. But, only this time she wasn’t looking horrifying like before. Instead she looked like a normal person, just like everyone else around her in the market.

But that wasn’t the real problem. The problem was that I saw myself with her. My younger self.

I was holding her hand and was going with her. Through the market. Talking about something with her, and she was replying too. We looked like a mother and child. And that thing was the most painful.

Me, her kid, never, ever. I couldn’t even imagine that.

This has to be another trick by her.

On seeing this I completely forgot that people can see my and freak out and I was just watching myself when a bird flew right through me.

I couldn’t understand at first about what just happened. But I didn’t even felt it. I thought that perhaps it might have gone from somewhere very near me because that’s what seems to be the most possible thing to happen and not that it flew right through me.

But then a huge group of birds flew through me. They were those bird who encircles some buildings or trees everyday, as their morning or evening walk thing.

Now, it was clear to me. I was a ghost. I was dead. I was just a spirit, which no one could see or touch.

This was a very shocking and sad thing, yes. But, not more mysterious than me walking with that lady as her kid. I need to find out what was really happening.

Now when I was assured that I was a spirit I went down there to take a good look at myself.

They were standing in front of a toy stall and I, my younger self, was choosing some toys to buy.

He said, “can I have that one witch goes forward by itself by twisting that key.”

That lady, “But, that’s very expensive. You can’t have that.”

Me, “but I want it. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please.”

That lady, “okay, okay, you can have it, just stop being noisy. Your mother can buy that at least, right?

THAT WAS THE LINE!!!

I was in a huge shock. I didn’t even moved from there. I kept standing there watching them buying that toy and then leaving.

Was everything I knew till now was a lie, and the spirit of this lady was only trying to tell me, the truth. But, how can his even be possible I know that my parents are my real parents. I just know it. This can’t be true this has to be another trick by this wicked lady.

But, even if this all is true, I am dead now.

I was just thinking that when I realized that I lost them, because I was just standing there.

I went forward and looked at many stalls. They had just disappeared. That was a pretty bad thing, because I needed to know the truth.

I then thought that instead of looking for them in this market, I should look for them in their house, the place where I first found that lady crying.

I flew at some height. Now I could see the way clearly because I could see from above the people.

I went to that house where I first saw her.

It had changed a lot. It was looking pretty new. As if it was built very recently. Everything was new and shiny, that metal door those tiles and the paint, everything was new, and was looking very good too actually.

But, that’s not why I came here. The door was opened, I went inside, and I saw her.

She was sitting on a chair while me, my younger self was playing with that truck toy she bought for him a minute ago.

Seeing them like this was still burning my heart. How can this be true? it’s absolutely a complete lie.

Then suddenly something strange happened.

I was still standing and watching both of them while, suddenly everything seemed to pass in fast forward. They were doing things very quickly like almost just running everywhere. Days and nights were changing in seconds. People were going out and coming in. I literally saw that house age in seconds.

Everything changed in seconds, things came and went, people came and went out, things aged, I was standing and people were going through me every second.

I saw my younger self going to school, getting trophies, getting failed, and then passing out of the school.

Then it stopped.  Everything was back to normal. That lady now was sitting on another chair which was now placed in front of their main gate.

When it all stopped, for the first time since I came in this house I saw that.

A photo of an old man hanged on the wall in front of me. It looked like he was supposed to be my dad. But, there was a fresh flower necklace on that photo, which meant that he was now dead. So strange that I didn’t even saw a glance of him in that fast forward thing that happened just now.

But then the door of that house opened inside.

Now a strange thing happened. My younger self entered the house from that door. But only that he was now even older than me right now. I could just tell by looking at him that he was me.

There were many other people too in that house which I didn’t noticed before.    They were all doing some other chores in the house right now.

He came inside and straightly demanded money from that lady. He looked so angry and drunk too actually.

That lady refused and said that he is going to waste all of her money on alcohol and that he’s so much drunk that he can’t even stand up.

Even though he looked like a teenager, he acted so adult-like and kind of a head.

He went to that lady, grabbed her hair bun and demanded for money even loudly and was constantly shouting and was stuttering too cause he was drunk.

That lady was screaming in pain. But, was still resisting to give him any money.

I was standing at a distance, and still I was getting scared, every time he shouted.

Everyone who was in that house was now standing there in a circle. They were mostly women.

They all were watching when, suddenly a lady from them came out and said, “Don’t give him money mother. He will waste it all on beer.”

He quickly looked at her, he then ran to her, held her hand, twisted it and said, “Your tongue's speaking a lot these days.”

That lady said, “Leave her alone, she’s your wife, not a punch bag whom you can beat anytime.”

She got up, went to a room on my right.

I tried to peek and she was doing something on one corner for sometime. Then she came outside and threw a small bag in front of him

and said, “Here, take it, now get out of here and don’t show your face here, ever again.”

“yes, yes I’m going. I don’t want to come here either.” he said

Then he went out, and that lady sat on her chair again, with tension all over her face and she then covered half of her face with one hand, then placed it down after some time.

Now everything that was happening was completely strange, because everything then turned to fabric, which was flying all over that place.

First everything turned black but the fabrics, then those fabric too turned into black colour, and now everything around me was black.

Then after two seconds everything started coming back to colour but only this time all of it was completely changed. It was evening time.

Even though I was standing on the same place as before, the places of all the other people were changed. It seemed to me that I had passed the time of that whole day, during that black out. That lady was sitting on another chair on my left now. This chair had half wheels on it and she was swinging back and forth.

Before I could see any further details the telephone kept near that lady started to rang.

She took the phone, and only 10 seconds had passed her on the phone when her face was all frowned in the pain of something.

The receiver of the phone dropped from her hand. She started crying she called that lady, who was perhaps the wife of him and she told her something.

But as soon as she was going to tell her, everything started changing again. That lady, that woman and all of that place started changing into a type of fabric. flying fabric, it flew for some seconds, it was black everywhere else but that and then once again changed into those people and that place, again changing the scene.

I was still standing on the same place. Everyone else though was standing near the door.

I went to that door, and understood why they all were standing near that door and why does that phone receiver dropped from her hand before.

It was because me, my younger self who was now even older than me, was lying outside that house and police was all around him, blood was spread on the ground and was still coming out from his head.

His mother, that lady was crying sitting on that metal gate.

I currently wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just watching his body.

Then in a blink of eye I was back in my bathtub. There was no water in it. The plug was plugged up too.

I suddenly came back in my bathtub, I looked around in surprise, it was all normal now.