Water

(Finalist in the Sir Julius Vogel Awards)

Water ©2015 Lee Pletzers

This e-edition ©2021 Lee Pletzers

Cover art Pixabay Free Images. License CC0

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This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described here are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher.

Author’s note: When I was sixteen and living in Wellsford and dating a lady who shall remain nameless, we came across a well while cutting through someone’s farm. It was just a hole in the ground covered by a wooden lid. Weeds had grown over it and the cows had stayed away. My GF (at the time) told me it was Clements’ well.

New to the area I had never heard of it so she told me the story. It was nicknamed the Jumping Well and apparently, someone had committed suicide by...you guessed up, jumping down and drowning.

Naturally, I did not believe her, and back in those days, there was nothing called the Internet to fact-check. Weeks later in the pub (yes, I was sixteen—I know, I know) I met an old timer who pretty much told me the same story, though he made it sound much more exciting.

Now at the ripe old age of forty-one, I still don’t believe it, but when New Zealand was suffering a long drought, I thought, what better place to get water, than a haunted well?

* * *

Sung Li slammed her apartment door. Men can be such arseholes! She tossed her purse on the sofa, pulled off her jacket, and hung it on the coat rack, next to a white long coat that reached her knees.

There was a knock at the door.

Through the viewer, she saw Jason looking from the other side. “Sung Li, I said I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal.”

“That’s right,” she replied. “You didn’t think. That’s your problem. You never fucking think, do you?” She leaned against the door. Memories pushed fresh tears that ran tiny rivers down her cheeks.

“I didn’t think they would see it.”

“Then why did you upload it? They watched us, Jason. They saw me.” The thought of his friends jerking off to their sex tape sent a shiver down her spine. She would probably expect this had they broken up badly, but not while still dating and going strong. Was it macho bullshit? Or, had he simply fucked up?

“Sung Li…”

“Just go away, Jason.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Don’t,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Don’t ever call me.”

Jason was silent for a moment, then: “I’ll call you tomorrow morning around ten.” With that, he walked away.

Looking through the viewer, she watched him going down the steps to the path and heading to his car. He turned and looked back only once. God, she hoped he called her tomorrow. She would still be mad as hell but they could get past this. Jason was a great guy to be around. Her parents would never approve and had they found out she was no longer a virgin, the shit would hit the fan. Sung Li didn’t care. She was living her life, not their culture.

In the bathroom, she stripped down and started the shower. Testing the water temp with her hands, she suddenly felt like having a bath. Maybe she could wash away the feeling of Jason’s friends ogling her on the internet.

The bath was slowly filling, so Sung Li grabbed the bathrobe off the hook and went to the kitchen for a drink.

She switched on the television. The news was running highlights of the main headlines. Sung Li turned away when the kettle whistled and filled the cup, mixing in the cocoa.

The bath was just over half filled when she checked on it. She sat on the toilet watching the water while sipping her drink.

Voices. She heard voices coming from the living room. Heart pounding, she placed the cup in the sink and as quietly as she could, she opened the bathroom door and peeked out.

Silence.

She shut the door, thinking her fight with Jason must be messing with her mind. Her emotions were all over the place, anger fighting against reason fighting The Halo Effect fighting embarrassment.

High-pitched and terrified, the scream filled the flat with an icy atmosphere. The girl was whimpering in the living room, begging someone to let her go. But there was something wrong with what Sung Li heard. Faintly, in the background of water filling the tub and the pounding of her heart, she heard...music, soft and tense.

Again she opened the door. Not timidly this time. She heard an argument in the living room and boldly she stepped forth, knowing the cause. Entering the room, she picked up the remote and switched off the TV.

“Jesus H. Christ,” she muttered, tossing the remote on the sofa. It landed on a TV Guide and a fashion magazine. Apart from the sofa, the flat was impeccable. The sofa was her private zone, a place where she hid in the lives of TV characters and, occasionally, books.

Back in the bathroom, she swore again. The water was near the rim. Her night started as shit and it looked to continue this way. She turned off the water and braving the hot temperature she plunged her hand in and grabbed the plug.

Standing in front of the mirror, she used a tissue to wipe off excess makeup.

