When I was a little girl, I used to get stuck in public bathroom stalls. The locks would jam themselves, and I’d have to use the open space at the bottom of the stall to free myself. It’d gotten so bad that I started leaving the stall doors unlocked to avoid getting stuck. However, leaving the doors unlocked became a problem, as the other kids would barge in on me doing my business, or peek under the stall and scare the living daylight out of me. I resorted to locking the stall doors again to prevent peeping toms in the making. Since then, I haven’t had any memorable issues with public bathrooms, until recently.
I was on my way home after dropping my boyfriend off at his house, which is a few hours away from where I live. We’d spent the whole day out by a lake and having a wonderful time. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and our love for each other was at its fullest. It was about 11 pm-ish when I felt nature calling. However, I was driving in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the road and a few trees in my line of sight. Any rest stops or buildings with public toilet access must’ve been a few miles away. I sucked it up and kept driving.
It felt like hours had gone by, and not a single building was to be seen. I grew impatient. Right when I was about to pull over and do my business behind a nearby tree, I saw it. A building. It was lit up as if the lord himself was lighting the way. I got close enough to see a car in the parking lot with its driverside door wide open. Someone must’ve really needed to go I snickered to myself and pulled into the parking lot. There were a few vibrant signs spread around the building’s windows that read: CONVENIENCE STORE! OPEN 24H, SNACKS, DRINKS, & PUBLIC BATHROOM ACCESS!
I entered the building and gazed around, looking for the bathrooms. My eyes landed on two doors, one with a symbol of a man, and the other of a woman. Almost sprinting, I made my way to the women’s bathroom, only to be stopped by another sign, reading out of order due to maintenance in small print. I mentally cursed and looked at the men’s bathroom. Knocking, I asked if anyone was using the bathroom and explained my situation. I got no answer. Slowly, pulling the door open, I peeked through the small opening. For the most part, it seemed empty. I could see that someone’s shoes were visible from the bottom of one of the stalls. I closed the door and gave the man his privacy.
Flickering my eyes back over to the women’s bathroom, I could hear noises coming from inside. At first, I assumed it was an employee cleaning up until the sound of extremely heavy breathing filled my ears. I leaned my ear against the door and listened for anything else. It was silent for a few moments. That’s when I heard the most gut-wrenching scream I’ve ever heard come from a woman’s mouth. It sounded so horrid, so anguished as if the woman in there was experiencing the most excruciating pain. There were a few audible sobs in between the heavy breathing afterward. Soon after, the sobs grew louder and louder, followed by the sounds of fast footsteps heading toward the door.
I backed away, right when the woman on the other side pounded on the door. It seemed like she was throwing all of her weight on the door in an attempt to open it. Terrified, I panicked and ran into the men’s bathroom, locking the door shut. My thoughts were racing as I slowly got away from the door and entered the only other stall, which was next to the one the man was in.
I began relieving myself, still shaken up from the previous encounter. I didn’t want to be there at that moment, but there was nothing I could do. Just then, I heard a door open from afar. I immediately realized it was the women’s bathroom door. it shut, and there was a rattling noise coming from the men’s bathroom door as well. Whoever was in the women’s bathroom was trying to get inside.
The door was unlocked and swung open by an incredible force. I stopped relieving myself and put my feet on the toilet, to give the impression that nobody was in the stall. Surprisingly, the man in the next stall didn’t budge an inch. From the bottom of my stall, I could see someone’s bare legs and feet, blood dripping down both legs and onto the gray-tiled floor. My eyes widened as the person took a step inside the room, followed by another and another until they were facing my stall door. I was frozen, absolutely terrified.
A woman’s voice quietly huffed before trying to open my stall door. I was now crying but tried concealing it to the best of my abilities. The woman on the other side of the door gurgled up the words are you stuck? Her voice sounded sweet, yet maniacal. The woman chuckled before getting down on her knees. At that point, I stood on the toilet, desperately looking everywhere for a way out.
I looked directly above myself and saw a vent. Reaching into my hair, I pulled out a bobby pin and tried picking at the vent, hoping it would open. The woman chuckled again, but even louder this time. Drawing my eyes away from the vent, I could see the woman’s mangled face peeking from under the stall door. A wicked smile was plastered on her face, and she didn’t look human at all.
Her dark brown hair was partially covering her doll-like eyes. She had fair skin, covered in bruises, open cuts, and small bugs. I will always remember her face, as I witnessed a maggot slither around her cheeks. To say she looked disgusting was truly an understatement. She looked like she’d been dead for a few days. I panicked once again and ended up dropping my bobby pin on the floor. Quickly bending down to pick it up, I noticed that the woman hadn’t moved. It looked like she was entertained by watching me struggle. I managed to loosen the vent and ultimately got it open.
That’s when I heard the sound of bones cracking under the stall. I turned to see the woman contorting her body to fit under the gap under the stall. I let out a petrified scream and tried climbing my way into the vent. The woman grabbed my ankle, cackling even louder. The adrenaline in my body was pumping, and I swiftly kicked her rotting face, sending her flying into the stall door. I climbed into the vent and crawled my way to what looked to be the back side of the store.
I threw myself out of the vent and ran towards my car. The woman was nowhere to be seen, so I got in my car and drove off. When I was a safe distance away, I called everyone, my parents, my best friends, and my boyfriend. Everyone except my boyfriend brushed me off. Instead of freaking out, he began to tell me of a time he went to the same convenience store and experienced similar things. I was too stunned for words.
I asked him why he didn’t tell me about what happened to him, to which he replied The legend says that if you tell people, they’ll share the same fate, or even worse. You didn’t tell anyone else, right? I smashed the brakes of my car and sobbed loudly. My boyfriend explained that in his town, this convenience store had a very demonic history, and everyone who goes in, doesn’t come out the same… that is, if they survive. Its bright lights are meant to attract people into going in, where their nightmares become reality. The woman that I saw in the bathroom was one of the victims of this store, and the man in the stall had received an unfortunate fate because of her. I stayed on the call with my boyfriend until he went to sleep, and I went home.
Here I am, two years later, writing this in my car after attending one of my best friend’s funeral. I have so many regrets. What started as the most romantic day of my life, ended in such horror and pain. I caused my friend’s death, and soon, everyone else I told will face the same ending.
I’ve cried so much since the incident, and I forced my boyfriend to move in with me, so I wouldn’t have to drive past the store again. I’ve hated myself more than imaginable, and I’m not the same person I used to be. I’ve been going to therapy since then, and I’m doing a little bit better, although I still get nightmares of the woman’s face. My boyfriend has stuck with me this entire time, but I know he could possibly have the same fate. I just hope you all here won’t judge me after writing all this, I just needed to get this off my chest.