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I can’t breathe anymore. In this underwater oasis my hair flows around me fully, as if it never knew a day of discomfort. The water is lukewarm but I myself am cold. My fingers are wrapped around the rims of the warm bath, leaving trickles of water to go down the side. I don’t care about it though, it’s only so much water until our tiles give. And in this oasis I only feel clear, whereas everywhere else I only feel clogged and overdone. I don’t open my eyes underwater anymore though.
I retreat my fingers into the water and warmness engulfs them. The world outside is cold and they’ve sustained enough of it. I let my hand float idly next to me. Eventually my lungs can’t stand the lack of air anymore and I raise my head above water, just to my nose. I look around and realize the steam that has condensed in the room. I can hardly see the room on it’s own due to the steam. I worriedly realize that the heat will eventually knock me out and I may drown. After a few seconds of digesting that information, I bitterly think that that may not be so bad. After inhaling deeply, I sink back into the water with closed eyes.
I hear a muffled knocking at the door outside. At first I just want to ignore it, but with the knocking I come to realize that the water has gone cold. I raise out of the water all the way to my shoulders and look at the door, thinking of what I’ll say. Knock knock, “Hey, you’ve been in there for like… three hours. Are you okay?”
I don’t respond immediately, because I don’t recognize the voice outside. Then I realize that I live alone and there shouldn’t be anyone here in the first place. With this realization my heart sinks. A moment passes before I call out, “Yeah..”
What the fuck? I quickly start to stand and wrap a towel around myself. Stepping out of the tub and drying off, I never stop staring at the door. I never heard them walk away.
“Are you still there?” I ask. “Yeah, I’m just..” “You can go on.” I insist, not wanting this person to be there when I leave the room. My clothes are in my bedroom. If I had known there would be another person in the house, I would’ve been more premeditated. After a second the voice simply complies and I still don’t hear them leave. A chill runs up my spine and I’ve never been more alert than I am at this moment.
I slowly open the door and peak through. I don’t see anyone down the hall, and take a few quiet steps forwards. I turn my head, the other end of the hall is also vacant. I speedily yet quietly run to my room and slam the door behind me, locking it.
After I’ve dressed I immediately begin searching the house. For the most part it was completely empty of anyone, besides me. Once I’d checked every room I book it back up the stairs and fling myself onto my bed.
I turn on the TV and pretend none of that happened, while also wrapping a thick quilt around my shaking body.