𝕂𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕖-𝕆𝕟𝕟𝕒: 𝕛𝕙𝕤𝕜

一

『ᴀɴ ᴜʀʙᴀɴ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅ: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1』

Young children of age weren't allowed to leave school without some sort of group or teacher, this hysteria and chaos that ravished each and every corner of schools spread like wildfire. City to city, children are always accompanied by someone in fear of the Kuchisake-Onna, the slit mouth woman who terrorizes those on the streets. Some say she carries a knife or was it scythe? Butterknife? Such questions turn knees weak and hearts into jelly. Where did this legend originate? Was it the story of a woman who was brutally disfigured by her husband? Was her beauty so powerful it caused other women to reach for the glistening tools that shredded the strings of life? Or was it a horrible accident done in a dentist's office? People fear what they don't know, and the Kuchisake-onna is one of those legends.

A girl of long, black hair lurks around the school grounds, silently peering through different classrooms, exploring the children who smile and scream in joy. It's a shame that her (h/c) had been dyed a dark ink color, her long strands of hair nipping at her skin and whipping around the school's corners. She silently brushes over her covered mouth while her non-dominant hand reaches out to the window that let her see the children.

Was she a school legend? It felt as if it was centuries since she even went to a school, was it really a century though? She must have lost track of time because she married her first husband during the Edo Period. She was around 13 when her family told her, "with divine protection, your husband is already chosen for you. Live as a perfect wife for the man you'll love." She didn't have much of a choice despite her family being high class. It was the family's decision to marry her off, and she had no say. She watched as the smaller children were dismissed from the class, all of them pooling out of the classrooms like water and swimming towards the exit. She toyed with the simplistic ring that rested on her ring finger, the golden accessory shining underneath the hallway lights. Kuchisake-onna sighed as she started to travel down to her respective place: the back alley of the school. She had no choice, it was her destiny and fate to live out the role she was given. It was no different from her old life, following orders from people to feel as if she had a purpose. She was destined to be with her husband, her master, and the murderer, his other two faces like a mask worn to hide his true identity. Her kimono was mere millimeters away from touching the school floors, the white fabric and red accents draping over her (s/c) body.

Rumor has it around the school's Seven Mysteries is that Hanako has a new assistant who is a student at the school. Kuchisake-onna never understood why he wanted an assistant if he was never summoned, but she cannot feel that loneliness when she has been dead for several hundred years, the children being too scared to even walk near alleyways because of her legend. Kuchisake-onna's personal favorite spot to stay dormant was a small, darkened and abandoned corridor near the gardens. Truthfully, she enjoyed the modern-day flowers, it looked more peaceful and innocent compared to the Lycoris Radiata, otherwise known as the red spider lily which was placed all around her old grave.

"Yashiro-san, have you ever heard of the kuchisake-onna?" A purple-haired girl turned to her radish looking friend in pure interest. The young girl stuttered and shivered slightly at the sound of her name, a sharp and swift pang landed on her heart like a drum, but Kuchisake-onna merely winced before staring at them from afar. The floating ghost of the bathroom close beside her, but invisible to a normal person's eyes.

"I've heard about her as a kid a lot, we always had to walk in a group or else she'll cut us up!" Yashiro scratched her cheek nervously as she turned the other way, "I don't know if she's real or not since I'm not a big fan of going through such dark alleyways."

Her friend nodded as they continued their normal conversation, Hanako being at Yashiro's side as they talked. However, from the corner of his eye, he swore he could have seen a white fabric trailing into the darkness of the corridor. He could feel his insides twist and turn but he ignored the subtle feeling.