Movement from the corner of her eye caught Sung Li’s attention and stopped her heart. She spun around, knocking the cup of cocoa to the floor. The cup shattered, sending chips of porcelain scattering about, and hot liquid washed her toes. She barely noticed it.

In the tub, the water was sloshing to and fro.

Sung Li pressed her back to the sink.

The thing rose out of the tub. Its body was water. Two hands gripped the rim of the bath as a head formed, water rushing to fill in the features. Its mouth was open yet no sound came forth. The liquefied features showed agony and Sung Li understood, in one terrifying second, she was witnessing the birth of something new; and all birth was painful.

The head leaned on the tub as shoulders formed and a back appeared. It tried to stand, a wave of quivering water but it fell and dropped into the tub with a thump, not a splash. The head turned to the tap. It reached over and turned on the cold water.

Sung Li found the energy to move and she dashed to the door, cut her feet on the broken cup, and ran into the hallway. She crashed into the opposite wall in her haste. The carpet tripped her on the way to the living room. On the sofa was her shoulder bag and inside she found her cell phone.

She paused.

Who could she call?

From the bathroom came a crash against the door. Thank God it hadn’t worked out how to use a door handle.

Mum. She could call Mum.

Another thump, louder this time.

Keeping her eyes on the door, she hit speed dial three. She backed away from the direct view of the bathroom, bumped into the coffee table, lost her balance, and fell onto the sofa activating the remote control. The TV switched on.

A female reporter stood next to a fence blocking off an old well. A building next to it had pipes leading off in several directions, but all ultimately going underground or behind the building out of sight. “...pipeline from Clements’ well activated just thirty minutes ago and so far there have been no reports from the public or problems on site. The real test will come tomorrow morning when showers are activated and coffee machines go on the boil. Back to you, Jim.”

“Thank you, Rachel. The new pipeline is expected to lower the overall costs of both water and electricity. As we remember, Bio-Electrics suffered several fatalities during the construction period.” On the screen, the images of three young men smiling at the camera. They looked like average guys and two, the anchor man said, were parents. The only one whose eyes seemed dark but whose face was kind was single. “Having overcome mounting opposition and government regulations, they have successfully spearheaded this project into reality. If all goes well, we could see an end to this drought. The chairman will be here tomorrow morning.” He smiled at the camera. “Or, should I say, later this morning to discuss what’s in the future for them and us.” Another pearly white smile. “And now for the weather.” He turned to his left. “That doesn’t look too good for tomorrow.”

Sung Li stared at the television, seeing it but not watching. “Haunted Clements’ well?” She couldn’t remember hearing about this new pipeline before but then again, she was only twenty-four; the news rarely interested her. She knew about the drought. Using your hose to wash the car was not on. Pouring a bath was not a good idea either.

It took a moment for her to realize the banging in the bathroom had stopped. She switched off the TV. The sudden silence was worse than the noise. She turned the TV on again. BGN. Background Noise. It also took away the feeling she was all alone.

“Why have you stopped banging?” The question was directed at herself. She hoped it hadn’t learned how to open the door. Or, even better, this was all in her imagination. The water rising up could represent her rebellion against her parents and their old-fashioned culture and beliefs. The broken cup could be her broken trust in Jason. Her running away could be an attempt to hide from the truth. And that truth was...

Sung Li stood up. In her hand, she held a firm grip on the phone. She slipped it into her pocket and stepped into view of the hallway. The door was still shut. But sliding under it, the water was piling up against the far wall.

This was real. Psychology would not save her now. The water piles up against the wall, a humanoid form taking shape, was not a dream. It wanted to kill her and she had no idea why.

She could get to her car if she could make it to the front door. She looked down at herself. Her dressing gown had two pockets and only the phone was in one. Her car keys were in her jeans. And they were in the bathroom.

And the water was quickly taking shape.

She had to get those keys. It was her only chance to get away. The neighbors could fend for them-fucking-selves. No. What the hell was wrong with her? It wasn’t in her nature to abandon people. Living in this block it would be easy to warn others, only one level, with all paths converging to the main parking lot and roadside.

The car keys weren’t needed. Getting to a neighbor for help was more important. She knew this, it was the logical thing, but her gut told her the opposite. It told her to get the keys and to hurry the fuck up before the water becomes what it is. She was stalling and she knew it.

