Ghosts of Airport Toilets Past??

'Dead'

'Dead Boring'

Was what Officer Ziko thought as he sat down in the passenger seat of the way out of service police vehicle next to his partner, Tim who seemed to be having the time of his life listening to the same damn song for the umpteenth time

"Oh I'm gonna take my horse to the old time road, I'm gonna ride…"

The song wasn't bad, in fact he did like it the first few times Tim played it, after that it just became annoying. He didn't know how many times he heard the song but all he knew now was that he hated it.

He tried putting off the radio but he had to admire the bastard's talent in pissing him off, as he had to listen to a worse off version of the hit single coming from his mouth.

'Lil Nas X must be having nightmares of his own song right now', was what he thought after hearing that guy's horrific attempt to sing.

So yeah he'd rather listen to the real version a thousand times than listen to Tim's vocal parody.

Oh back to topic why we're here?

The answer. Stakeout. You know before I became a police officer my idea of stakeouts was filled with suspense, danger and a whole lot of action.

To be honest they did get one thing right. The suspense, the long, boring hours waiting, hoping for something to happen.

Tim says I'm young and restless that sooner or later I'd be happy something didn't happen.

But I knew, looking at the middle aged man with an overgrown moustache looking extremely out of place jumping around singing pop music

I would never be like him.

I opened passenger door in frustration, I needed to do something, anything cause there was no way my career that was to be filled with medals and accolades would end here, with Tim.

I walked towards the entrance of the airport, passing the guards after flashing my badge. That was the best part of being in the police force; you've got the ticket to literally everywhere.

My thoughts wandered back to the first time I got the badge, I remembered the amused looks I got when I held it like porcelain china, half-afraid that I'd break If I was careless.

The police chief chuckled at my reaction "Son, stop treating that old piece of metal like some magic toy, if you lose it I've got a whole cupboard of those. Now take the damn thing and go do your job"

I smiled lightly at the not too distant memory before frowning slightly at the sight of a couple of 'cowboys' that reminded me of Tim, laughing heartily singing that f***** song

I quickly turned the other way and decided to use the toilet; one cowboy was hard enough but a whole bunch of them? I was afraid I'd run mad.

"That's the weird, I'm the only one here"

I thought as I entered the toilet, this was a public toilet in a city airport; it's rare to see even just five people in here but to see nobody at all. Now that was weird.

I decided not to think too much of it as I headed to the sink closest to the door. I turned on the faucet as I scooped up water in my hands to wash my face.

I heard footsteps.

I froze, I was sure I was the only one here. So where the hell were the footsteps coming from.

I turned to look at the last stall, the only one that wasn't opened when I came in.

I heard a song.

No calling it a song was an overstatement, it was a rhyme a nursery school rhyme and a very common one at that.

'The Two Little Dickie Birds'

Few knew the name, most just knew the lyrics

"Two little white birds, sitting in a cage"

Huh, this wasn't the version I knew

The voice continued "One named Peter and one named Paul"

I started to approach the last stall, I was certain the footsteps came from there and obviously the voice was coming from there too.

As if urging me on, the pitch of the voice increased.

"Fly away Peter, Fly away Paul"

I was almost at the door; I walked softly thinking my footsteps would alarm the thing.

'The 'thing', really Ziko?

Even I found my thoughts ridiculous, since when did it become a thing; I had been watching way too many horror movies.

As my hand reached for the door handle, the voice stopped.

I felt uneasy, had I done something wrong? Or had I upset 'the thing'. Yes I admitted it cause right now I wasn't sure 'the thing' was human.

And there you have it, a five-year police officer with a bright future and a newly found hate for cowboys is scared of offending a 'ghost'.

But if five years in the force had taught me anything it is to know when someone was behind a closed door.

And I was absolutely sure there wasn't anybody behind this stall.

At least not anything living

I hesitated

In fact part of me didn't want to find out what was behind this door. I was scared, that much was true but another part of me was curious.

Let's just say that part won.

"They say curiosity killed the cat", I said as I clenched my teeth and braced myself for the monstrosity I would encounter behind the door.

I could feel my heart pounding furiously against my chest as if threatening to escape its bony prison as I slipped my hand into my right pocket where I keep my badge.

The feeling of the cold metal and sharp edges of the California state police badge gave a me a little bit of confidence as I continued,

"Then thank God I'm not a cat ", I pulled the door open and my eyes widened at what I saw

"What?"

Nothing, no monster, no ghost, no creepy doll, not even a homicidal toddler.

The stall was completely empty save for a note lying on the closed toilet sit.

I was confused, where did the voice come from, and the footsteps I heard surely I wasn't hallucinating.

"Damn it, I swear if I watch another horror movie again," I swore, cursing my overactive imagination.

No but hearing footsteps were one thing and nursery rhymes in an empty toilet were another.

There was no way I misheard that, I wasn't high neither was I drunk so what the hell was going on here.

I finally took the note; it looked like it was torn out of a flight brochure, which makes sense considering the fact that this was an airport.

'But why would someone leave a note here' I thought as I examined the paper carefully.

"Maybe the 'ghost' couldn't make it and decided to leave a message instead", I joked flipping the note over.

I very soon regretted cracking that joke.

'Fear? You think you know fear? I assure you don't'.

But if there's one thing I can tell you, it is that when I read those words written on the back of that note, I knew fear.

Yeah the 'ghost' did leave a note all right and right now I wished I were illiterate unable to read the damn thing.

My hands froze and the saliva in my mouth dried up, I felt a chill run down my spine as I could swear I heard the voice whisper the words written on the note into my ears as I read them.

"Fly away Ziko, I'm watching"

-The Narrator.