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The Woman in the Water

1. The Night Road

I was on my way home after working late. The alleyway past midnight was dim even under the streetlights, and only the sound of my footsteps echoed on the damp asphalt.

Since it had rained, puddles were gathered everywhere. Walking aimlessly, I stopped at something reflected in a puddle beneath my feet. It wasn't the streetlight, nor was it my shadow. White hair was spreading across the water.

I leaned down to look closer. A pale face. Black eyes looking up at me from inside the water. Only the lips were red; everything else was white. My breath hitched.

When I blinked, it vanished. Only my own face was reflected in the puddle again. I hurried my pace, telling myself it was an illusion, that I was just tired.

2. The Sink

The next morning. I filled the sink to wash my face. I scooped up water with both hands to dampen my face, then looked up at the mirror.

There was no one behind me in the mirror. But she was there in the sink water. A single strand of white hair was floating on the surface. That face from last night was faintly visible beneath the water. I screamed and pulled the drain plug.

Once the water drained, nothing remained. Not the hair, nor the face.

3. The Cup

At work, I picked up a water cup. Just as I was about to take a sip, the surface rippled. It wasn't because of the wind. Small bubbles rose to the surface of the water in the cup, and inside them, I saw an eye. It was watching me.

I threw the cup aside. My colleagues looked at me in surprise, but I couldn't say anything. Over the water spilled on the floor, a single strand of white hair slithered away and disappeared.

4. The Rain

On my way home, it suddenly poured. I didn't have an umbrella. As I ran, rainwater streamed down my face. At that moment, I felt the sensation of cold fingers touching the back of my neck.

I looked back. No one was there. But she was standing on the rainwater beneath my feet. White hair soaked through, pale skin as if she had just emerged from the water. This time, she was vivid. She slowly raised her head.

Her lips moved.

"...Together."

I ran like a madman. Arriving home, I locked the door and checked every faucet. There had to be not a single drop of water.

5. The Bathtub

I endured for several days without water. I even drank bottled water only through a straw. As long as I didn't see a water surface, I was fine.

But my body reached its limit. I had to wash. I closed my eyes as I filled the tub. It's okay, just don't look. As long as I keep my eyes closed.

I immersed myself in the water. It was warm. Nothing happened. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, something wrapped around my ankle underwater.

It was cold. It was a human hand.

I opened my eyes. The bathtub water had turned pitch black, and a white face was rising from within it. Slowly. Smiling.

I threw myself out of the tub. Tumbling onto the floor, I looked back. The water in the tub was clear again. But on my neck reflected in the mirror, a wet handprint was clearly visible.

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