The Reluctant Medium - Chapter 1

This story will be told in parts. I will break it down into chapters. This is probably by far the creepiest tale I have to tell. I have never, in my life, ever told this tale so if you know me and you're questioning why I've never told it, you may understand why as you read this.

I have to type this during the day with happy music playing in my ear because this one is difficult to tell. But I will share it with you now.

It was the spring of 2002. Late morning. I was home alone. My son was gone with his father for the weekend. I had just finished a shower after my mid morning workout and threw my hair over, blowing my hair with the diffuser to set my long, mismanaged curls. The house was very quiet - just the hum of my hairdryer. An eerie feeling came over me. In an attempt to calm my nerves, I began humming to myself - the happiest tune I could think of. Despite the warmth from the dryer, I caught a sudden chill. I closed my eyes and breathed in a long, deep breath. "Keep calm. This is nothing. You're just scaring yourself", I thought to myself.

I kept my eyes shut, humming the happy tune until my hair was dry enough. I flipped the switch on the dryer, threw my head back, releasing my wild curls all over my head and played with them, trying to fix them into some sort of style. I reached quickly for my bottle of hairspray, knocking it clear across the bathroom. It hit the wall, smacked on the tile floor and rolled right back to me, very slowly, finally resting at my feet. "Wow!" I exclaimed and bent over to pick it up. That's when I saw it, forming right before my eyes, wet footprints.


There was literally steam coming off the wetness, as if the feet touching the tile were hot. My eyes slowly widened, my chest tightened, a large lump formed in my throat and I stopped breathing. My lungs began to burn and just as my chest felt it would burst, I drew in a life-giving breath and pursed my lips and felt the tears form. I slowly shook my head. "Oh my gosh", I whispered. "Please no. Pleease". I was frozen in my squatting position. Part of me could sense my knees and legs were aching in protest, but my mind wouldn't allow me to move. I was afraid of the consequences of trying to move. I swallowed with difficulty, but managed to pull the lump in my throat down enough to breathe without much effort.

The footprint faded. I gasped and then blew the breath out hard. Then another formed. The chill hit me from head to toe. Another formed and then another, walking toward the door of the bathroom. I fell slightly back against the bathroom wall and with the help of the adrenaline running through my veins, managed to push myself back up to a standing position. I released my breaths into pants and just stared at the floor by the doorway. The footprints stopped, but two stayed, the steam slowly curling up off of them, disappearing into thin air.

The hot tears came flowing. I could feel the warmth running down my cheek, a comforting contrast against my chilled flesh. "You want me to follow you, don't you?" my voice cracked. I felt a sense it did, whatever it was. I stood there, staring blankly, the tears forming lakes in my eyes, blurring my vision. I was afraid to blink; afraid if the water ran out, I'd see clearly again.

"No", I half whispered. "I won't do it. I want to be left alone." There was no response, but the two steamy footprints remained. My chest was heavy. My breathing was labored. I had to convince it I wouldn't help. I had always managed it before. But now my head was empty. I could think of nothing. "There are others out there - others who will help you. I know it. Please can't you find someone else?" I drew in a breath and held it - hopeful - waiting for an answer. Just then the footprints disappeared completely. Just vanished. I blew out the breath I had been holding in.

Suddenly my body felt cold and weak and limp. I took a step forward and my knee nearly gave out on me. I was unsteady. I put my arm out and pushed myself along the walls, stepping over the tile where the footprints had rested. I pushed myself down the hall to my room, and then stumbled toward my bed, falling face first into the mess of pillows and sobbed myself into a state of euphoria.

I flipped myself onto my back and laid there, drawing in long, cleansing breaths, my head mostly empty, with the exception of a wispy swirl spinning lightly around. "Hmmmmmmm" I moaned. I drew in a quick breath and threw myself up into a stance. "Okay. I'm leaving now", I reported aloud. I dressed as quickly as I could, threw on the minimal makeup and ran - yes ran out to my garage. The door lifted and I felt the comfort of the warm sun. My eyes were puffy and burning from the crying, but I hid them behind my sunglasses and drove off of the premises, feeling a renewed sense of hope.