The Next Day
I walk under the orange and black painted torii gate staring up at it magnificence. Just beyond it, the shrine is ornately built with traditional Japanese architecture, the roof's edges curling up, with two dragon statues on each side of the steps guarding the entrance. All around the shrine are cherry blossom trees, their petals falling gracefully across the green landscape. To the left of the shrine there is a short red bridge that crosses a trickling stream to a garden. A breeze blows my thin white cut off top, tickling my stomach above the band of my high waisted jeans.
I see Daichi standing under a lush tree. He's dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, it's weird seeing him out of uniform. He notices me as I get closer.
"Hey, you ready for this?" I say as I get within earshot. He takes a deep breath and looks around.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I'm just going to try and make this as quick and painless as possible." He leads me inside and to a room off of the main space with an open sliding door that shows the bridge and lush garden from earlier. I see a wrinkled elderly woman in Miko attire, with her hair in a bun. She looks at me with distaste and turns to Daichi.
"Mother, you know why I've come. Can you help her based on what we discussed last night?" She looks at me and narrows her eyes, pursing her lips then turning to Daichi.
"I'll do what I must but only because you are my son. But before I can do anything what are trying to cleanse?" She says, completely ignoring me. I speak up before Daichi can continue.
"I'm trying to get rid of Kuchisake-onna. She-" I take a breath in effort to steady my cracking voice. "She killed my sister." The woman's eyes widen and she looks at Daichi with concern.
"You did not tell me this." I look at her and at Daichi who can't meet my eyes.
"What is it? Is there a problem?" I look between the two of them trying to decipher the issue. The woman turns to me and looks at the ground, then meet my eyes.
"I'm guessing you don't know, so I'll fill you in. You know how Kuchisake-onna came to be? She committed adultery and her husband slit her mouth from ear to ear as punishment then asked her, "Who will think you're pretty now?" The man who slit her mouth killing her, and ultimately making her a vengeful spirit is my great grandfather and Daichi's great great grandfather."
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Am I Pretty? #TNTHorrorContest
HorrorDo you know the legend? Are you young? Are you alone? Don't be, she'll get you if you are. On a trip to Tokyo with her siblings that ends in her sister's horrendous death, Liya must do everything in her power to get justice for her family and her s...