Sung Li inched forward to the bathroom door, taking a deep breath of air to clean her lungs and gather courage. Running would be faster but she couldn’t. It was hard enough moving. It was like every nightmare from childhood had gathered around and was ripping into her nerves, making her stomach turn, knees weak and fingers shake.

The water thing continued forming, unaware of her. Sung Li thought it was waiting for ears and eyes. Until then, until it realized itself, the creature was nothing.

This thought gave her the courage to quicken her pace.

The water continued flowing, swirling, moving. The gap in the door was thin, this was to her advantage, but when she opened the door, the water would pour forth and she would have little time. The chest, head, and arms would form in a matter of moments. She’d be fucked.

Heart racing, adrenalin surging, she removed her cell phone and took off her bathrobe. With shaking hands, she folded up the robe and laid it on the floor, blocking the thin flow.

A glance at the creature showed all progress ground to a halt.

She opened the door, praying to all the Gods she could remember, pleading with them to be on her side.

Water covered the bathroom floor. With the door open it flowed to the top of the bathrobe and stopped.

Sung Li sighed.

Still, she had to hurry; the water wouldn’t stop for long and it’d quickly soak through the material.

She reached for her clothes but they were just too far away. The keys were in her jeans. She had clothes all over the place, but only one set of keys. With short, rapid breaths, Sung Li realized she had to step into the water. It felt like offering herself up to be murdered.

A quick look down at her bathrobe prompted her into action. A trickle of water was dribbling through.

Trying to block the offering image, Sung Li stepped into the water. It was still warm but didn’t feel entirely like water. It had an extra texture to it, slimy and gooey. What she had stepped into was not water; it had changed into a near jelly-like substance. It squished between her toes and slid across her feet. It moved up to her ankles and appeared to grip them tightly.

Pulling her jeans from the sink counter, she tried to step back. The water held firm, keeping her foot locked in place. She struggled to pull it out to no avail. Suddenly she noticed her other foot was in the same predicament. The water seemed to ripple and it was rushing over the sodden bathrobe and back into the room with her.

“Fuck,” she muttered, watching the water fill the room and slowly build before her.

She continued struggling uselessly against the vice-like hold.

Panic welled up, her entire body trembled and she knew this was it. She looked at her clothes and the car keys. What was the point? This thing—this creature had chosen her for some unknown reason. Perhaps had she stayed with Jason and spent the night at his place like she had planned...

What was the point of ‘what if’?

This fucking sucked! Why her?

Anger overtook the fear. In front of her, the water was again building up. Half the body was formed. As water seeped into the bathroom, it leaped into the shape. Sung Li tossed her clothes on the floor, splashing into the water. She did it with such force the water around her ankles lost hold and she was running out the door as fast as her legs could manage. She reached the front door. Fumbled with the lock and froze with the door part way open.

From the kitchen, she heard water pouring into the sink.

She closed the door and moved slowly towards the sound. She glanced back at the bathroom to make sure all was clear for the moment and turned the corner.

Screams rose from the tap, a hundred voices.

Water pooled onto the floor. She stepped away from it. Faint screams from next door mixed with those of her kitchen. Time to go. The front door was open and she still held her car keys. The overflow in the kitchen had created a river into the living room. Sung Li jumped over it and snatched her long coat off the rack, swung the door wide, and stepped out onto the footpath and into a puddle of water.

She ran for her car, bare feet slapping the concrete, water spraying around her. A few times she felt a grab at her ankle but she powered through it and reached her car parked on the side of the road. She unlocked the door with the remote as she fought more tendrils of water whipping at her feet.

Neighbors shouted and cried.

They ran onto the street, tripping and thrashing in an inch of water. Drowning. Unable to get up. Arms of water held them down.

Unable to help, Sung Li jumped into the Isuzu Off-Road and struggled into her coat. Even amongst this madness, her modesty took precedence over starting the car and escaping.

She glanced in the side mirror and she froze in her dressing. The water holding people down rolled them onto their backs and released them. They did not move—at first. Squinting in the mirror, Sung Li saw water shoot up the nose of the drowned; saw the bodies thrash; saw them stand; saw them stagger forward; saw pools of water in empty eye sockets; saw them coming towards her.

