Athena noticed me and immediately ran over and squeezed me excessively tight. “Never disappear like that again okay.” Athena says squeezing me even tighter “Please never disappear like that ever again” Athena gently pleads while squeezing even harder causing me to start groaning.

Brandon and the gerbil quickly get up and walk over to us causing me to flinch, but I stop hugging Athena and push her behind me as I face him “Hey Gael I’’m-I’m sorry for scaring you before. Hankali feels the same way” Brandon apologizes with a sullen expression “Listen boyo I don’t believe anything I said was wrong in particular, but I thought about what happened and I’ve concluded that I tried to push you too hard too fast. I tried to force you into interacting with people you have never seen before in an environment completely unfamiliar to you, so while I think you should talk to the people within the village, I also feel you can take your time” the gerbil apologizes kinda.

I hesitated to speak; I was scared to know what would happen if I asked, but I had to know. I gulp. “B-Brandon are you human?” I ask with tension thicker than steel. Brandon looks at me dumbfounded “What?” he asks “Are you human!?” I say a little louder “I mean, yeah?” he looked confused “No no, he’s the boogie man, BOO” Andre appears from behind me causing me to yelp and instinctively throw a punch in his direction which he catches my hand easily “Whoa there little buddy this could probably hurt- well nobody at all” he laughs “Andre cut it out the kid is freaked out enough as it is” Brandon scolds the psychopath I try to free my arm but he doesn’t let go “HOW THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT YOU FREAK!” I scream trying to kick him off causing him to flinch slightly. “Andre, please let go of my brother.” Athena looks at Andre with eyes begging for understanding. After a few seconds of holding my hand Andre lets go of my hand “No fun wimpy ass shrimp,” Andre says as he walks off “What the fuck is his problem! Honestly, why are you all so fucking crazy and weird!” I snarl causing Athena to immediately slap the back of my head “What the hell!” I scream at Athena “Gael go take a bath, cool down, and calm down.” she says as she rubs the bridge of her nose

“Good idea, once you're done, it'll be lunchtime,” Brandon says and walks away “Oh umm yeah the bathroom is the door directly to your left when you go back in,” he says as if he didn't want to talk anymore.

“Athena, wh-”

“Gael I’m not in the mood, just go take a bath, eat some food, and go to bed, we’ll talk later; you look like shit and you’ve been an ass since you got here” Athena cuts me off

“o-oh, ok” I agree a bit confused at why Athena was angry

“So-i'll, uh, just go now,” I say pointing towards the door “Umm cya later I guess,” I say and walk to open the large white flower-engraved door to the house and take a left to the bathroom. On the large door hung a decorative wooden sign that said occupied.

Umm ok, I guess, why is everything in here so large? Is it to adjust for the larger monsters? I ask myself anyways I don’t know how long that’ll take and I don't wanna wait long, so I knock on the door “Horra, kel bil eter ter” I hear a husky voice yelling beyond the door. Oh no, this voice oh god no oh fuck- before I even start to panic the door creaks open to show the burly furry form of a minotaur wearing a white t-shirt that seemed that could rip at any moment with a heart symbol on it. Runes were inscribed on the shirt, and the minotaur was wearing some plain grey loungewear shorts that actually seemed to be loose and comfy along with the shirt.

The Minotaur recoils back as he sees me “Oh, hello human” he greets, now that I look at him he is about as tall as the sludge monster from before “Umm hello” I say meekly trying to avoid eye contact; Not because I’m some schoolgirl getting embarrassed from seeing my crush, but because this thing left some primordial fear ingrained in me from the time he released that pressure from earlier; out of all the things I fear in this world this thing would be the scariest, but I gotta admit it’s one hell of an experience to see your worst nightmare wearing a heart t-shirt.

“I-I was t-told to take a s-shower” I manage to stutter out “Oh, hot left, cold right; take time, but work good,” he says and scoots out of my way and walks into the darkness of the halls.

I breathe a little easier as I enter the bathroom. When I got into the bathroom I noticed that the bathroom looked like a regular bathroom, there was everything you would expect for a bathroom here, a toilet, a bathtub, a sink, a mirror, and even a checkered marbled floor, the only difference was that everything was massive. I noticed that there were clothes in a basket on top of the toilet; they seemed to be a similar type of clothing to what Athena was wearing when I first saw her yesterday, but a thicker looser type of robe that covered more skin. I lock the door wondering what that will even actually accomplish and walk over to the bathtub. However, I'm stopped when I see the form of another sludge monster in my peripheral vision. It was around my height and had a dirtier form of sludge compared to the sludge monster that had transported me here. I quickly turned to face the creature only to realize that the hideous creature was in the mirror.

