Meet Ugly

Without rest, he wanders, feeling so slow. He felt like a river splitting into a thousand streams. Though fed by an ocean, he will eventually grow dry. The world rises around him with every step, almost as though he is standing still. But he is not. He has yet to stop.

Hitomi had spent her vigil of mourning in the usual way:.bathrobe, sleeping, ice cream and animated movies designed to make adults cry. It was almost a martial art at this point. Her body had fully memorized the motions to wipe her tears, feed herself and even use the bathroom while never losing sight of her television. She had watched the entire Ghibli suite and she was just about to start on shojo movies. She lifted the ice cream to her mouth masterfully, an exact 5 ml, without looking down.

“Mmm, natto.” Apparently she had also completed the normal ice cream and had begun to taste the more avante garde flavors.

The tower of tubs climbed ever higher.

Suddenly, she lost her breath, nearly dropping the spoon. Her eyes didn’t leave the

screen for a second.

Then it happened.

“NOOOOOO,” she screamed. “That stupid kid. WHY!?”

“He should have lived. I don’t care if I never got to touch that sweet bod of his. What’s

one kiss to an entire lifetime of love.”

She threw her head back and bawled.

“I MISS HIMMM.”

She threw her spoon at the TV, cracking the screen with rainbow colored columns.

“Oh.”

Now he really is gone.

“Dammit!” She shook her hand but she now didn’t have anything to throw. She looked down at her smartphone and groaned.

“Ughhh, tiny screen.”

She turned off the TV.

Left to her own thoughts, Hitomi began to smell something bad. She began to sniff around her apartment. It wasn’t in the limescaled bathroom. It wasn’t from the stack of takeout and old ice cream containers beside her couch. Nor was it from the week’s worth of letters by her door.
She passed by the mirror, startled by the monster that passed. She paused.

“Oh. Oh no.”

She sniffed herself and recoiled. If despair had a scent, this was it.

It was almost like a voice from heaven, but instead it spoke to her nose. “Don’t be like this, my love. Don’t smell like this. Don’t smell like butt. You’re better than this. I know you are.”

“Yes! I love you, Daniel. I love you, horse man! I won’t let you down!”

What was a coffin and a monument to her despair, became a cocoon, preparing the woman beneath. She had to go out, pay rent. Life went on, leaving these painful moments behind while she moved forward and stepped out her door and burst out from her shell.

Her hair was washed, her clothes were pressed, her skin was as clear as the summer sky. She would stop for no one. Not even the cat that ran into her apartment.

She would perhaps stop for the homeless man chasing said cat.

He tackled her right as she opened the door.

All of a sudden, she was looking at a cat, hanging upside down from her floor. The homeless man helped her flip the world back. Something was awfully familiar about his bad hairline.

It suddenly clicked. And then, it punched.

“What are you doing here?”

Hitode looked up, confused. “I was trying to sleep in my usual cardboard bed, but for some reason it keeps breaking. So I decided to use this cat as a blanket—”

“Bull!” she cocked her fist back. “Why are you bothering me?”

“I just told you, little girl-”

“Don’t you start!”

Hitode shrugged at the cat.
“I don’t know who you are.” he said.

She looked him dead in the eye. There wasn’t a hint of malice or deceit. In fact, he looked quite empty.

She pushed him down. “Like hell you don’t know me. You and that ugly mop of hair”

Hitode dusted himself off and glanced at the cat.

“Dang, she didn’t have to insult you like that.”

“I was talking about your ugly-”

“Come on, cat. This lady’s rude. Let’s bother each other elsewhere.”

The cat walked out of her house indignantly.

“Wha-” Hitomi stopped herself. They were walking out of her house. They were walking out of her life. This was an isolated incident.

She made her way along the street and let the concrete turn to cobbled stone, the tower heights into leafy canopy. The path was green and secret.

