Her Greatest Fear

Scarlett stood on the platform waiting for her commute home. She had moved to New York over a year ago. She had dreamed of being a star. In highschool she was the star of every play and was quite popular. Now she worked as a waitress and struggled for parts. Scarlett had been considered fashionable and trendy back home, but here she was considered old fashioned. It was taking time, but she was slowly changing her image. Last week she had her hair cut short. Before she heard all the time how beautiful she was and was shocked to find out she was considered average. Last month she had finally made a friend. Marcus, a struggling actor like her and new to the area. They quickly were beming more than friends and tonight he was coming over for dinner.

She both loved and hated the subway. It was the easiest way to travel in New York. In her mind, it was the dirtiest place in the whole world. The streets of New York were a close second. The air was rancid and garbage littered the floor. She had seen bums on the trains sleeping or harassing people for change. Scarlett always felt dirty and claustrophobic here. Never before had she felt so closed in and being underground unsettled her even more. This place of filth had opened another fear, bathrooms. Her greatest and untold fear was walking into a bathroom and seeing how dirty it was. She had never told a living soul of her frequent nightmares. In these dreams she would find herself opening stall each one worse than the last. She had learned to avoid public bathrooms.

Tonight her body had different plans. Her bladder twinged at the sight of the sign for the bathroom. She knew there was no way she could hold it the whole way home.

Scarlett held her breath as she opened the door, the first whiff of air she inhaled was so strong of urine it made her eyes water. The fluorescent quickly flickered off and on.The tiles on the walls were more brown than white. To the left was three bathroom stalls, covered in graffiti. On the other side were two sinks and a large cracked mirror. On the counter there was a stain that looked like blood. She blinked and it disappeared, maybe it was only her imagination. Scarlett could not procrastinate any longer, she had to go. Her palms became sweaty, her heart began to race and her bladder ached. Images of toilettes not flushed and stalls covered in feces, raced through her head.

“You can do this,” she jumped at the sound of her own voice.

Okay, here I go. She walked slowly up to the middle stall hoping she had made the right choice. Picking a clean stall was like gambling. She slowly pulled the door open and used her sleeve to cover her hand. Time slowed down. She stepped in and her whole body relaxed. The toilette was old, but it was relatively clean. Her body relaxed a little more when she saw the container of seat covers located conveniently above the toilette. She grabbed three and carefully positioned them on the seat. She sat down and peed, sweet relief rushed through her body. The dull ache in her bladder had disappeared.

“Ahhhh,” she sighed out loud. Scarlett was proud of herself for facing her fear. She pushed the door open, and to her surprise she was no longer alone. A woman stood before her, dressed in an old, dirty sari. The cloth was a dark red with golden looking suns. Her body was frail and her black hair was limp and stringy. Scarlett could not see her eyes; it was masked in shadow. She seemed diseased and unhealthy. The completely naked and hairless doll that she held tight as if to protect it, looked more alive and cleaner than it's owner. It was completely naked and hairless. She clutched the doll close as if to protect it.

“Help me” it's hellish vision spoke, and took a step forward.

“Uhhh”

“Help me, please.”

“What?” she whispered and took a step back.

It took another step forward.

“My baby, help my baby. She is sick”, the voice rasped.

The women had come close enough for her to clearly see its face. A cold chill went through her body. Its skin was ashen gray; cheekbones stuck out of her face like jagged rocks. There was two hollow sockets where her eyes had been. But Scarlet felt as if she was staring right at her.

“No, please,” the words spilled from her lips.

“Please help me”

Scarlet had backed up enough to hit the toilet stall. She felt the cold metal against her back. This was terror, this was real fear. Her fear of dirty bathrooms seemed very petty now. The lower part of the women’s face contained a mouth that was more frightening than the rest of her face. Her lips were gone, rotted teeth were visable.

Her heart raced as it reached for her. The air was suddenly filled with the sweet smell of magnolias. Then it took the doll and held it before Scarlett. Her arms were pushed forward by an unseen force. A light erupted from the doll and Scarlett was blinded by it. She could not let go. Scarlett vanished still holding onto the doll.

"I'm free" a voice echoed in the empty bathroom.

Epilogue

Several years later. . . .

Natalie washed her hands and for a moment she thought she saw blood on the bathroom counter.

Natalie turned around and a women was now standing before her. She looked in her early twenties, but it was hard to tell. They had very short hair and was fashionably dressed. Except she looked filthy and diseased. Her face was shrouded by shadow. Natalie noticed the creepy baby doll the women clutched in her arms.

“Help me” she said.