My shaggy brown hair had turned into a bird nest of leaves, twigs, and dirt; my eyes were puffy red and had sogging eyebags under them; my skin was pale and thin and had been soiled by dirt; my lips had wrinkled and dried up to the point that it looked like they could crumble at a slight touch. I looked like I could take makeup advice from Frankenstein, but honestly, that was a scary thought because after all I’d seen since coming here; coming across Frankenstein was a probability that wasn’t too improbable.

I internally shake my head and go to the tub and try to turn the shower knob to the left only to realize it didn’t turn; you had to push a button in the shower knob to activate it. Ok weird? I think to myself how do they get the right temperature? I found myself thinking.

Guess I'll find out.

I push the button causing an alarm to blare making me jump. What the hell was that!? I think in a spur of fright. The water had begun pouring from the shower head, it was cold but still functional, what was the point of that noise?

I waited for the water to warm up and after a few minutes. However, the water was still cold. Does that guy not know the difference between left and right? I think to myself, guess I'll wait a little while longer, I'm not paying for the water bill after all. I decide, giving off an evil Grinch grin of my own.

Doing the Grinch grin made me remember Catie and remembering Catie made me a bit sullen. I wonder if she and Liam are okay. I think to myself

I had to backpedal a bit at what I just thought. Wait aren’t I a psychopath though; shouldn’t I not care about them or something? Could it be that I’m not a psychopath? Or Is it like that thing where psychopaths like and care about those who are close to them, but don’t care about those who aren’t close to them? I mean it would make sense; I knew practically everyone in my neighborhood, but it’s not like I interacted with any of them much other than Liam, Catie, and my family.

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Guess I'll ask Athena about it later she was really into police dramas and crime shows for a while, so she would probably know a thing or two about psychopaths.

...come to think of it that's probably not the best idea let's just forget about that for now. I mean Athena wouldn’t be a great therapist.

I finish my thoughts as I see flaming runes being scorched on the wall of the bathtub.

Now respectfully, I don’t need a bath; I could just go down the path of a Discord Mod.

I haven’t studied much about exorcisms but this fucken place needs some holy water because the water within that bathtub right now is the last thing from it.

I know that Athena was pissed off at me earlier for reasons I am unaware of, but surely this shit gotta set off some red flags for her as well; ain't no way she gonna tell me to bathe with Satan, right?

Now I really, I mean REALLY wanted to leave, but I made a promise that i’d give these things a chance no matter how weird, or fucky things got, BUT CMON MAN WHAT IS THAT!? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!? All my danger alerts were going off the charts right now and I was ready to dip the moment whatever the fuck was there started using fireball jutsu. Honestly, why the FUCK do I need to conquer fucking Satan to take a shower. What the fuck is next do I need to stop Ragnarok to go to school!?

I am so overwhelmed by the situation that I go into a crouching position and rub the bridge of my nose. I take a deep breath “OK, I don’t know what you are and I don’t know who you are, but my name is Gael Gallagher, a 17-year-old high school student who was born and raised in America, New Hampshire, Nice to meet you demonic spirit thingy” I introduce myself trying my absolute hardest to smile.

The thing returns a very kind introduction in the form of a flaming question mark on the wall. After a few seconds, the symbol of a question mark quickly changed into the symbol of a light bulb. Afterward, the fire moved to the front of the bathtub and displayed an almost HUD-looking setup; right above the left knob there was a symbol of fire made out of well, fire, above the right knob there was a cube made of fire which I think meant to symbolize ice, and on the center of the wall stood a thermometer made of fire that had the same fire symbol near the top of the thermometer and the same ice symbol at the bottom of the thermometer.

Oh yeah, it's all coming together, and I don't like it. So I really gotta bathe with satan? Really? “So, Um hey, yeah, there’s this thing I really like called privacy. I was kinda hoping I could get some of that when I’m, like, kinda naked” I say to the symbols on the wall just for them to respond in another question mark. Oh great, I love it here. I state in my head “Please excuse me for one moment I must discuss an important matter with my dear sister” I say as I leave the bathroom just to come across my sister right outside the door.

