“Hayami, I need you to listen to me.I need you to stand in the shower cubicle.Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” she whimpers.
“I’m going to shoot the lock.You can’t be near the door, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Move, now.Shout ‘yes’ when you’ve moved.”
I wait.Seconds.Too long.Much too long.
“Yes,” Hayami hollers.
Thank fuck for that.
Unholstering my gun, I aim it at the lock and fire.The explosion reverberates against the metal, making my ears ring.
Using my foot, I push the door open and step inside.The blackness has mixed with the steam, making it appear as if the darkness is swirling.
“Hayami!”I call out, and she comes bounding out of the black, a towel clutched to her body.Her hair’s in wet tendrils around her shoulders, and her eyes are wider than I’ve ever seen them.
“Thank God,” she says as she throws her arms around me, but I don’t have time for embraces.I pull her from me.
“What happened?Are you hurt?”I scan her face, her body, her arms.
“I’m okay.”She gulps.“The light blew when I was in the shower.I managed to find the door, but then I couldn’t find the lock.I started to panic.It was so dark, and then I felt something on my leg.”
“Someone was in there with you?”I arch my head into the doorway, ready to push her to the side and tackle whoever the fuck is in there.She must sense my thoughts, as she grips harder onto my forearms.
“No.”She shakes her head, her reply sounding as if I’m being silly.“There was only me.I’m sure it was just a draft from somewhere, but when you can’t see and you start to panic, your mind plays tricks on you.You start to convince yourself that something weird is going on.”
“Fuck.”Finally, convinced she’s unharmed, I pull her back into me.Not even thinking, I wrap my arms around her and let out my pent-up breath.
“Sorry if I scared you,” she says into the crook of my arm.“I scared myself.”
“It’s okay.I’m just glad you’re all right.”I push her back slightly, examining her face again to make sure I haven’t missed something, before realising I’m holding on to her.
“Do me a favour,” I say, quickly letting go of her and stepping back.“Never lock that door again, do you understand?”
“I won’t.Although, I don’t think there’s much of the lock left.”
We both glance at the door.It’s on the bathroom floor, the handle completely blown off.
“I can rehang the door,” I say.
Seconds pass, and I wonder if holding her or letting her go is what’s created the silence.
She steps back and clears her throat.“I should get dressed,” she says, pulling at the towel.
I nod and turn to leave.
“Hey, Fenrir,” Hayami says.
I turn, more at the surprise that this is the first time she’s called me Fenrir and not one of her pet names for me, such as Beast or Hellhound.
“Sorry for scaring you.”
“You didn’t scare me,” I tell her before leaving the room.
