Why did I have two chili burgers before coming to Chrissy's New Year's Eve party? That was the question of the day, the burning question that competed with the burning sensation in my stomach, the one heading south. Having those chili burgers was the worst decision of 2021, and it was about to lead to the worst moment of 2022 and the year hadn't even started.

"Any big plans for the New Year?" Chrissy asked. Those beautiful blue eyes of hers peered at me through those goofy "2022" glasses, the same ones that I had on.

I smiled and nodded, my brain fumbling for the proper words to say. My stomach rumbled and tumbled as if it were asked the question. I prayed that the commotion in Chrissy's apartment suppressed the sounds. Some of the guys were laughing their assess off in the corner, and I was grateful for that.

"Ummm. I'm hoping to move out, on my own you know? No roommate. Maybe shoot for a promotion at work?" I replied.

She smiled. God her smile was beautiful, she had the perfect smile in my opinion. I don't know if that came off as creepy but she did.

"That's good...I think the same. Well, besides moving out, probably looking for a promotion as well."

This was the closest I'd ever been to Chrissy. I'd had a crush on her since I'd started working with her. We'd exchanged a few words here and there, but there seemed to be some real progress tonight (at least in my eyes). The last thing I wanted to do was destroy her bathroom. All I needed was someone going in after me and commenting on the potential after scent. Beyond that, what if I didn't wipe enough? That was a legitimate fear of mine, always had been and always would be. Why? Why did I choose two-

"Are you okay?" Chrissy interjected. "You seem nervous."

I smiled, "I'm fine. Actually, could I use your bathroom?"

She nodded. "Oh! Yeah! It's down the hall, first door on the right."

I made my way through her apartment, pushing through the other guests to get to the bathroom. I entered on shaky legs, my fingers fumbling with my pants button and zipper as I closed the door behind me. I waddled over to the toilet and sat down, releasing the contents of Super Chili Burger within seconds. At that moment I was thankful for the conversing people in her living room, thankful for the bathroom fan, and the spray can of Febreeze that sat on the top of her toilet. My muscles relaxed, and my body stopped sweating, I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this relaxed. Chrissy also had a bidet installed, this girl was a bonafide winner. I turned on the bidet and let it do its job at full force, swiped two sheets of toilet paper from the roll, and gave myself a pat dry.

That's when I saw the woman in the mirror. She wore a burgundy dress, one that went down to her ankles. She had vibrant blonde hair that sat above her shoulders, wavy and elegant. She had a bandanna around her head, one that was lined with gems and jewels. She looked as though she'd fallen out of a 1920's silent film. To be honest, I found her quite stunning...but the thing that chilled me to my core was the fact that I could see through her. I watched in silence as she combed her hair, eyes fixated on what she was doing.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't move. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I was scared, I was stunned more than anything else. She continued to fix her hair, and then she retrieved a bottle of perfume from nowhere, giving two spray’s around her neckline. And then our eyes met, I could tell from her reflection in the mirror that she saw me sitting on the toilet behind her. Her eyes widened, and her jaw fell open as though she were screaming but I couldn't hear anything. The perfume bottle slipped from her hands and then she vanished.

I stood up, zipped my pants, and washed my hands in the exact spot where she stood. I could smell perfume, it was so strong. Chrissy's bathroom reeked of lemon and jasmine, it was ripe, strange, and above all else, foreign. I didn’t see any shards of glass or anything that resembled a perfume bottle, but something was there, I could smell it. I scanned around the bathroom, expecting her to appear but she didn't. I stumbled out of Chrissy's bathroom in a frenzy, I must have made it obvious because I was greeted with several confused stares.

"Nolan? Is everything alright?" Chrissy asked, a tremble in her voice.

I scanned around her apartment. It wasn't the biggest gathering and her apartment was small. There were three girls out of eight attendees and none of them looked like the woman in the bathroom. I turned around and peered down the hall to see only darkness and closed doors.

"Yeah man, it looks like you've seen a ghost. You good Nolan?" That was Greg, and it came from the corner next to the TV.

I was trembling and I felt out of breath, all I could see were eyes of worry. Chrissy walked up to me and placed her hand on my forearm. She adjusted the 2022 glasses on my face, they were crooked and I wasn’t even aware. "Are you okay? Do you need water?"

I wanted to tell her about the woman in the bathroom, but I didn't know what to say. Everything sounded insane in my head, but I knew what I saw, I knew I wasn’t crazy. There was a woman from a different time in Chrissy's bathroom, and I was sure of it.

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"Walter Cain is coming to celebrate the New Year, perhaps you'd like to freshen up before he arrived?"

Doris couldn't get Dorothy's words out of her head. She had to freshen up if Walter was coming, there was no debate. She'd been enamored by his charm for months, and the fact that he was coming to Dorothy's New Year's party made her legs tremble with excitement. 1922 was going to be her year…and if tonight went well it might become her and Walter’s year.

She stood in Dorothy's lavatory, eyes fixated on her hair. Heart beating to the rhythm of the vibrant music in the living room. She could hear the laughing and the clinking of champagne glasses, everyone was having a blast and that was good...but she was nervous about Walter's arrival.

"Calm your nerves, Doris, you're getting ahead of yourself." She told herself.

She heard a knock at the front door and her blood ran cold. She could hear Dorothy open the door and a series of cheers erupted through the living room. Walter had arrived with quite a fashion, as he often did. Doris's legs began to tremble even more. She combed away at her hair, ensuring that it had the right amount of bounce, making sure that it was perfect. Then she reached for the perfume bottle and sprayed her neckline…

How long had that man been sitting on the toilet? Why hadn't she noticed him before? Why was he dressed like that? What was that on his face? 2022? What did that mean?

The questions hit Doris like a flurry of punches, and before she knew it she was screaming. Screaming at the top of her lungs, screaming so loud that her chest burned. She stumbled backward for the door, hands fumbling for the knob, she twisted it and fell out of the bathroom landing on her bottom with a thud that shook the apartment.

She could hear the stunned silences that consumed Dorothy's drawing room. Doris raised a trembling hand and pointed into the lavatory. "Dorothy! Dorothy!! There's a man in your bathroom! One who doesn't belong!!"

Her eyes met with Walter's for a split second and then he was cutting through the apartment, his bowler hat pressed against his chest. Charles Riley and Clarence Doyle followed with stern expressions.

"Who's in here? Reveal yourself!" Walter shouted, his voice echoing off the bathroom walls.

"Doris my dear. You're as white as a ghost. Good heavens, are you alright?" Dorothy asked. She made her way toward her with Eleanor Riley and they helped her to her feet.

"There was a man...he had these weird spectacles on and he wore these bizarre clothes. A black coat with a cloche attached to it, a repulsive shirt…it was a horrid style." Doris's words came out in a sputter, caked with tears.

Walter walked out, a look of calm on his face, "Doris my dear, there's no one in here, all I smell is perfume. Are you okay?"

Doris nodded, but she was far from okay. She'd just seen a ghost, and she wanted to tell everyone.

But who in the right mind would believe her?