It was time to go. Where? She had no idea but anywhere was better than here. The car started on the first turn and she put the stick into R. About to reverse out, she looked up at the two-story house next to her apartment block. In the bedroom window, Alexia was banging on the window; her face was a mask of terror. Only eight years old and she was in this nightmare.

Alexia seemed to stare at her. Suddenly she shouted and pointed. Sung Li mimed: I can’t hear you. Something bashed against the car. It rocked on its suspension. Another bash sounded and suddenly Mrs. Davis from across the street head-butted the driver’s window. Milky pools of water stared at her.

Sung Li screamed. She hit the accelerator and the car sped backward. It thumped into something or someone and the rear tires bounced over the object. She put the stick into D. The wheels spun on the slick surface, the rear of the car rose and the wheels continued to spin. Mrs. Davis shuffled in her direction.

The rear of the car lowered and suddenly gripped the road. The car shot forward before Sung Li could react and slammed into Mrs. Davis. Her body rose in the air, hit the bonnet and slid forward into the windscreen. Sung Li screamed again as her foot found the brake and the body slid off the car and landed in a heap.

From the side of her vision, she noticed glass raining down from the house next door. Alexia. Sung Li spun the wheel and powered across the paths and smashed into the fence separating the apartment block and the house. She tooted the horn, hoping to get Alexia’s attention. Hoping she wouldn’t jump.

Aware of the rising water outside the car, Sung Li opened the door and using it for balance she leaned out and put her foot on the armrest and climbed up onto the bonnet. Alexia was half out of the window.

“Alexia, no! Don’t jump!” Sung Li waved her arms about hoping to get the girl’s attention. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing Alexia step back into her room.

A neighbor she did not know hit the bonnet and climbed up using the wheel for leverage.

Sung Li jumped off and hit the ground running. Tendrils grabbed her. She squirmed free and reached the front door before they got a solid grip, and dashed inside...

And came face to face with a water creature. It didn’t seem to notice her, then Sung Li realized it was looking at the stairs. Conquered by stairs, she thought. But she had to get up those stairs. Alexia appeared at the landing. She was crying.

“I’m alone,” she said, choking back tears as best she could.

“You’re not alone.”

The creature spun around to face her. In the ripple of water she could make out a face, and the mouth was opened in a silent scream. It reached for her. Sung Li stepped back. Outside she heard a car crash and further off in the distance, police sirens.

She didn’t know the layout of this house and feared racing into the kitchen and finding only a back door, like most homes. Getting up those stairs was the only important thing. Alexia was there. An idea came to her; it was risky and probably crazy but worth a shot. Getting up the stairs would be a major challenge. She tried to think of other options but nothing came to her. There didn’t seem any other choice.

“Alexia,” she called out. The girl looked at her. “Honey, I need you to come down the stairs.”

The girl shook her head.

“I’m going to draw it away.”

Alexia continued to shake her head. “I’m scared.”

“Me too.” The creature moved toward her. It moved slowly. Not stepping but swaying like an unbalanced drunk. “When I hit the living room, you come down those stairs as quietly as possible and run to the door.”

Alexia nodded her head.

Sung Li stepped back another step. “Oh, and Alexia?”

“What?”

“Stand on the first step outside. Don’t touch the ground or the water. Got it?”

The girl nodded.

To the creature, Sung Li said, “Is that your top speed?” She took three quick steps back. The creature stared at her legs. The long coat reached her knees. She took another step back. The creature stopped swaying. Its head tilted to the side. The water it moved on formed into two bulky legs. It raised one, then the other.

Fuck, she had taught it to walk.

She glanced up at the top of the stairs. Alexia wasn’t there. She hoped the girl was creeping down. The creature’s bulk blocked her view. A few more feet and the door would be easily reachable for the girl. “Look at that, you’re walking,” she teased, unsure if it would get the creature moving faster or not. Sung Li entered the living room. It was twice the size of hers. She moved to the right, planning to circle the creature and make a run for the door.

