Troubled Waters

First

最初

{First}

                I set my beach bag onto the small leather couch that was placed in front of the television. I slowly walked to the open balcony and stepped onto the concrete floor. Raindrops were gradually falling on my hair as my head tilted to look at the darkening skies. Stories have always told me that being out in the rain was bad for your luck. Phooey is what my father called it, a curse is what my mother refers. Mother is a firm believer in hexes and curses. She knows the ins and outs and always tries to keep away from anything curse related. I like to believe that what my mother says is true to give life a more entertaining outlook. People always like to look at life as if you’re going down a tunnel and see the bright light of freedom at the end. I, on the other hand, want to view life as a vast field that holds many opportunities.

                My flip-flops hit the rose-patterned carpet as I shut the wide doors that led to the outside world. I assembled onto the king-sized bed and started to braid my dripping hair. My mother crept out of the small bathroom, dressed in cargo shorts and a striped v-neck, and sat next to me. “You know, Naomi’s mother just got off the phone with me,” she started to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. “She’s a little nervous about coming to this trip with us.”

                I was taken aback by the statement, “Why would Naomi be nervous? She’s been on thousands of trips with us before… what makes this one so different?”

                “Her mother was afraid of letting Naomi come,” my mother replied, not answering my question. “She was on the computer finishing her last minute summer homework and suddenly something popped up on her screen.” I knew exactly where this was going but was too shocked to cut my mother off. “It was a picture of a red door. No advertisement… just a plain red door. Naomi thought nothing of it until she heard the small voice peeking out of her speakers ‘Do you like the red room?’.”

                “The red room curse,” I finished looking ahead of me afraid of saying something stupid. “What did she do?”

                “She called her mother and her mother broke the computer.”

                “What if she dies?” I asked, knowing that the red room curse was not a curse to be messed with.

                “What can we do to save her? There is nothing that can stop the curse once it has already started, you know this. We just have to be… prepared.” My mother looked at me, obviously seeing the pained look on my face. “I just wanted to warn you.” She moved in to give me a swift kiss on the cheek and stood up to join my father and sister on the couch.

                I had never known someone who had been taken by the red room curse, but I had heard multiple stories of friends and friend’s relatives who have been. The story was gruesome and terrifying none the less. I couldn’t imagine ever having to open that screen on my computer.

 

                It seemed like hours until Naomi had finally arrived at the hotel. She seemed to be shaken by the current event that had taken place. I didn’t blame her, one bit. I placed my hand on the small of her back and led her into the hotel. I tried to lighten the mood the best I could by saying, “We get to share a room for the entire weekend!” She looked at me with a half smile and a raised eyebrow.

                We walked to the bedroom together and once we reached the door she quickly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the room, locking the door in one swift motion. “Did your mother tell you?” With that sentence, she sat next to me on my bed and lay down. After what seemed like hours, she sat up and I could see the tear stains that were rolling down her cheeks.

                “I’m so sorry Naomi, I don’t know how it happens! I wish I could stop it.” I could hear my voice cracking which meant that I had been crying, too.

                “I don’t know what I clicked! One minute, I was hitting send and the next a door popped up. I knew immediately what it was but I was too scared to move.” She broke down again, falling back.

                I didn’t know how I could comfort her. How did one comfort someone who pretty much just got a murder warning? Sure, I felt awful, but like my mother said… there was nothing I could do.

                My father walked into the room cutting off my thoughts. He looked at Naomi with a concerned face and then glanced at me. I just shook my head troublingly. He brushed it off and announced, “You guys might want to see what’s going on.”

                Naomi sat up and we exchanged glances before we briskly stood up and ran out to the crowded area to see what everyone was staring at.