"The Massage"

"The Massage"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Ed was weary. He needed this he told himself as he began to undress. He has been working non-stop for 3 weeks and this massage should ease out the stress that he felt through every part of his body.

He was too tired to care about anything else. He wanted to go home to have his wife with him as he usually did but this was a Friday anyway and he could make it up to her with a date on Sunday. He was just too tired to drive so when he showed up alone the attendants at the spa were surprised but they soon had him in a room by himself.

He placed his face inside that hole that looked directly at the floor. His forehead comfortably rested on the top of the circle. As he breathed the scented air of the room he began to relax and the sounds that were playing was that of a stream flowing. Normally he would joke that it made him want to go to the bathroom but this night he found the sound...soothing. The room  , the entire floor where he was in was almost dark save for a few well placed light sources that illuminated paths and the different room designations. He knew that there were other customers with him because of the groaning sounds and the tapping sounds that their masseuses made. A small child giggled once in awhile and was scolded by someone who he assumed to be her mom.

A slight rapping on the rooms door. "Is it ok to come in sir?"He didn't even need to reply  , his masseuse already knew him enough to take his silence as a yes. Ed felt himself relax as the masseuse started on the first strokes at his back. A maneuver that would start from the back of his neck down to the end of his spine. Ed blinked in the darkness. He felt something breathe upward from the floor.Like someone blowing a kiss. He opened his eyes. Saw nothing. Probably a draft he told himself. 

Ed put his hands to the sides of the bed. The masseuse was now focusing on his left leg. Something touched his right hand from below. Ed felt the coldness of that touch but he opened his eyes to look at what it was anyway.Nothing. Before he could even close his eyes something touched his left hand. Ed stood so suddenly that the masseuse stepped back in surprise. "Sir?" she inquired. "Did it hurt?"

Ed found himself staring at empty spaces at both sides of his bed and feeling a bit sheepish. "No , you were doing great. I'm Sorry , I'm just really tired. Please keep going."

Ed thought that this was what stress did to a man. He was beginning to feel things that weren't really there. He smiled despite himself. He felt well practiced hands massage the sore muscles of his legs and he drifted off to sleep.

"Hey Ed. It's not stress." A voice whispered inches from his face. "It's me."

Ed opened his eyes.He tried to struggle but the entity held his hands on both sides. It was looking at him from the floor. He tried to lift his head but he was held firmly in place by other unseen things. The face began to rise from the floor inching toward him. Ed tried to close his eyes but they were held open as well. The entity rose steadily...Ed could not even scream. 

The masseuse felt his client tense a little and then relax after a few more seconds. He was always like this she told herself and thought nothing of it.

"Sir our session is over. You could rest for a few minutes. I would have tea ready for you in the lounge. Thank you."

The masseuse did not need to wait for an answer. This was Sir Ed after all and he would just follow in the lounge when he was ready.

Ed never came.