The creature turned to look over its shoulder. Sung Li grabbed the closest thing to her, a TV remote, and tossed it. It rebounded off the thing’s head. It turned and charged at her. Though it didn’t go right as she had hoped. It came straight at her, crashing into furniture, overturning a sofa, and smashing a small wooden coffee table, forcing Sung Li to the kitchen.

She stumbled and fell to the Lino floor. Bits of furniture flew at her and she rolled, dodging them as best she could. A large single-seat chair crashed down, blocking the entrance. At the sink, she opened the cabinet door, hoping to find something heavy to throw that would distract it long enough for her to get out the back door.

But there was nothing heavy. The first thing she grabbed was the fly spray. It was a full can.

The creature lumbered towards her. The chair stopped it, momentarily.

Sung Li opened doors and drawers randomly. In the bottom drawer, she found paper, odds and ends, candles, and a lighter. She cringed as a massive crash erupted behind her as the chair bashed into the back door, shattered the glass, and blocked her escape.

Mouth open. A silent roar. The creature came upon her with amazing speed.

Acting out of panic, Sung Li struck the lighter. The flame bounced high. The creature jumped back. Its mouth closed. It looked confused, fearful, even terrified.

Fly spray. Naked flame. She smiled, flicked off the cap, and pressed down on the nozzle. The fly spray became a flamethrower.

The water bubbled as the flame struck home. The creature tried to run but collapsed two steps later. The bubbling water turned to steam and the thing quickly vanished.

Sung Li called out the girl’s name. There was no answer. She jumped over the broken furniture and ran to the front door. Alexia was face down on the water-soaked lawn. Arms of water held her down.

Racing to the girl, she aimed the fly spray at the arms. One second of flame and they were gone. She pulled Alexia up; she was coughing and sputtering, but otherwise seemed fine. Her eyes were orbs of fear and tears and nothing more.

The unknown neighbor was still on the bonnet watching them approach with glee. Sung Li could tell that the woman had nefarious intentions even before she turned. Not hesitating, she sprayed the woman’s face. The flames caught on her hair and stuck to her face. Her screams were horrendous as she clawed at her face, tearing the flaming skin from the bone. Sung Li pushed her off the bonnet and helped Alexia into the car.

Other people were coming now. All shuffling. Each one heading in their direction.

Sung Li jumped into the driver’s side, pushed the stick from P to R, and backed to the side of the house. R changed to D and the Isuzu powered forward. She swerved at the last second, not wishing to hit anyone, and crashed through a fence, bouncing across the pavement and onto the street.

“What happened to my Mum and Dad?”

“I don’t know, sweetie.”

Cop cars raced past them.

A kilometer later, a woman walked along the grass verge. “There!” Alexia shouted and pointed to a woman in a nightdress. “That’s Mum.”

Sung Li slowed the car down. The woman was walking, not shuffling. Her head was held high and she walked in a straight line. She seemed oblivious to cars and police racing past. Maybe she was in shock. Slowing the car, she pulled alongside the woman.

Alexia reached over Sung Li to the window, she reached for the down button when suddenly the woman sprinted to a man sitting on the side of the road. She pounced on him. Pushed him to the ground. From Sung Li’s position, it didn’t look as if he was resisting her. The woman’s mouth opened. Her hand clamped his shut. She leaned down. A torrent of water spewed forth, seeming to move of its own accord, into his nose. The man thrashed a moment. His nerves and muscles relaxed. Then he stood up. His eyes were pools of water.

Sung Li pressed hard on the accelerator, speeding toward the two figures on the side of the road. She had avoided others before, but not now, not anymore, not after what she had witnessed. This water sickness could be passed from person to person.

“No,” Alexia said. “Please. It’s my Mum.”

“That is not your mother.”

Alexia pulled on the steering wheel. “Yes, it is.” Tears streamed down her face. “She’s different, but she is still my Mum.”

Against her better judgment, Sung Li spun the wheel and decelerated, barely missing the couple. A meter later was an overturned car. Two bodies were inside, unmoving.

“Thank you.”

Sung Li looked at the girl.

“You have no clothes,” Alexia said.

Sung Li smiled. “I have some clothes at a friend’s place.”

The road ahead was dark; white center lines blurred and vanished behind the lights reach. What they would find along this road, or in town, Sung Li did not know. But she was heading into it regardless.

END