This was a normal, well kept bathroom a minute ago…right? Why does it look like it’s been decaying for decades??

I paused, looking around me after leaving the toilet stall. Looking but not looking. I felt the anxiety quicken my breath and found myself unable to understand what I’m seeing. Where there had been pristine ceramic and metal pipe now had corrosive liquid all over it. The stall doors were now unhinged and rusted. The floor…the black and white tiles were thrown about, cracked, and dirty…

Everything was covered with a filth.

I walked towards the mirror and could barely see myself in the grime. Looking back at me was a teenage blonde-headed girl in a red top, face ghastly white with shock.

“…if…if I just retrace my steps…” I said out loud, but it came as a whisper. I wanted to hold on to something and brace myself. I decided against it.

“Alright. I came in to use the bathroom.” I recalled slowly. “And I used that stall—“

I glanced over at the stall.

It was gone.

Or rather, the door had been completely pulled off and somehow and been smashed against the toilet, leaving nothing but metal and rubble between the two dividers.

I looked at the two other stalls with their doors closed. And suddenly I had a feeling I wasn’t alone.

Time to go, I thought quickly and panicked.

I rushed over to the door, gripped the brittle handle, and pulled. Nothing. No give, yet I pulled a couple more times.

“Locked.”

I felt my pockets for a key I didn’t have and gave up quickly.

I looked back at the stalls…and one of them was now open. I stood frozen. This new stall was dirty like the rest of the room, but somehow not destroyed by whatever came in here before me.

Almost by compulsion I walked over to it while the steps I took seemed to echo. In the dark I could see something glinting in the bowl.

Do I really want to put my hand in there, I thought.

Yes.

I reached in and tried to not think about what I was doing as my fingers snared something metallic. With a rush I pulled it out.

I got a KEY.

I turned it around, eyeing it. It was a typical old fashioned key, nothing special in itself. I placed it in my pocket. I looked to the other stall that was closed and decided to open it. Of course it didn’t budge.

I had the notion to knock, but the idea passed quickly. Surely if someone was in there they would’ve said something by now.

I went to the locked door and pulled out the key. I felt an immediate rush of relief as I heard the lock click and I turned it. I was so happy to be able to get back to…

Where was I going?

I realized, gripping the door handle, that I had no prior memory of where I was since entering this room.

How did I get here?

I felt my pockets again for some sort of clue. Maybe a wallet or a set of keys that I overlooked, but no. I looked back towards the rest of the bathroom.

I sighed.

“Whatever is out there has to be better than this.” I was decided. I pushed open the door. To where, I’ll find out.