Short Stories Written by Tellie

What I can see in Kuchisake-onna

I was the only passenger in the train feeling uneasy for no reason.

Then, I see a woman wearing a kimono holding a fan over the lower half of her face, covering her nose and mouth.

Slowly… she took the fan off her face and saw her terrifying smile with a wide tear on each side of her mouth that reached her ears.

I am scared but… my bravery shielded me from running away from her.

The moment I saw the complete picture of her face, I flinched from the pain.

“Am… I… beautiful?” she slightly tilted her head, widened her eyes and increased the intensity of that infamous “ugly” smile.

“Kuchisake-onna, I can clearly see the reflection of your face—Am I beautiful?”

[OPEN ENDED]

Moral lesson: There's beauty hidden within your ugly monster. Never despise monsters for being ugly because THEY WERE ONCE BEAUTIFUL.