AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The line for the women’s restroom is long, and full of tipsy tourists and a few locals I exchange pleasantries with. The company makes the line go faster, but I seem to be the end of it. In fact, after waiting in line for nearly ten minutes, surrounded by the chatter of care-free women enjoying their summer night and the thrumming music, I end up in the bathroom alone.
As I pull the dress uniform over my head in the cramped stall, awareness pricks at the nape of my neck, making me uncomfortably conscious of how empty it is. The only sound to be heard is the steady drip of a busted pipe and the swish as I drape my uniform over the stall door. I've just put the tight-fitting lace dress over my shoulders and stuck my head inside when there’s a little click from outside the stall.
The lights go out, casting me into a deeper darkness.
My breath catches in my chest, freezing me in place for a moment, half-dressed in the bathroom stall. Fear seizes me by the throat, and my stomach drops before I remember where I am.
I’m not helpless, I’m not a child, and I’m not alone. Sure, a bathroom stall isn’t exactly the pinnacle of security, but it’s a hell of a lot better than some of the other places I’ve been.
You’re okay, Claire. You’re safe.
"Rhea?" I call once I find my voice again, listening for any sound that might indicate my friend is trying to get payback for ditching her with Ryan.
I tug the dress in place over the few curves I have and then push the stall door open. The creaking sound it makes sends chills down my arms. It’s too dark to see anyone or anything, but it doesn't feel like I’m the only person in the bathroom now, which is somehow more terrifying.
Eyes adjusting, I squint through the darkness and pick out a cluster of shadows, lighter than the rest of the darkness. It stands, motionless, by where I know the door is.
Chills lace my spine and then crash violently over the rest of my body, sending a full shudder over me. I dig my nails into my palms, assuring myself I’m really here, not just stuck in an old nightmare.
"Rhea,” my voice wobbles. “Is that you?"
Only silence answers. Nobody moves… the shadows don’t so much as ripple.
You’re being silly, Claire. It’s probably nothing. Your eyes are playing tricks on you.
The Piazza is a glorified wreck, but maybe they've sprung for motion-activated lights, and they’re just glitching. It’s the only thought that can explain why I’m standing in sudden darkness. I wave my arms, trying to get the lights to engage, all while not moving my eyes off the shape by the door, just in case the shadows come to life and lunge at me.
In spite of the nervous pounding of my heart, a metallic sound takes me by surprise, as if something is being scraped along the exposed plumbing beneath the sinks. It’s not a grating sound, but it is haunting. I shiver, suddenly so cold that I’m shaking.
"Who's there?" I demand, my heart slamming against my ribs.
The noise stops as suddenly as it began, and then there’s a distinct shuffle of movement as the door opens. I can't make anything of the shadow that slips out, but the music from the bar grows louder before being muffled again as the door closes once more.
With my heart in my chest and the shadow gone, I lunge for the light switch.
The fluorescent box over my head flickers to life, casting the restroom in a yellow glow that reveals I’m completely alone. Shuddering in a small bit of relief, I find the courage to throw the door open, but there’s no one on the other side of it either.
It’s just a malfunction, I tell myself, looking at my reflection in the full-length mirror bolted to the back of the door. Through the smudges, graffiti, and fingerprints, I see my reflection, visibly shaken.
I’m not imagining things. Someone was in there with me. Did they sneak in and turn the light off as a stupid joke or did they know it would get to me?
Get a grip, Claire.
I square my shoulders and fix my hair, glancing at the bottoms of the stalls as they’re reflected in the mirror, just to be sure that no one else is in there. That’s when I realize my dress uniform is no longer slung over the stall door.
I glance around once more to be sure I’m alone, and then check it didn’t fall on the floor. I am definitely alone, and my work dress is totally gone.
Rhea knows I’m terrified of the dark. She realized as much the first night we shared our dorm room in freshman year. She didn't question me then over the little lamp I left on at my bedside, and she still doesn't. Rhea wouldn't turn the light off on me for a cheap laugh, so who would?
Drunk college kids, of course. That’s the average clientele of The Piazza, after all. Some of them are still obscenely immature high schoolers, sneaking in with fake IDs that show them to be five or six years older than they truly are. Someone probably watched me walk into the bathroom alone and dared a friend to do it. Taking my work clothes was probably just some weird sort of trophy.
I muster a smile in the mirror, force myself to exhale the fear, and roll my neck to ease the tension that’s building up in my shoulders. I’m on edge tonight because of my earlier anxiety attack, that’s all.
When I return to our table, Rhea is exactly where I left her. Still tucked under Ryan's arm, she looks considerably more relaxed. She leans forward when she sees me approaching, gesturing to the table excitedly. "Ryan bought shots!"
"Your favorite." I muse, accepting the cocktail that Wes holds out for me as I take the seat next to him and smooth my skirt under my palm. My hand shakes a little, so I grip the edge of the couch and tap my nails against it.
"I feel warmer already." Rhea grins, jiggling her shoulders so that her tits bounce freely in the low-cut dress. Ryan stares at her like he's just found water in the desert, pressing the heel of his hand over his pants indiscreetly.
