By Hannah Carter
“I can see it now. ‘Come to a romantic getaway to Japan’s Suicide Forest. Book now—reservations are selling like hotcakes!’” Starr held out his hands like he was gesturing to a marquee.
“Yeah, because who doesn’t want to be stabbed, bitten, or possessed again on their anniversary?” his fiancée, Annie, grumbled. “That’s so much better than an unlimited sushi dinner at a five-star restaurant.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” Starr seized her hand and started to swing it as they walked. “A little nighttime hunt for an onryō is so much more romantic.”
Annie shook herself loose and forged ahead on the foggy, tree-lined path, her determined gait at odds with the somber atmosphere. She clutched her anti-ghost kifuda—a wooden magic charm she’d created—like a weapon. “You have a really screwed up definition of romance, Xavier Starr. I prefer not to put my soul at risk of being eaten by a malevolent ghost on most holidays and special occasions.”
“But here you are.” Starr jogged to keep up with her. The trees creaked and swayed around them.
Annie whirled around. “Yeah, here I am, trying to protect you because you decided you wanted to reason with a vengeful demon who’s murdered or maimed thousands of people. You think I want to perform an anniversary exorcism?”
“All I’m saying is”—Starr rubbed his neck—“maybe if we talked to Kuchisake-onna instead of attacking, we wouldn’t have to exorcise her.”
Annie placed her hands and the kifuda against Starr’s chest. “Starr, you can’t sit and have a tea party with every ghost you meet and expect them to behave. You have to protect yourself—and others.” She leaned her forehead to his.
He traced the jagged scar on her chin, a memento courtesy of a werewolf attack. “I know, but—Look out!”
He jerked Annie down, and they tumbled into a rock.
A flash of white and black slammed against a nearby tree trunk and howled. The spirit, pale with dark stringy hair, whipped around. Starr locked eyes with the wraith. It—no, she—hissed and bared jagged, inhuman teeth that peeked out from a mouth split from ear to ear.
“Do you think I’m pretty?”
Kuchisake-onna’s voice spread like poisonous fog as she advanced toward Starr. Her head lolled to the side, a vestigial noose still dangling there.
Starr stretched out one hand toward the onryō like she was a deer to be tamed. If he could just get close enough without frightening her, maybe they could talk.
“Starr!” Annie screamed. “Down!”
After years of working together, Starr didn’t question. He reflexively dropped, and the runes rose from Annie’s kifuda and flew over his head to circle the onryō—but Kuchisake-onna’s body dissipated before the magic symbols reached her.
The onryō snarled, and like a lightning strike, charged toward Annie. Pinning her against a rock, Kuchisake-onna wrapped one claw around Annie’s neck while one traced around her mouth.
“Do you think I’m pretty?” Kuchisake-onna hissed. “Do you want to be pretty like me?”
Annie choked and pried at the hand around her throat.
A handheld fan made of iron, a Japanese war fan, materialized in the onryō’s hand. She edged the blades closer to Annie’s face.
“Wait!” The word exploded from Starr’s lips. “Don’t hurt her, please. Take me instead.”
Kuchisake-onna whirled on Starr. “What?”
“If you’re going to kill someone, kill me. Please.”
She circled him. Her neck rolled to the other side, and Starr fought against the bile rising in his throat. “Why would you offer to take her place?”
“Why else?” Starr glanced at Annie, dazed and bleeding on the rocks, and his heart stuttered. “I love her.”
Kuchisake-onna spat. “Only because she’s pretty.”
“Not true. I don’t love Annie because she’s beautiful, even though nothing could make her not beautiful to me.” Starr touched his chin, the same spot where Annie bore the werewolf scar.
“So you say. But my husband loved me, too, until one of his samurai rivals did this to me to hurt him.” She gestured to her face, with its slice across her mouth. “Then he cast me out, disgraced and disfigured.” She looked around forlornly. “What else was I to do but come here?”
Starr’s face crumpled. “I’m… I’m so sorry.” He crept forward and touched the onryō’s shoulder. “But that’s not love. That’s not even friendship.”
Kuchisake-onna’s glittering black eyes drilled into his. Deep in the darkness he thought he could see the faint ember of hope.
“You love someone for who they are.” Starr squeezed her shoulder. “Not what they look like.”
“But…” Kuchisake-onna touched her bloody scars.
Starr grasped her hand and drew it away from the slashes. “You deserved to be loved. It’s why I wanted to give you the chance to cross over.”
Kuchisake-onna sniffed. Behind her, Annie moaned.
Slowly, the onryō began to shimmer. Her neck and mouth stitched themselves back together, the noose disappeared, her kimono of funereal white suffused to a vibrant red.
“Starr—” Annie croaked. She raised her kifuda, and the charms started to levitate again.
“No, wait!” Starr held out his arms between both girls. “It’s okay.”
Annie’s runes flickered out of existence. “What? How?”
Kuchisake-onna smiled, her sharp teeth gone. “Because he showed me love.” A few tears fell from her eyes and started to twinkle. Then her body flickered and folded down into a sparkling ball of light that circled Starr several times before it launched into the night sky.
Starr wiped his eyes as he went to help Annie up. “What do you know? Guess tea parties do work.” He hoisted her up, and she wrapped one arm around him.
“I guess they do.” She snuggled close. “Sorry I was mad earlier.”
Starr kissed her forehead. “It’s okay. I still love you.”
Annie reached to touch the back of her head and winced. “Yeah, but will you still think I’m pretty if I need stitches again?”
Starr chuckled, hugging her close. “Always.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
What a great idea for a date!!! 🤣 A nice message that love is deeper than just outer beauty! Love can’t always heal the scars we have, but as with Starr and Annie, you can always love someone despite their scars and all that comes with them! 💜 Loved the story as always! Great job, Hannah!! ☺️☺️
Starr certainly approves of your enthusiasm, but Annie is giving you the side-eye. She does NOT want any more dates to end with possible possessions! 🤣 Thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed. ^_^
What a beautiful message of what love really is!
Thank you so much, Arlan!! ^_^ I appreciate your support.
Sounds like a fun time. I like the portrayal of the onryo.
Haha, Starr certainly thinks so! Annie, not so much. 🤣 Thank you! I’ve loved the legend of Kuchisake-onna ever since I first heard it. ^_^
Love this duo. Beautiful relationship and interesting way of handling the problem
Thank you so much, RJ! I’m hoping they’ll be cooperative and let me write more about them someday. ^_^ They’re such a great team and I love them a lot. ^_^
Oooh, you always bring a new legend to the table for me to research!
Great story, Hannah!
Hehe, I’m glad that I can incite some curiosity! ;) I hope that you enjoy your fall down the Japanese ghost rabbit hole! ;)
Thank you so much, Rose!! ^_^
True.