Laundromat 1 “Insomnia”

“I was at the local laundromat a couple of weeks ago. It was at night, at around twelve. I am an insomniac so I am usually up around then, and going to do my laundry at night prevents me from having to deal with large crowds. The one by me is open 24 hours, so I can go there whenever I find myself having trouble sleeping.

Unfortunately, the place wasn't empty this time. There was a man there, but the owner was gone. This wasn't unusual. The owner often leaves for a little bit to get something to snack on, especially late at night when there are so few people there. The air was full of the scent of lint and detergent, the overhead lights hurting my eyes as I came in from outside.

The man looked nice enough, and though I wasn't looking to talk, company would have been nice. The late nights had been becoming more and more frequent, and it was starting to become quite difficult. Still, I went to the opposite side with my laundry and put it in, hoping that I wouldn't have to be there too long.

I had just gotten the laundry started when I heard the man’s phone go off. It took some awkward searching, but he found it on time and picked up the call.

“Hi sweetie,” he said.

I sighed to myself. I may not have been looking for a conversation, but the fact that it had been more or less taken away from me was irritating. I didn't notice at first, but it soon became clear that there was a very heavy argument coming from the other end of the phone. Even though I was on the other side of the room I could still hear the girl screaming at him. The man shifted a little in the chair until he was in a slouching position.

“I wasn't expecting you home so soon. I'm at the laundromat...Lis...Listen. I'll clean it up when I get back.”

There was more yelling. The man sighed, looking over at me with an exasperated smile. It was the first time he had looked at me since I had arrived, and secretly I was rather pleased with myself. I attempted to smile back, trying to seem relaxed. All I managed was a loud yawn. All the while the volume of the person on the other line just got louder.

“I'm sorry...yes I know...I know! I'll get it as soon as I get back...Of course it was an accident. You know she makes a mess sometimes.”

I tried to pretend I was invested in some old magazine, but secretly I was listening in. Being at a laundromat can be boring, and this was at least some sort of excitement.

“Come on, don't be like that...Can't we...Seriously?”

The tone on the other end of the phone lowered. For a long time, the guy just sat there and listened, every once in while looking over at me. I heard a heavy thump in his washing machine, like a buckle hitting the side. The guy stayed quiet, and I soon returned to my laundry.

A couple more minutes went by, and all I heard was a few murmurs. He was whispering, and I struggled to pick up on what he was saying. Then he began to speak normally again.

“Alright...alright...If that is what you want...Ok...”

There were a few more moments of silence, and then I watched him pull the phone away and hang up. It was silent again, and though that was normal at this time of night, after such a heated conversation the silence had become more apparent. For a while we just sat there like that, the man's washing machine resounding with a thump as the buckle hit the wall again.

“Sorry about that,” he said finally.

I looked up at him in surprise, as I was caught off guard. “It's alright. Is everything okay?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Not really. My girlfriend broke up with me.”

I acted surprised, though honestly it was hard to have not figured it out already.

“I'm so sorry,” I said. “What happened?”

“My pet made quite a mess at home, so I headed out to get things cleaned. But my girlfriend got home early.”

“That doesn't sound all that reasonable on her part,” I said reassuringly.

He smiled again. "Oh, she put up with a lot. My pet can be a handful.”

I smiled back, forgetting for the moment my desire to be alone.

“I'm Alex by the way,” he said.

“Mallory.” I responded.

Not wanting to yell across the room, I stood up and sat down in a chair closer to him.

“So what brings you out so late?” he asked.

“Just something to do at night. I have trouble sleeping”

I felt stupid for disclosing something personal like that, and unsurprising the conversation fell flat after that. He was silent for a while, and I searched for something to keep it going. I guess I had forgotten how hard and lonely it can get when you are up so late at night.

“What's her name? Your pet I mean.”

“Asia. Do you have any pets?”

I admitted that I didn't.

“I love animals. I have had them all my life. I actually found Asia on the side of road. I know picking up stray animals isn't all that safe, and I kinda understand how some people can find it strange having her as a pet.”

“I doubt it’s all that weird.”

“You know I was actually lost. I mean it is kinda serendipitous, me coming upon her like that.”

I listened intently, happy to see the conversation continue.

He went to open his mouth again when I heard the buzzer go off on his machine. There was a heavy thump, and then he stood up and went to open the door.

“It is so much easier cleaning her this way.”

I didn't really understand. Then I looked inside the basket next to him. The clothes were soaked in blood. He opened the door, oblivious to my discovery. After a moment I heard the sound of something wet shifting, then watched as something very large slid its way out of the washer.

“Come on Asia. This way.”

The thing in front of me looked like some sort of human hybrid. It was long, and as it made its way out of the washer I realized that it had to be at least five feet in length. It had long, black fur, with a flat face and deep, pale eyes. It sniffed me as it walked by, my fingers gripping the seat as I tried not to scream. Then it went over to the drier and went inside. The man shut the door, and I jumped reflexively. The man stood there for a second fishing through his pockets.

“I'm sorry, but do have any change? I'm a little short.”

Quickly I opened my purse and pulled out some out. He took it gently, as if my hand would break with the contact. Then he turned and began to feed his quarters into the machine. Seeing my opportunity, I ran over to my machine and pulled out my clothes, placing them into my basket. Then I made up some excuse about having forgotten something important and left, nearly colliding with the owner as he went to go through the door.

For a long time, I was determined not to tell anyone, out of fear of what people would think. Since then I have seen the guy at least twice. It is always late at night, and it is always regular laundry. He never talks to me, and it helps make the experiences easier. I still end up jumping every time he opens the door, but other than that it has more or less become normal. The owner says he doesn't remember anything strange, explaining that there are a lot of late nights for him.

I like to think that I just hallucinated the entire thing. A lack of sleep can do that to you. But whenever I try to do so, I remember the feel of his skin on mine. The sensation of his impossibly soft hands touching my own. And then I remember the look of that creature’s face, and try not to think how much it reminds me of a child. Before I couldn't sleep because my insomnia. Now...I have other reasons.”

Since our conversation I have attempted to find the man. So far I have been unsuccessful.