Rachel Riott (Preview)

Chapter 6

The subtle amount of light that radiated from the single candle flickered back and forth, playfully teasing the darkness. It was the only candle Rachel could find as she sat there. The quiet silence was another thing that kept her calm while she remained partially hidden in the shadows. The little cup of noodles rested in her hand as she slowly consumed them while pressing her back against the porcelain tub wall. This was the most unique place she could ever decide to eat. Sitting in the master bathroom's bathtub, completely dressed with no water whatsoever. She was huddled up in the darkness, taking in the sensation of pure isolation.

At first, Rachel thought it was an amazing feeling, but the longer she sat there, the more uncomfortable she got to the point she really just wanted to have a bath. Her old apartment didn't have one since it was jam-packed with luxuries she really didn't need. Being in the home she had designed from the ground up again made her feel like she had found a slice of paradise. Looking back at the little macaroni cup, she couldn't see how much she had left, making her great idea seem slightly stupid. Then, any thought of the macaroni faded, and she continued to think about bathing in the warm water.

"This was a stupid idea." She said, allowing her brain to finally call out as she held onto the cup of what remained of the noodles and stood up.

Carefully stepping out of the tub, she placed the bowl on the shadow-covered counter and walked over to the light switch. Flipping it on, the lights burst to life. The orangey-yellow glow from the tungsten bulbs vanquished the shadows in the room, giving everything a golden feel. The bathtub was the spectacle of the room. It was a square jacuzzi tub with four Greek-style pillars on every corner. It was regal-looking and the perfect environment for bubble baths. That's what Rachel had in mind when she walked back over and turned the tap, allowing the tub to start filling up. Then, returning to the cabinet above the sink, she pulled out a dusty yet brand-new bottle of bath bubbles. Pouring some of the soapy mixture into the water, she returned to the cabinet and hid the bubble solution away again. Finally, her focus remained solely on the bath as she sat on the edge and watched the bubbles rise. She knew there was no time to waste as she raced to remove her clothes.

It didn't take long for her to be standing in the silent room, entirely exposed to the world, while the only other person to see her was her reflection in the mirror. She started to laugh, realizing that she still had her brunette wig on, which was an essential part of her Rachel Riott persona. Upon pulling it off, she removed the bald cap and everything else before shaking her hair back and forth, allowing her natural golden strands to fall onto her shoulders. Then, she took a moment to admire the fading black highlights that contrasted with the blonde strands.

Running her fingers through it a couple of times, she watched it settle into place and then locked eyes with her reflection. It felt as if she wasn't even looking at herself. Ella was so used to seeing Rachel Riott looking back at her that now that she had removed everything that made up the persona, she was once again regular old Ella. It was a reality she would need to get used to, but that was the only change as she looked down at herself, where everything else was still the same. She could only smile as she returned to the plastic bowl of noodles, where only a few were left. Finishing them off, the last one fell onto her chest. She picked it off, only to see the subtle cheese splatter it left behind.

"Well, at least I'm getting in the bath." Ella joked while attempting to wipe it up with her finger.

The next thing she knew, she was lowering herself into the water, allowing her body to disappear under the continuously popping bubbles. The warm embrace wrapped around her body, which was the polar opposite of the stream earlier. Once she felt the bottom of the tub make contact with her, she took a moment to let the relaxing sensation race through her nerves. Ella had found a sense of heaven as she rested her head on the tub's edge and stared at the ceiling. She had missed all this as her hands rubbed against her body. While lying there, the reality of her not having to go to work the next day hit her.