The Smoke In My Bathroom

This happened in the late afternoon while I was preparing dinner.

I was planning to make shojin shabu-shabu, a vegan version of shabu-shabu that uses vegetables and other plant-based ingredients. I had already washed and prepared the vegetables and was getting ready to start cooking.

Before turning on the stove, however, I suddenly needed to use the bathroom.

Since I had not started cooking yet, there was no fire, steam, or smoke coming from the kitchen.

I went to the toilet, finished what I needed to do, and was about to leave when something unusual caught my attention.

At first, I noticed what looked like a faint white mist in front of me.

The closest comparison I can think of is the smoke produced by aromatic incense. It was not thick enough to completely block my view, but it was clearly visible. What struck me was that it did not appear to be entering the room from anywhere. Instead, it seemed to be forming in the air itself.

For a brief moment, I froze.

I cannot honestly say whether I was physically unable to move or whether I was simply startled by what I was seeing. All I remember is standing there and watching it.

The mist continued to spread slowly through part of the bathroom.

This was a small toilet room with no window. There was nothing burning nearby, and no obvious source for the smoke. I do not remember noticing any particular smell, although I was focused more on what I was seeing than anything else.

The entire incident lasted only a short time.

Then, just as strangely as it had appeared, the mist began to disappear. It did not rush away or drift toward the door. Instead, it seemed to dissolve into the air until nothing remained.

After it was gone, I was able to move normally again.

I checked around the house afterward but found nothing unusual. There was no smoke anywhere else, no sign of anything burning, and no explanation that immediately came to mind.

Even today, I assume there is probably a rational explanation. Perhaps I misinterpreted something I saw. Perhaps there was a source I failed to notice. Memory is not perfect, and I try to keep that possibility in mind.

Still, the experience has stayed with me.

Part of the reason is that it occurred in the same house where I had previously experienced what I described in another story as a shadowy figure. The two incidents looked completely different, and I cannot honestly say they were related.

However, when I think back on that strange white mist appearing in a windowless bathroom and vanishing without an obvious source, I sometimes find myself wondering.

I have never found an explanation that fully satisfies me.