It was just before closing that I finally left the bar; probably just before two AM if I had to guess. I’d been drinking for the greater part of the evening which left my movement a lurch. My head had already started to pound, and it was likely that I would feel worse by morning. That is if I made it to the station and home before I passed out on the street.
The door to the establishment closed with a curt thud. My eyes went blurry for a moment and once my vision cleared, I saw a woman. Every piece of clothing that adorned her body was a murky black save for a pale blue surgical mask that covered her mouth and nose. It took her no less than a second to notice my stare before she returned it and then some. Her stare was akin to a machine in the middle of a calculation. It was to be expected that she would be nervous. The city can be a dangerous place after all. You never know who might be lurking around in the dark. Someone waiting for their next meal.
I approached her the true unsteadiness of my movements suddenly apparent. “Do you want to walk with me, ma’am?” I asked. “It’s not safe to be out alone this time of night… We could walk to the station.”
She glanced at me again as she appraised me from head to toe. “Yes, I’ll walk with you.” She said. Although her mask still hid her mouth her brightened eyes showed she was smiling. “I’d love to walk with you.”
I hadn’t noticed till then the large bag that swung at her side. I couldn’t take my eyes off its worn exterior as she stepped closer. “That’s a large bag, ma’am…” I said. She had already started toward the station. “Will you be all right? It looks heavy.”
The woman gave little response to my concern and continued walking. “It’s fine, I’m used to it.” She paused and turned toward me. Her eyes were ghostly as they met mine; for a moment, she didn’t seem human. “I can handle it. Are you coming?”
“Ah, of course.”
We entered a dark alleyway, a shortcut, as we proceeded toward our destination. The only light that did emanate was the faint light from the windows of people safe in their rooms; no doubt night owls and students pulling all-nighters. Those are the only people who would ordinarily be awake at that hour. I longed to be home in my bed as I walked alongside the woman. She didn't make a sound aside from the gentle click of her heels on the sidewalk. Something about her presence had started to make me uneasy. Her glances that came in sooner and sooner intervals did nothing to calm my nerves. Her eyes seemed to glow as the light from people’s windows faded. Perhaps the reflection of the moonlight. That was the only logical explanation my inebriated mind could muster forth. Everything else in my head was a tangle of the supernatural and impossibility.
She stopped before we could reach our destination, the station a mere 100 meters away. It was close, but not nearly close enough. “Am I pretty?” The woman asked.
My body shuddered like leaves in the autumn air. Her question had caught me off guard. “I-I’m sorry… What was that?” I stuffed my hands in my pockets to hide their tremors. “What did you say?”
“Am I pretty?” She repeated. I was unable to pull myself away from the pierce of her gaze. “I want you to tell me if I’m pretty. It’s not a hard question.”
A mix of drunkenness and fear slowed my reaction time as I continued to shiver. “Yes, you’re pretty.” What did she want me to say?
She shook her head as though disappointed in me. “Try again. I want you to answer me and be honest this time.” She pulled the mask from her face with two fingers and revealed what had been hidden behind it. I suppressed a gag as I looked at her face for the first time without the mask to protect me. “Am I pretty?” Her mouth was in a smile extended by jagged cuts that drew nearly to her ears. The flesh was a raw red toward the edges with a drip of blood that slipped from either corner of her mouth. “Tell me if I’m pretty. It’s no trouble, right?”
“No… It’s no problem at all.” I swallowed unable to hear my voice over the sound of my heart in my ears. “You’re pretty ma’am.” That’s what she wanted to hear, wasn’t it?
“That’s good.” She nearly vibrated with excitement as she pulled a large pair of old shears from her bag. They were coated with blood both old and new. “I’ll make you just like me. We’ll be beautiful together.”
Comments (0)
See all