She stepped along a terraced way that might have been stairs once, under weather worn torii gates cracked by roots and branches, red paint having long been chipped away by wind and rain.

Hitomi remembered the lights on the way home from school—the ones the other children couldn’t see.

“Mommy, can we see what’s there?”

“If we can see it, then we shouldn’t,” said her mother, holding her tighter.

“Ouch, that hurts.”

“This hurts a lot less than if we go see what those lights are. Now let’s go.”

Her grandmother had told her they had come from a long line of mystics, graced with both beautiful black hair and eyes that could see through trickery. Their hair was so beautiful and prized that even the spirits would covet their dark locks as treasure. And those who covet are quite often cruel.

“But trickery isn’t solely in the domain of wicked yokai, dear Hitomi.” said her grandmother as she rocked her to sleep. “We have learned ways to ensnare and curse with the very thing they covet.”

“Could you teach me, Obaa-chan?”

Her grandmother stroked her hair gently.

“Unfortunately, you have your father’s thin, straight hair. You’d go bald before you could do anything meaningful with it.”

She laughed as she said this, but to little Hitomi, her words hurt more than a hand held too tightly.

Because she knew where they hid the scissors.

In the kitchen drawer near the sink, beside the strainers and the spatulas, was a heavy pair of kitchen shears. It was a heavy piece of equipment for a child, but she only needed to use it once. She pointed the blade at herself and opened it wide.

Now, sneaking softly in the moonlight on an empty street with a handful of hair, she was ready to follow the lights. They didn’t shine in the way light normally does. It was just the sort of thing you could feel as though it were a dream.

She climbed the steps which seemed like a mountain at the time, almost floating upwards. The moonlight was drowned out by a rainbow of colors she had never known. Faint unearthly music danced just outside of earshot.

Hitomi had just almost reached the summit when rustling bushes stopped her in her tracks. Something was moving quickly through the dark forest.

A normal child would have been scared, but normal children do not carry clumps of hair in the middle of the night. She threw it towards the sound and to her shock and awe, it ignited, surrounding the area in a net of red flame.

But unfortunately, that only seemed to worsen the situation.

Revealed in the red flame was a bald lanky creature, whose eyes glowed hatefully in the crimson light. She swiped away the fire with ease.

“M-mother!?” stuttered Hitomi, stumbling back.

“Did you cut my hair?” She yelled so loudly even the moonlight quivered. The lights and the noise disappeared and suddenly, Hitomi was very awake and very aware of what she had done.

“Mother, I’m sorry I-”

But no apology would prevent her from being dragged kicking and screaming down the dark mountain.

“I hate you!” Hitomi screamed at the top of her lungs as her mother hacked away at her hair.

“I would rather you be alive and hate me than you be dead and quiet,” said her mother, sneezing from the hair as she cut it.

“You’re hurting me!”

“So are you.”

Hitomi would only speak to her father following this. Her mother would continue to talk to

to her but only in short harsh orders.The lights had stopped too. All was quiet on that hill. And it stayed that way for the years that followed.

But when all her hair had grown back and she was allowed to walk alone, she made her way back, slipping out of the shadows of the city and onto the horizon behind that hill.

She had been going back ever since.

As Hitomi climbed the final step, she took in the familiar sight of an old temple. It was a godless temple, without statues, markings or words honoring any deity. It simply stood dilapidated, nearly falling apart and as the only place Hitomi considered close to a home for her. This was because she knew this was the only place someone was waiting for her.

They first arrived in the form of an envelope addressed to her.

Inside was a letter that read: “I’m sorry for making your mom yell at you. You should go back. It’s important to remember where you come from.”

Beside the letter was a few thousand yen.

Excited, she ran home immediately to show her mom—if only to prove she was safe that night. But then, she was reminded why she stopped speaking to her in the first place.

“Hey, mom I–”

She was already looking at the letter in her hands, as though she knew where it had

come from. She looked Hitomi in the eyes and shook her head, and turned away without saying a word.

