A Bunch of Horror Stories

episode 92 (City library )

It was a cold night for the dry season like now. I glanced at the clock that adorned my wrist. Yeah, eight o'clock at night but I'm still faithfully silent in the city library

“it's time for dinner” muttered me while heading to the cafeteria.

My steps sounded loud in the quiet corridor of the library building. The night wind blew between the windows making me close my jacket. The distance of the reading room with the cafeteria is not too far away, but if added to this atmosphere, it makes me want to feel the warmth there.

With a step that I continued to accelerate, this self finally arrived at the cafeteria. Without a second thought, I immediately ordered dinner and walked around looking for an empty table in the room. My attention is now focused on an empty chair next to a woman. Ah, I don't think there's any harm in sitting with him because it looks like we're the same age.

After giving permission to join, I immediately sat down and ate my dinner. On the sidelines of dinner activities, I several times invited the woman beside me to talk. But apparently, my invitation interrupted her dinner, because as long as I asked her name or origin, she just kept quiet and looked at me coldly.

“hmm, which reading room is it?” yep, for the umpteenth time I asked the woman next to me and for the umpteenth time anyway, she didn't comment on my question. Even to my question, he got out of his seat and left me irritated at being ignored so many times.

After finishing my dinner, I rushed back to do my work in the reading room of the city library. The cold air attacked my body. But stupidly, I took a detour to go back which meant that the longer I felt the silence along the corridor.

My steps stopped in front of the toilet. Again, I don't know what I was thinking, I decided to enter the toilet, but I didn't want to pee.

Just as I opened the toilet door, my eyes were immediately greeted by the figure of the woman sitting next to me. With a slight hesitation, I greeted the woman who was now standing facing the mirror.

“eh brother, meet again” said me with a sweet smile but still ignored. Because the atmosphere began to feel awkward. I chose to enter the bathroom. No, not because I want to pee or as dangerous as it is, I'm just afraid of being mistaken for a stalker by that woman if she just goes in the toilet, greets her, then comes out again.

I lowered the lid of the toilet hole and sat on top of it. Makes me feel like I'm really throwing away. But not long ago I was inside, there was a sound of water flowing from the next room.

Ah maybe the other toilet visitor or maybe the cold woman was also throwing water, I thought to cover the heartbeat that was racing very fast.

I kept listening to all the sounds from the next room. Before long, the water faucet closed, replaced by the sound of clipping scissors. You guys know ‘kan? Sounds like cutting but not cutting what, well that's what I heard. My heart that had been beating as it should, now back racing no less fast than before.

The sound of the scissors became clearer in my ears. It is getting closer to my existence. Until the sound was directly above the walls of the room, the sound was gone. I ventured to peek up, see what caused the sound. I looked up, paying close attention to the wall to the ceiling of the toilet. But no, none of it I got. I bowed my head back and set my heart rate so I could go back to the reading room.

BUGGS

Not yet my heartbeat returned to normal, the sound of a loud door slam made my heart race again. This time, I did not think long to get out of the room and immediately leave the toilet. Without me noticing, I knew the toilet was empty. There's only me there.

I rushed with quick steps and unfounded thoughts.Once in a while I glanced back because sometimes I heard there were footsteps following me. My steps turned into a small run, until subconsciously, I hit someone in front of me. I sat down because the collision between my body and his body was quite hard.

As he reached out to help me stand up, everything still felt normal. Until I started to look at his face. The mood changed drastically. His eyes were blurred with pupils, the dark circles under his eyes were very clear to see, and the mask he was wearing attracted my attention to focus long enough.

Yes, there was a red patch on the mask.

My brain kept trying to convince me that the spot was not blood, but the patch that kept creeping in the mask made me unable to avoid that it was fresh blood.

My tongue. There's not a single word I can say. This leg also becomes stiff, I can not move even if only for a moment.

“Miguel, I want to ask” I'm amazed. How can this woman in front of me know my name when from earlier she ignored all the words I said to her.

DEG.

The heart stopped at that moment. My eyes are perfectly rounded. My essence cannot escape what I see now.

Her mouth.

The woman's mouth, which had been worn from when the mask was torn.

Yes, his mouth was torn to pieces until the ears made him full of flowing blood and maggots that continuously came out from his tearing crack.

“would I be beautiful, Miguel?” ask with your mouth wide open. Even if asked to devour my head, I think he can do it now that the mouth is open.

I'm speechless. My brain also seemed to stop digesting what I saw. My body is limp, my mouth wants to answer but I don't know what to answer because all I have in mind is to run as far as possible and seek help.

“Jawab Miguel, am I beautiful?” he asked for a second time but I was still mute with my tears starting to drip.

“Do not cry Miguel, I just ask.” He opened his wide mouth again and I cried even harder in front of him.

“I said Answer!!” he screamed while thrusting the scissors he held into my face.

Not only once he shouted, but many times until this corodor was full of echoes of his screams. The woman drew the scissors she was playing to my face with the same screams and questions.

I'm desperate. I was scared, and I reflexively shook my head while saying. “no, I don't know. Please let go of me”. My voice trembled withstanding the fear that filled my body.

The woman took off her grip on my shoulder and lowered the scissors she held with her other hand after hearing my answer.

“You don't know? Why don't you know?” he asked me again. But this time, his eyes looked sad and began to bow his head. His expression was confused with my answer.

Seeing her like that, I used her to get away from him.

After walking backwards enough to be far from the reach of the woman, I ran with all my might accompanied by tears that endlessly drenched my cheeks.

Not quite up there, I again heard his screams calling my name which echoed along the corridor where I ran to save myself. My heart was racing as the sound of footsteps tried to match my back.

As the move drew nearer to me, I arrived without asking my strength to run out, my vision blurred, my vision darkened, and I lost consciousness. And just then, I felt that the woman's hand was able to reach my hair.

I don't know what happened next, because after I woke up, I was already in the hospital with a body full of wounds.

ps. This work is inspired by the Japanese legend of kuchisake onna