Hello,
T
he link for Acid
Shampoo has stopped working so I'm reposting it for everyone to see. Quite a
few people have been asking to read it but have been unable too. So here it is.
Enjoy. I need to stress that all characters are fictional and not based on real
life events or people. Any similarities are coincidental. Aside from that it is
also not for the faint of heart. This story was first published on Writer’s
Online the link for which can be found here. https://www.writers-online.co.uk/
Acid Shampoo
“Arh!” Lara staggered forward in
surprise and pain. The hot water cascaded down her back and steam billowed
around her. She caught hold of the bathroom sink to steady herself and swore
loudly. The droplets of water bounced off the bottom of the tub and burned her
feet. She had almost gotten use to the temperamental heating while taking a
shower but every now and then she would cry out in pain as she was burnt or
scream with shock as ice cold water sprinkled down upon her. Fuming, she cast the shower curtain back and
jumped out of the bathtub leaving the water running. She flung the bolt back on
the bathroom door and kicked it open. “Mum!” she bellowed. She could hear the
reason for her pain now she had left the thundering of the shower. The washing
machine was on. She could hear it rattling
away as her mother’s footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs. “Yes Sweetie,
I thought you were having a shower?”
“I was until you turned that
bloody thing on! Leave it!” She could hear her mother tutting at the bottom of
the stairs as the machine started to roar. Lara shivered. “Yes dear but you really shouldn’t be so
long.”
“I’ll be as long as I want!”
Slamming the door and pulling the bolt back across Lara returned to her
shower. Not a great start of the day. She thought as she stepped back into
the bath. It’s only going to get worse...She
could almost hear Miss Chaperon’s voice nagging about that unfinished essay at
the bottom of her school bag. Stuff her!
Quickly adjusting the taps Lara dipped her arm under the torrent of water. It
had cooled down but not by much. She jumped back in eager for the day to
finish.
Josh is coming home tomorrow. She longed to see him again, he would look
good with his new tan. Next year he had promised to take her on holiday with
him. Lara could hardly wait. “Spain.”
She remembered saying. “I’ve always wanted to go to Spain.” Josh could take her to Spain and they could stay
there. He speaks the language and I can
learn... Lara frowned at the memories of her Spanish lessons. This time I’ll pay attention. This time I need to learn! What
if Mum thinks he’s a thug? So what? She thought Eric was a nice boy and he’s doing
community service. Picking up the
shampoo bottle she smiled sadly. Eric had given this to her after they had
broken up as an “I’m sorry” present. Spain
or Shampoo? Nice try Eric.
She poured some of the shampoo
onto her hand. She examined the brown liquid. What did it smell of? Chocolate? Something moved on the street
below. Lara peered through the window spotted a lone figure at the bus stop on
the opposite side of the street. Something was familiar about the figure but
Lara couldn’t place her finger on it, a blue hood was covering his face. It
wasn’t until he waved at her that she realised he was looking directly at her. “Eric!”
Lara screamed and jumped away from the window spilling some of the shampoo on
the shower curtain. Oh my god. Why is he watching me in the shower? Did he see anything? She slammed the window and franticly rubbed
the shampoo into her scalp. Lara thought about what she would say to the police
when they came. He’s obsessive, he stalks
me, he never leaves me alone! It was not true but that did not matter. Eric
deserved the worse. All he would be given was a warning but at least it would
scare him. Her thoughts were interrupted by ice cold water. “Ah!” Lara recoiled
in shock, she lost of balance and slipped. Her head crashed into the window,
cracking the glass and silencing the scream in her throat. Her arms flailed in
the air but couldn’t find anything to grab on to. She landed in the tub with a
metallic bang that echoed around the bathroom.
Lara’s eyes fluttered. Cold… I’m so cold. The memory of Eric at
the bus stop came back to her. Jesus! Did
he see me hit my head? Did he laugh? For a brief moment Lara wondered why
no one had came to check on her. Then realised that only Mum was in the house
and the washing machine was drowning out all other noise. Even if she had heard
and investigated she wouldn’t have been able to help, Lara remembered. I’ve bolted the door. She tried to
summon the energy to move but the cold water she was laying in had stolen her
strength. She thought about turning the water off with her feet but discovered
she had fallen too far away to reach the taps. She watched helplessly as blood ran
down her body and mingled the water in the tub. The shower was still running,
jets of icy water spayed down at her feet causing Lara to shiver uncontrollably.