This was when she realized she was no longer home.

Now grown, although not much bigger, Hitomi sat down at the step. There was a package in lieu of a letter. She had never received a package before. Thick oddly shaped letters, letters filled to burst, but never a package.
“I guess the boss got better at mailing things.” she said, a little anxiously.

She tried to open the package and immediately, it melted apart in her hand like wet paper, revealing what appeared to be a dead body. She screamed.

The dead body screamed back.

“Geez lady! What’s your problem?” The dead body got up, and was instantly familiar. “You!?” yelped an indignant Hitode. “Why are you following me? Creep!”

“Creep? You’re the one sleeping in an old temple.”

“It’s got a roof, it’s got walls. There’s no better place to sleep. You’re the weirdo for going to an abandoned temple when you have a house.”

“I was getting my mail!”

“What kind of person gets their mail from a temple? Why are you following me!?”

‘“Why are you following me!?”

“Lady, I have not met you before today in my entire life.”

Hitomi stamped her foot and walked away in frustration, entirely embarrassed, confused and

“Wait!” He ran up towards her. “This was under the package before I climbed in-” he handed her a letter. “Now please stop following me.”

Dumbfounded, she could only yell back. “You’re the one following me!”

But he was already walking away, grumbling about stalkers and stupid cardboard curses.

She took a breath and read the letter. Then she read it again.

“What the hell is this?”

A few minutes later.

“Well, well, well, look who’s following whom.”

There’s a sensation right behind her ears not unlike hot needles poking from under her skin. It was by pure chance once again he was walking ahead of her, this time with the cat.

But she would not let him win.

“I am just doing my errands. I won’t let you bother me even if you’re following me.”

“Says the girl who snuck up on me while I was sleeping. Anyways…what sort of errands?”

Hitomi blushed remembering the letter. “I’m…buying fish.”

“Oh I know a guy who’s great with fish.”

She looked at the cat. “Yeah, he looks pretty hairy.”

“No, I’m sure he shaves.”

Hitomi grimaced “Ew, you shave your cat?”

“You don't,” said Hitode, raising an eyebrow.

“Disgusting. Just leave me alone. You and your fishmonger.”

She walked up ahead, trying her best to move quicker. But she was significantly shorter so his stride caught up to her in no time.

“I’m going this way, so if you do

“Meow!” agreed the cat.

“Fat chance.”

Much to her embarrassment they went down several streets and crossed several roads

together before arriving at the same shop.

“I said stop following me!” yelled Hitomi, to the alarm of many passersby.

She ran into the shop and almost instantly froze in her tracks.

“Go to this address and buy fish from the thick hunky fishmonger.” said the letter.

‘The boss was not lying.’ thought Hitomi, looking at the man’s rippling muscles through his white shirt. She shook her head, ‘I am a married woman.’
“Can I help you, young lady?”

She walked up coquettishly. She tucked her hair behind her ear “Umm actually, yes. I-”

“Don’t serve her, Kenichi!” interrupted Hitode.

“What now!?”

“You know her, Hitode?”

“You know him!?” asked Hitomi indignantly.

“I have never met her in my entire life!” replied Hitode, running behind the counter, “However long it has been. But-” he chuckled and grabbed onto Kenichi’s arm. “I do know you.”

Kenichi unceremoniously pushed him off.
“I’m working here,” said Kenichi. He turned back to Hitomi. “Now, miss, what would you like me to get you.”

She fluttered her eyes. “Oh thank you so much. I would love a-”

“Don’t listen to that creep. She’s been following me all day.”

“Stop interrupting me!”

She turned to Kenichi. “Screw the fish, do you have a cabinet and a lock?”

Kenichi reached into his pocket. “I do have a lock. And I think there should be a cabinet in my office. Why?”

A few minutes later, Hitode was locked inside the closet.