“Uh hello there dear sister, may I ask why would you be happening to peak on your oh-so-pure brother?” I ask Athena “Oh no, dear brother how could you ever insinuate such a thing; the reason I am here is simply that my dear brother has become oh so infatuated with disappearing charades that I am simply worried he may vanish once more into a more dangerous part of an unknown world ohohoho” she says in a monotone voice and furrowed brow “ok, listen you didn’t tell me we would have to bath with fucking satan, why do I have to bath with that thing watching me” Athena raised a brow at what I said, but shortly realizes what I meant and pats my shoulder “Well, umm, tough it out buddy, It does feel good when you get used to it,” she says “bitch you’ve been here for a day” I retort “a day a week Einstein always did say time was relative” she shrugs

“Bitch you don’t get used to bathing with satan in a day” I call out her bull shit “First of all, stop calling your older sister a bitch, and second of all, just tough it out already. You’ve seen yourself in the mirror haven’t you, so I’m sure I don’t need to say it again, but- YOU look like- SHIT” she emphasizes “FIRST of ALL, BITCH, we’re the same age” I emphasize challenging Athena’s authority in which Athena responds by kicking my already tired leg causing me to yelp, “I told you to stop calling me a bitch, and we don’t know how old I am; I could be older, but I am certainly not younger; especially when you keep acting like a big ass baby! Stop fucking complaining and take a goddamn shower already!” Athena’s patience was running thin and to be honest that scared me a little, so I was left with my only option to negotiate.

“Alright listen there’s no way I can bath with that, can we at least come to a compromise of some sort?” I start to bargain “ok sure,” Athena says causing my face to glow “Get in the bath or get in the casket, I’m honestly getting sick of your shit at this point Gael,” Athena says causing me to frown “FUCK, FINE, I’LL DO IT. DAMN,” I admit defeat “Finally” Athena rolls her eyes.

I go back and close the door just to open it again “Can I bring a cross with me?” I ask which Athena gives an expression that radiated really bitch? energy I close and lock the door and face the demonic creature on the wall, a single tear going down my cheek. Once again I hesitantly walk over to the tub and click on the button to heat up the tub “I can play you some romantic music if you want!” Athena yells beyond the door “fuck off!” I yell back causing Athena to laugh like a stereotypical villain

As the tub warms up to a nice temperature I take off my clothes feeling more naked than I should and enter the tub. As I entered the tub I moaned a little at how it felt; I hated to admit it, but the feeling of the perfect temperature water enveloping my form felt absolutely sublime. The feeling of getting purified as I entered the tub

also felt impeccable; this bath would have been a god-tier bath if I didn’t need to take it in hell. The fire thing creates an image of a thumbs-up with a smiley face on the ceiling above me causing me to die a bit inside, but I give a thumbs up anyway because I was still enjoying the experience regardless. Look at me now ma, I’m bonding with satan I think to myself with exasperated eyes.

Despite the bath feeling absolutely glorious I didn’t want to stay in it long because of obvious reasons, so I bask in the water for a few minutes and then rush to scrub off my face hair, and entire body with water first. Then I go to grab the body wash only to remember that I don’t speak other world.

I think about my gamble for a while just staring at the items “Umm… excuse me what are these?” I ask the floating pile of words and symbols it responds with a question mark once again quickly followed by another lightbulb. After it had realized what I had been asking, it painted pictures of a simple body, an image of dirt leaving the hair, and an image of nice fluffy hair. Over various bottles of soap.

I go for the bottle of soap with the body first I grab a long-handle bath brush hanging from a knob between the hot and cold knobs, and mix it with the body wash. After having the long handle brush soapy and nice I quickly rinse my body with the body wash. After I’m done using the body wash, I quickly grab the shampoo and start rinsing out the gunk from my hair. My hair had gotten tangled, messy, greasy, and dirty it was honestly a real pain to try and clean it at this point. I was in a battle of power every time I tried to slide my hand through my hair; the knots in my hair would try and keep my hand back at all costs; the thing is that cost just happened to be my scalp.

After a few minutes of what felt like pulling my hair out, my hair had shed more than I would have liked making me a bit paranoid about balding at 17 years old. However, now my hair was loose, clean, and puffy, but unorganized and had, well- a shitty texture. I was pleased to realize that the conditioner had fixed this problem making my hand easily slide through my hair the motion after all the scalp pain I had just gone through was rather addicting. To finish up I engulf myself in the water one last time I quickly get out and dry myself with a nearby towel. After I finished drying I put on the clothes that were left on top of the toilet. It had felt like putting on a bathrobe after a luxury bath making the whole experience quite nice.

OH if I think of the fiery flame thing as a butler I could probably think of this as the high-life bathing experience I think to myself. “Thanks for everything Alfred” I give the thing a thumbs up for it to give me a thumbs up right back.

Yeah… that’s probably not going to happen I think to myself. Maybe it can be like- I don't know, a ghost rider butler I suggest an outlandish idea to myself just to shoot myself down as I'm thinking it. As I approach the door the firey symbols vanish.

I looked at myself in the mirror once more noticing I had been restored to my former glory. After that bath, I still had bags under my eyes and was extremely thin, but I looked much better than I had before. And my hair- oh lord my hair was revitalized; it had now looked smooth, fluffy, and shiny. My hair had gained another chance at life and I was all here for it.