The Girl In The Bathroom

Fictional horror poetry ⚠️harm to children, suicidal thoughts

Pt 1

My daughter is terrified of the bathroom.

I know why.

I can't blame her for it.

But this is a new house

One where he hasn't touched her.

So I thought she would get better.

The child psychiatrist says

She'll do things on her time.

My therapist says

I can't blame myself.

So I give her sponge baths in the kitchen sink

And try to smile.

I feel like her fear

Is starting to get to me though.

I don't like the bathroom either.

It sounds like the drain is whispering

A high-pitched moan.

The lights flicker.

Sudden darkness

For several seconds,

Then back to way too bright

Fluorescent lighting.

The water in the bathtub

Goes from frigid to boiling

In less than a second.

And

I thought I saw something

Once

After she went to bed.

I was brushing my teeth

Minty toothpaste,

Hurried messy bun.

My eyes flicked to the tub

In the mirror.

It was supposed to be empty,

But it seemed full.

Murky water.

I could even hear it running,

Swooshing.

But the thing that made me

Turn around to look

Was the figure—face down,

Messy strands of

Dark red hair

Floating like seaweed.

It looked like a little girl,

Younger than my daughter,

With blue skin.

I gasped and spun,

But the tub was empty

Just linoleum sides,

Stainless steel knobs.

Yeah, her fears are getting to me.

Must have been a hallucination.

Pt 2

We had our first big moment.

She sat on the toilet while I took a shower,

Hugging her knees

Strawberry blonde curtain covering her face,

Pink sneakers peeking out

Of her yellow frilly dress,

Blue shorts underneath.

Fog covering the gold-framed oval mirror.

I sang one of her favorites

"Singing in the Rain."

When I heard the drain

That high-pitched

Moaning,

Water bubbling,

Gurgling

I sang louder.

When I saw the little hand

See-through skin,

Bulging blue veins

Come up out of it,

Touch my leg

My heart tried to beat out of my chest.

I squealed,

Stepped back,

Adjusted the curtain.

Sang even louder,

Trying to keep the shake out of my voice.

But the pitch kept getting higher.

"Mom, that hurts my ears."

"I'm sorry, Lacy. Can you go get me a towel?"

The minute the door closed,

I jumped out of the shower.

Looked back

Nothing was there.

Nothing but my blonde hair in the drain.

No translucent blue hand.

Just a mess of water

In a pool at my feet.

I turned off the shower,

Closed the curtain,

Shook it off.

She knocked on the door.

I just went out,

Wrapped the scratchy aqua towel around me,

Fingers clenching it tightly.

I will not ruin this for her.

My silly fears are going to mess up her progress.

Water dripped down the nape of my neck,

Causing a chill.

I wiped it off.

Asked Lacy how she felt.

She just shrugged

"It wasn't so bad."

Then refused to say anything about it.

Said she wasn't ready for her own bath.

She'd talk about it with a counselor.

It hurts when she shuts me out.

But I smiled.

Told her it sounded like a good idea.

Brushed my teeth in the kitchen sink that night.

Pt 3

Something happened.

I can't

I can't

I can't talk about it.

I just keep seeing it

When I close my eyes.

People have been at my house all week

Wearing black,

Giving me hugs,

Watching me closely.

I refuse to acknowledge it.

She's not gone.

She's not dead.

I can't cry.

I can't feel.

My heart is gone.

Finally, I'm alone.

The house is completely empty.

I run the bath water.

But I can't stand the sound.

It takes me back to it

How unsure she was,

But so brave.

She said she could do it

If I stayed right there and watched her,

If I kept her safe.

The memories start the tears I've kept at bay

Open my chest to everything

I tried to keep out.

How she got in the water,

Biting her lip

A nervous habit she got from me.

She wanted to keep her swimsuit on

The purple one-piece.

It was her favorite.

I was so proud of her

For facing this.

She couldn't stay away from the bathroom forever.

I just wish she would have.

Then she would still be here.

I pushed her to do it.

She saw how concerned I was.

It's all my fault.

The water starts running over the sides of the bathtub.

I turn the knob

With shaking hands.

It takes a few tries.

Everything is my fault.

If I had just seen him for who he was,

None of it would have happened.

We would have left before.

Never ended up in this house.

Deep down, I'm sure I knew,

But explained it away.

I couldn't keep her safe from him.

I couldn't keep her safe from this fucking bathroom.

My foot breaks the surface of the water.

I lay back into it.

It vibrates from how hard I'm shaking.

My teeth clack together.

In the silence

It's too quiet.

Too still.

I scream.

Hit the water,

Sending it everywhere.

"Do it.

Take me.

Take me too."

My chest heaves.

Breathing hurts.

I'm doing it too quickly.

Thrust my head underwater.

Force my eyes open

Staring right at the drain,

Urging whatever lives there to come out.

I want it to.

I want it to do the same thing to me

As it did to her.

That day

For a minute, it was fine.

She soaked in the water,

Ran a rag over her arms.

I started to think she could really be okay.

Then the drain

Started its singing

Muffled by the water,

Gurgling.

The water started to bubble,

And her eyes

Those light green, beautiful eyes

Filled with terror.

Steam rose fast.

She screamed,

Not even capable of words.

It was already too late.

I rushed to her.

Grabbed her.

Pulled her out.

Her skin was bubbling

Red blisters.

It burned me too,

But not enough.

It didn't kill me.

It just hurt.

Now it'll kill me.

Just like her.

I want to feel that same pain.

I deserve it.

I'm not brave enough to do it myself.

I'm just a coward.

I shouldn't be the one living.

I can't stand it.

My vision's going dark.

Throw my head out of the water.

Gulp air

Air I don't want,

Air I don't deserve.

Hug my knees and just wait.

Talk to her.

My daughter.

Lacy.

Tell her I'm so, so sorry.

I failed her.

It takes a while.

But the water goes cold.

And I know

It's not going to take me.

It doesn't even want me.

(Image Source- Unsplash Paul Volkmer)