Safe Spaces

In the Bathroom

August 2020, we replaced our internet provider because the previous one sucked big time. And since I had online classes and our education was my parents' priority, they decided to send me to my aunt Josefa's house for a week. It could have been in the house of my other aunts and uncles, but they were all living in a foreign land already.

I would always remember Aunt Josefa as the most peculiar among Mom's siblings, just because she would always wear black, matched with violet lipstick, during family reunions. I never dared ask my mom why she dressed like that, as she would often tell us not to judge people based on clothes and appearance.

The rain was pouring hard when my father dropped me off at Aunt Josefa's house. It was average, just like ours. Downstairs were a small living room surrounded by mirrors to create an illusion of space; a rustic dining area connected to her kitchen; a steel gate leading to her outdoor laundry area; and another door, which I assumed was the bathroom.

"Your bedroom is upstairs, in the guest room, the one with a 'welcome' sign," she said and smiled. "Sorry, if my house is not as big as yours."

"Tita," I replied, trying to sound as respectful as I could, "Yours is pretty fine. I love simple houses."

"Thank goodness! I was worried you won't be comfortable."

The way she spoke so conversationally made me question myself why I doubted her "normalness," for lack of a better term. "Anyway, do you have any house rules that I should follow?"

She clapped her hands. "Yes, hmm, well, for starters, my place is haunted so—"

I laughed even before she finished. "Don't worry, 'Ta. I don't believe in ghosts."

"Oh, you should. Evil spirits are scary."

Now I can confirm what makes her peculiar, I thought. To make it sound that I was interested, I asked, "Then why won't you leave here?"

"I'm not scared of them, ija, because one, it's expensive to buy a new house. Two, I got used to the good ones already. Three, I know when to avoid the evil ones."

"So you've encountered them?"

"The good spirits, always. The bad ones—I mean one—only one time. Because when I met that, I made sure I would do everything to not meet it at all costs."

I contained my laughter. Being a science lover and taking physics and chemistry as my majors made it hard for me to believe such stories. Out of respect, I replied, "All right, Tita. What are the house rules then?"

"I'm out from eleven in the evening to nine in the morning because of work, so I sleep during the day. That means no loud music around, hmm, maybe from two in the afternoon until nine because those are my sleeping hours. I can prepare food for two, so no problem with lunch and dinner, but you have to prepare your own breakfast."

"Got that."

"One last—don't try to bathe late at night."

I smiled. "Is that when I would meet the 'evil' one?"

"Don't dare try, but if you're that brave, then go ahead," she joked. But there was a tone in her voice that sounded I should take her advice seriously.

"Okay, Tita," I said as I carried my things upstairs. She was already wearing her office outfit, still in black, so I knew she had to go. "Take care."

"You too, my beautiful niece." And to the left, even if no one was there, she whispered, "Behave. I have a guest."

I heard her go out of the house as I placed my luggage on the white-tiled floor of my room. Classes were suspended because of the rain, but the deadlines for my other modules weren't moved, so I still had work to do.

My aunt texted me that she forgot to prepare dinner for the both of us today but would make it up to me tomorrow. She's so sweet, I thought, before ordering food online.

The food arrived at seven. I ate as I work, but all the carbohydrates, the sound of the rain, and the workload made me so sleepy, that when I woke up, it was already eleven thirty in the evening. Ignoring my aunt's advice, I got my towel and toiletries and went downstairs. I just found it impossible not to take a bath at night, as I would always want to feel cleaner before I sleep and when I wake up.

Since no curtain separated the bathing area from the toilet area, I decided to place the small basket filled with my toiletries on top of the toilet so I could easily reach what I needed. Just as I opened the shower, a thunder bolted.

The sound of the rain calmed me, actually, no matter how hard it poured. I massaged my body with a soap-soaked bath sponge then proceeded to shampoo my hair. But it went to my eyes, so I had to open the shower and wash my face.

And then there, I felt it. A cold hand on my nape.

I immediately opened my eyes, wondering what I felt. But it was not long after when a crash of thunder echoed inside the walls of the bathroom, followed by a blackout.

I did not panic. At first.

But when another lightning flashed, I saw a creature. One with tangled hair up to its legs, ribs almost sticking out, eyes as red as fresh blood, mouth stitched.

But when it was all dark, I heard it speak: Die with me.

It pushed me toward the wall, strangling me with its cold hands. Its breath entered my nostrils and never faded, causing me to puke my dinner. Its hair was all around my face, seemingly trying to stop the holes where I breathe. The last thing I remembered was a woman's voice and a tight grip on my arm, pulling me away from my nightmare.

When I came to my senses, I was on the sofa; my aunt was sitting on the floor, drinking a cup of tea.

"They told me that you were about to take a bath and ran here as fast as I could," she told me.

"They?"

"The good ones," she replied. "You know, when that one comes, they also try to hide." She sighed and sipped tea.

I called my parents the next day and went home. I find my aunt sweet, don't get me wrong, but I just could not stay there, not after what I saw.

Since then, I never took a bath at night again.