Jeremy: Chapter1
Blood in the Bathwater
By SethY
Written during the
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
NaNoWriMo 2020 event.
Word doc created on November 30, 2020.
Jeremy: Chapter 1
“Daruma-san?”
Jeremy starts to sit up in his bed as he stares at his phone scrolling through the “Daruma-san” subreddit.” Damn this game is weird, I kinda wanna try it out now.” Jeremy, starts to speed reads the steps ignoring the warnings and rules for the game. He makes his way to the bathroom, filling the tub with water as he strips off his clothes. Finally, he turns off the lights and steps into the cold pool of water shivering.
“Alright, let’s see how real this dumb little game is.” Slowly he mutters the steps to himself as he does them, “Close your eyes, apply the shampoo into your hair and slowly repeat the words as you wash your hair. “Daruma-san fell down.” “Daruma-san fel-” actually now that I say this out loud...it sounds pretty stupid.”
“I might as well make use of this and take a shower.” Suddenly, he came up with an idea. “Ooorrr I can call Harrison’s pathetic ass and make him do this with me. God, I can’t wait to see him freak out like an idiot.
“Jeremy grabs a towel and pats his feet dry and steps out of the tub to grab his phone. Shortly, he scrolls through his list of contacts and calls “Harrison.” After 2 rings he quickly answers the phone.
“You ok? It’s kinda late and it’s unusual for you to be calling me in general.”
“Yeah yeah yeah look, I found this cheesy little horror game and I want you to try it out with me.”
“Isn’t it a school night though?”
“Oh, don’t be a wuss. Besides it shouldn’t take too long to do this and the real game begins the moment we wake up.”
“...uhh”
“Fine fine since you wanna ruin all of the fun I’ll just call somebody else.”
“Wait no come back...I’ll play the game with you. I’m sorry for asking so many questions, this just doesn’t usually happen so I’m a little bit on edge you know?”
“I guess I get it, but there’s no time for that sappy apology, it’s a school night man soooo let’s get this over with.”
“Alright well what do I have to do?”
“Just listen to my instructions and follow along ok? Make sure you don’t screw it up or else there will be quote on quote “Dire Consequences.” Ooooo so spooky am I right?”
“Consequences? What are the consequences?”
“Don’t worry about it, man.”
“But-“”Did we not just talk about you questioning me so much? Don’t you trust me, Harrison? “I mean...I guess. I want to trust you but-”
“Perfect, that’s all I need to hear. So, what I need you to do is every little thing I say, got it?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier for you to just send me steps and rules?”
“It would but it wouldn’t be as fun you know?”
“But didn’t you say there’d be consequences if I mess up?”
“Yep, so have fun with that, man. Anyways it’s about time we started.”
With every order Jeremy gives, Harrison obeys anxiously anticipating anything and everything to go wrong.
“1. Strip your clothes off
2. Walk into your bathroom and fill up your bathtub
3. Step into the tub and sit down facing the faucet
Oh by the way this is the part I found pretty stupid and pointless so be prepared to feel like an idiot .
4. Start washing your hair and repeat the words “Daruma-san fell down.” Until you’re done washing your hair.
Also, don’t open your eyes unless I say so alright?”
“Did you really just wait until the last minute to tell me?”
“That’s exactly what I did. Now shut up and say the words.”
Simultaneously, “Daruma-san fell down. Daruma-san fell down. Daruma-san fell down. Daruma-san fell down.”
Harrison’s words start to softly trail off as Jeremy continues the ritual without him. He sees a small Japanese woman in his head, he watches her step into a dirty tub and slips, causing her to fall face-first into a rusty faucet gauging her right eye out, all while screaming like a banshee in pain as her dark as black blood spills and pours into Harrison head deafening and drowning his senses with her desperate screams and attempt to pull out of the tap, deepening the wound and making the blood spill as if it were trying to replace the faucet. The blood is inhuman in every sense of the way from the color, scent, and especially the amount. Now he can see himself watching her in agony as she struggles and calls for help, his help, but all he can do is stare as his body sinks into his tub replacing the water with her blood. He feels her. He feels her pain and desperation. He feels her presence all around him. He’s drowning. He is dying with her. Until he can hear Jeremy loudly ask.
“Why did you fall in the bathtub?”
