"I saw mommy in the bath tub"
... That's how my 7 year old son, Finn, decided to start the conversation during breakfast. Choking on my eggs, I managed to sputter out.
"You saw who in the bathroom?"
"mommy!"
he giggled before looking back down at his plate.
"Although she told me not to tell you about it"
I was shocked. My mind raised and I though back to a few months ago, back in August. My wife died after drowning in the bath tub. She had seizures all throughout her life, this one ending it. Did he see her there? He couldn't have, he was at school. I remember dropping him off.
"So"
I said speaking above the lump in my throat.
"What else did she say to you?"
"She said she loved me very much and that she couldn't wait to see me soon."
"Soon? I thought you said you saw her?"
"Well I heard her talking to me, it came from the little spot where all the water goes away."
"The spot where the water goes away?"
"Yeah"
I checked the microwave clock. 7:35. I ushered Finn out the door and to the bus. I promised that we would talk through things later once he got home from school. In the meantime, I did chores and settled on the couch and scrolled through Facebook. A few hours later I felt my eyes get heavy as I drifted off to sleep. A dream materialized. The same dream I've had for the last 6 months.
I walked up the stairs, I call out for my wife, the echo traveling through the house and falling on deaf ears. I hear the water running and walk to our shared bathroom. I push the door open as trapped steam flows out, and there she is. My love, my life, her body blue as she rests in the tub. I reach for her, as always.. But this is where the dream changed. What usually happens is I cradle her in my arms and weep. What happened today was different. I was reaching for her when she sat up and grabbed my arm, her nails started to dig into my skin. She wouldn't let go. Her purple lips cracked open to reveal a wide smile, her clouded eyes locked with mine.
"He's mine now."
I woke up drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, gasping for air. My phone was ringing. My sons school was calling me.
I mumbled "hello?"
Shaking myself from sleep
"Is something wrong?"
"Hello mister, we have called you today to report that your son has had an accident at school and we need you to come pick him up."
"I will be there shortly."
I drove out to Finn's school, it was a little brick building. Finn was standing with the principal in front of the main entrance. After a brief conversation with the principal I loaded Finn into the back seat.
"So champ, I heard you had an accident at school. Could you tell me what happened?"
He shuffled around in his car seat before answering.
"Mommy found out that I told you."
"Well why is that a bad thing?"
"She said she would have to hurt you. "
The clock struck 8:30. I picked up Finn and brought him to his bed, tucked him in and kissed him goodnight.
"Goodnight Finn, sweet dreams"
"Goodnight" He replied already drifting off to sleep.
I turned off the overhead light and flicked on his night light with stars on it. I silently made my way to the bathroom. I hadn't checked it since Finn told me about what he saw. In the light of the hallway lamp, I could make out a figure sitting in the bathtub behind the shower curtain. A figure with straight, long hair.
"What the fuck?" I whispered
I brought my hand and brushed it against the curtain, shaking, I grabbed the curtain and flung it open...
Nothing...
There was nothing in the tub...
Other than a few bath toys and some bodywash. I sighed in relief. Then I heard it. A whisper, almost inaudible. Yet, clear enough to hear 2 words.
"Come closer."
Leaning into the tub, I inched towards the drain. The whispers got louder. I lifted the little cap and peeked inside. Inside were 2 eyes and a row of razor sharp teeth. It's clouded eyes locked with mine and it began speaking, it spoke in the voice of my wife.
It told me things... Horrible things. For a very long time.. It told me to hurt people.... To hurt Finn... To hurt myself... Even after leaving the bathroom, I could still hear it. I locked the bathroom door after leaving, but I'm not sure that will hold it. In fact, I can still hear it shuffling in the bathroom right now. That thing is not my wife.....
I haven't opened that door in 3 years since that encounter and it scratches at the door and whispers to let it out.