“Would someone who is stalking you do this?” asked

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m not stalking you. So I’m going to leave you here to prove that. Okay?”

There was a brief silence.

“Yeah, I can agree with that.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, I’m easy.”

Hitomi turned to Kenichi “You okay with this?”

“Honestly, it’s not the first time this has been done.” he said, scratching his head. “Do you still need fish?”

“I think I’m good.” said Hitomi. “It’s been a long morning.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Meow,” said the cat.

Hitomi walked home finally able to relax. That was enough for one day, she said to

herself. It was only 10:00 am but she was back in her bed all comfortable.

She was just about to close her eyes when she heard something rustling in another room.

Hitomi groaned. She had just gotten comfortable:The sheets were heavy and the air conditioner was at just the right temperature. She debated if she should just let herself die and get robbed. At least, she would die all snuggled up.

But, Daniel wouldn’t be happy with that.

“Ughhhh, why did you have to love me like that?”

She ruined her perfect bed nest and grabbed the scissors she kept in her drawer.

“Please, just drop dead so I don’t have to kill you!” she yelled.

She stepped into the other room, brandishing her scissors. It seemed to be coming from her cabinet.

Hitomi stabbed the blade into the closet without hesitation.

“Yeeeeeeeouch!”

She kept stabbing the closet until the blood pooled onto the floor and the body went still.

Only the body didn’t go still.

Hitode opened the closet.
“Will you quit it!” he said, leaking like a faucet from various holes in his body. His eyes narrowed. “You!?”

“You!?” shot back Hitomi.

“I figured you were a weirdo a few minutes after you locked me in there.”

“..after?’

“You were just trying to kill me weren’t you? Well, too bad, I can’t die.” He blew a raspberry at her. “Now, Kenichi! Get in here!”

“Shut up, he’s not here. We’re not even at the fishmonger’s anymore.”

“How did you drag me over here with your little arms then? Don’t tell me Kenichi helped you? His arms could do this.”

“His arms had nothing to do with it, but I do agree.” nodded Hitomi. “You just kind of showed up.”

He looked around. “Huh, yeah. This definitely isn’t the fishmonger’s.”

“Hmmm,” Hitode looked at his hands.

He started looking around the apartment, looking under cushions and furniture.

“There’s got to be something.”

He flipped over the table, throwing all its contents across the room.

“What are you doing!?”

“I’m trying to see if you’ve been cursed,” said Hitode. “This is some crazy witch stuff.”

“Please stop, I don’t know anyone who’d curse me.”

“You don’t? You seem like you would.”

“I don’t have any friends. So I don’t have any enemies.”

“Oh.” said Hitode, flipping the table right side up. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“There’s nothing to lose.”

“Well…if you have no friends or enemies, I know just the guy to ask.”

A few minutes later they’re in the alley outside. The cat had rejoined them, grooming himself while they stood waiting.

“How are you going to call him?” asked Hitomi.

“Like this.” Hitode kneeled down, and whispered softly. “Pspspspsp”

“The cat? The guy you know is the cat?”

Hitode shrugged.

Hitomi sighed and began to pet the cat’s head skeptically. “Do you know what’s wrong with me?’

“A lot of things,” Under her hand now, was a much older man with a bulbous head, wearing a much dirtier coat than Hitode’s and cat ears. “But I guess only one of them affects the both of you.”

“Nura!?” exclaimed Hitomi

“One of the best,” grinned the old man. He winked at Hitode.
“Why’d you wink at me?’

Nurarihyon shook his head.

“Anyways, all I wanted to say was, congratulations!”

“Wait, why?” asked Hitomi.

“You managed to maintain your marriage!”

“But my husband’s–”

She looked up at Hitode and remembered the way her husband died.

“Him!?”

“Me!” said Hitode. “What am I? What’s happening?’

“You two are married!” said Nurarihyon.

“Oh.” Hitode shook his head. “Guess I’m the one who got cursed.”