The only part of her body that didn’t feel cold was her head. Her head felt
strangely warm. It must be the blood,
she thought. I must be going red. “Help!”
Her voice was weak, little more than a whisper.
No answer came. Clearing her
throat Lara tried again. “Help! Mum?” The only reply was the sound of the
shower water.
The window is bubbling… Lara squinted. Maybe
the bang on the head is making me see things or maybe it’s the cold. Mum always said I need glasses. Lara
tried to move but still lacked the strength to do so. She looked around
desperate to hold something that could support her. Her eyes were drawn to the
shower curtain but for different reasons. Holes had appeared in the curtain
with red edges. They were growing. Lara blinked. What the hell? They’re not
growing… they’re burning! Lara
grimaced through the growing pain in her head. She wiped away the blood from
her hair and placed her hands on the side of the bath ready to push herself up.
Something flickered past her eyes. Several large hairs landed in front of her.
Lara stared at them dumbfounded. After a second of shock fear took hold of her.
She felt the top of her hand but was horrified to feel her skull. My hair is falling out! She screamed in
horror. The fear gave Lara to strength
to move. It was too painful to stand but Lara managed to get into a kneeling
position. A bang on the head doesn’t do
this… She reached up to the sink but only succeeded in spilling bottles
into the bath tub. Brown liquid from the
shampoo bottle poured out next to her. Lara stared at it in wonder and fear. What is this stuff? I won’t be calling the police, I’ll be calling an ambulance! Her
head now felt like it was on fire. She placed her hand back on the sink so she
could pull herself up but screamed in pain. Her hand was burnt. How is this happening? Brown goo dripped
from her hand. Lara squealed with fright and shook her burnt hand in the dim
hope of shaking the shampoo off. It stuck. How
is it doing this? What the hell Eric done? Am I going to die? What do I do? Lara tried to scrabble to
her feet but moved too quickly, her legs couldn’t support her. She fell back
against the shower curtain. It broke free of its railing. Lara hit the tiled
floor hard, the curtain landed on top of her, covering her like a bed sheet.
She gasped in pain as inside of her knees hit the edge of the bath. She knew
through the immediate burning pain that it was coated in the shampoo. She
remembered that the shampoo had holes burned into it and was just in time to
see little droplets of acid leave the curtain and explode on her body. She
screamed desperately. The curtain was wrapped around her, Lara couldn’t move
without excruciating pain.
“Lara?” Lara watched helplessly
as the door handle directly above her turned. The door moved but the bolt kept
it from opening. “Are you okay in there, love?”
Mum, help! Lara tried to say but she lacked the strength to do so.
She contorted her face in agony as shampoo from her head started to run down
her face. She could feel it burning into her skull. The power to scream had
left her. There was a loud smash as the crack window glass broke free if frame
and fell into the bath.
“What the hell was that? Lara?
Lara! Open this door right now!” The door handle turned again and Mum banged on
the door more forcefully but to no avail. Lara’s eyes blinked furiously to keep
the running liquid out of her eyes. Someone’s arm came through the window, the
gloved hand felt around for the handle. The window opened. Lara could feel her eye lashes burning away
and whimpered in pain.
“Lara! What’s wrong, dear? Open
the door!”
Eric! His eyes scanned her helpless form half hidden by the melting
shower curtain. He smiled at her. His gloved hand picked
up the shampoo bottle from the bathtub and aimed it at her. “Lara. Have you
fallen? Unbolt the door, I can’t get in!” Eric said something but Lara was only
able to hear three words over the thundering of the shower, the door banging,
her mother calling and her own heart beating. “Pretty... acid...hell” Eric
squeezed the bottle. The acid splattered over Lara’s face. She closed her eyes
tightly but tiny droplets from her burnt lashes had penetrated her eyelids. She felt Eric spray her with the showerhead
that turned the shampoo into acid. She heard Mother shouting but her words were
inaudible. Lara heard Eric’s reply. “Send us a postcard in Spain” He said in a
perfect imitation of Josh’s voice.
