Am I Pretty? #TNTHorrorContest

The Answer, The Scissors, and The Wish

"S-sure. You're pretty, but I really need to go now." Now! A shot of bravery courses through me and I whip out my pepper spray and get her right in the eyes and run. She screeches in a high pitched tone and grabs her eyes, but I see nothing else cause I'm already bolting up the street. I speed past illuminated storefronts, all closed now, and through circles of light beaming down from overhead, until I emerge into the park separating the hotel from the shopping district. I'm surrounded by cherry blossom trees and luscious gardens, along with ornate stone bridges snaking over little streams and ponds. There are few streetlamps here and I stop under one to catch my breath, my hand against the cool metal. That thing wasn't human. It disappeared from one spot and reappeared in the next like a ghost. I've seen The Grudge and other Japanese horror films, they have a knack for starring vengeful spirits. As I'm getting my breath back, soon to dash up the narrow path that leads to the hotel, the echoing of whispers surround me. Too quiet to understand but too loud to keep calm. I look around in the darkness expecting the worst, but praying it's some elaborate prank by some kids. I see nothing but silhouettes and shadows of the trees, streetlamps, and bridges but nothing human. Then I see a shadow dart behind a nearby tree. A shadow with long hair and a flapping trench coat. I pick up my feet to run but before I can she's there, fast as a whisper of smoke, drifting to me. She's standing in front of me, solid now under the lamp light, looking at me and by her eyes I can tell she's smiling a grim smile underneath that blood splattered mask, her eyes as wide as quarters, flashing in the lamplight each iris so small that they looked more white than anything. It was as if she was some gory thing drawn in a manga just to fly off the pages. I take a step back as she reaches forward and grabs my elbow lightning fast yanking me towards her. Her hand is so tight I feel as if my arm could break if I made any wrong move, her long black chipped nails dig into my skin as if they were claws. She leans in close and rasps.

"Am I pretty now?" She reaches for her surgical mask, and as she gets closer to pulling it off a rivulet of blood and drool runs down the corner of her mouth as she reveals her mutilated face. Her mouth is slit from ear to ear as if someone took a knife and dragged it across her face. Blood drips from the jagged skin that was her mouth, and dried blood is crusted along the edges of her skin that was still intact. A breeze blows by and it swayed in the wind sending blood to splatter and drip on the ground. Her smile lines near her eyes tightens, if she wasn't mutilated she'd be smiling really hard right now.

"Le-let me go! Now!" I struggle trying to yank my arm out of her grip, but it only tightens and I hear a loud crunch that sounds like someone biting into handful of kettle chips. She shatters my joint, and I scream a loud craggly scream and force my broken bones to slip through her iron grip, they crunch yet again as I wrench my elbow free. I turn around and stumble as fast as I can trying to get away, but I'm not fast enough. I hear another sound more sickening than the last. I stop abruptly in my spot, the tears that had stung my eyes flow down my face and my mouth opens in silent pain. I looked down, a pair of closed scissors are protruding from my middle, covered in dark blood, my blood.

I feel a hand on shoulder, and I turn to look at the woman, my murderer.

"Kuchisake-Onna," she rasps in a low whisper. Then she yanks the scissor blades apart and my torso falls to the ground, separate from my legs. Was I...cut in half? I fall and all I see are the moon and stars as I die. It's funny how much things can change in so little time. I close my eyes and wait for the pain to be over and I make one final wish, that Liya and Cameron make it home okay, and they move on from this loss. With that I fade away, never to wish or dream again.