Fast forward now about two weeks into the future. Work has been the same, and my friends are still the same, Yuka and I have been casually " dating" and meeting at the lounge. People in Japan are still being brutally murdered, even the locals' pets are going missing now. It's a Thursday morning and I have the day off today, so after finishing my morning run I go to the cafe to grab a quick coffee and lunch before I go to the gym for the afternoon. As I sit down at the table with my coffee and muffin Giulia comes by and sits next to me.
" Hey stranger, how have you been?" Giulia says.
" Good, just busy but I got the day off today. " I responded. I could tell she was alluding to the fact that she gave me her number and I never called her. It's not like I wasn't interested in her, it's just that I have a lot going on with Yuka right now that I don't want to mess up, so I just want to keep it casual with her.
" Sure anyway, you should come out with me this weekend to go to the pet store. I told my parents I would surprise them with a new cat since the one they had for ten years just went missing. They have been pretty down about it." Giulia says.
" Sorry that sounds terrible but I would definitely come with you, I'm not sure what I have lined up this weekend but I will definitely try to come," I responded.
" Thanks, that would be great, but you better not bail on me, especially not for another chick." Giulia jokingly states.
" I promise I won't," I respond back to her with a smirk, internally feeling guilty knowing that I have actually been casual with someone for the last two weeks or so. Giulia smiles and walks off back to work, as I then finish my breakfast and head back out to catch my taxi to the gym.
Forty-five minutes into my workout I get a text from Yuka.
" I was thinking instead of meeting at the lounge tonight, how about you come over to my place?." Yukai says in the message.
I couldn't believe she was actually suggesting this to me considering we have only been casually dating; if you could even call it that for two weeks. I felt a bundle of mixed emotions with this, but I didn't know whether or not I had a choice to say no. As much as I liked Yuka, I felt it was too soon and I wasn't sure I was fully ready to be committed to anything yet, especially in a country I was only on a business trip in. I gave in, either way, afraid of being a jerk and letting her down. I responded to the message....
" Sure sounds great, I would love to come to your place for the night". She responded with a smiley face emoji and told me to be there by seven at night. I was struck because I knew going to her home was taking it to the next level, we weren't just going to have dinner and chit chat and watch a movie. Regardless I already signed away for the night and there was no going back. After finishing my workout I head to my hotel room to shower before meeting for lunch with my friends. We met at a local sushi place and that's when I revealed the news to them.
" Are you sure about this man? to be fair you were just unsure about going to the lounge not too long ago, now you're going to this chick's house already?." Johnny questions.
" Relax John, he said she's hot and they made a connection. He's about to get laid for the first time in a while. We should be celebrating right now," says Dann.
" True but I agree with Johnny, regardless of whatever connection you think this is, you just met this chick and there is literally a mass murder walking around Tokyo, not to mention our time here is almost done soon," mentions Pete.
" I'm not really that hot on this idea either, but I do like her, she already knows that I won't be here for long. I'm not looking to marry her or anything." I respond to everyone.
" Well dude; just be smart, don't commit to anything, and if you feel something is off you end it right that instant, but just enjoy it though," responds Johnny.
" Yeah thanks, but I should actually head back to get ready now. I'll catch up with you guys later ." I say; as I then exit the restaurant to go and get dressed for tonight.
It seemed like seven at night was nearing quickly as I left the hotel at around fifteen minutes after six to have my taxi drop me off at the local convenience store about a corner from her home. I stop there just to grab a little something for "protection", gotta play it safe. It was there I saw a woman on the street holding what looked to be a flyer of a young missing male. She was more than likely his mother, she was balling her eyes out, yelling, shouting out the word..." Rokurokubi". I felt bad, but I just kept walking as I was sure she didn't know very much English. After I grabbed my " protection"... I was trying to have Siri translate what rokurokubi meant. I think the cashier who ran the shop noticed as she asked to see what I was trying to translate. I showed her my phone and that's when she revealed to me the definition.
" Supernatural urban legend. Woman with long neck that kills," she said
" Long neck?" I responded with confusion. I wanted to ask more questions, but I realized that time was getting short so I had to leave. I paid for my stuff, told her thank you, and left. When I finally got to Yuka's home after about a five-minute walk it was absolutely gorgeous. It had a little private gate and an emblem on each side of the wall that read .." Toshima". I'm assuming that's her family's last name as she told me she inherited this home from her family. The gate slowly opened and I slipped through to be greeted at the front entrance by Yuka.
" Your home is absolutely beautiful, as well as you," I told her as she looked stunning. She was wearing a traditional white robe, with pink cherry blossoms all over it. Her long black hair blew in the wind as the lanterns shined bright on the ceiling edge of the home.
" Thanks, very handsome yourself indeed. Please come in!." Yuka exclaimed.
I walked in and the house was indeed just as impressive from the outside as the inside. Candles and lanterns lit everywhere, portraits of her family, fine china, beautiful pottery. It gave everything you would express from a traditional, but beautiful Japanese home even down to the shoji doors themselves. She opened the first door to the kitchen and eating area. There she had lots of food and wine laid out. Sushi, squid, pork, katsu, vegetable tempura, and rice.
" I can't believe you took the time to make all this for us, thanks." I appreciatively stated.
" Thanks, glad to have made it. Well let's get started," she suggested. I agreed and we sat down to start eating and drinking. We talked, laughed, and I tried using chopsticks again but I continuously botched it which she found hilarious. Before long though I started to smell something in the air as if something died it made me start to squish my nose. I tried to hide it but she noticed and said....
" Oh my I must've forgotten to take out the raw fish, I will be right back."
Before she exis I ask her about the restroom to which she directs me before leaving to go take care of the " fish". I know what fish smells like and I know that wasn't fish I smelled but I didn't question it at the moment. As I go to use the restroom, I notice how there are portraits of what looks to be ancestors of the family. In each portrait, the women look very strange. Almost inhuman like demons. I also took notice of how she had so many candles, and lamps lit as the home did have regular lights as well, but I just took it as pure romantic motivation. After I finished coming from the restroom I was gonna ask her some questions about her ancestors and their portraits but before I could say anything suddenly another set of shoji doors had opened and so I followed. Yuka suddenly came close and unwrapped her gown to reveal her bare naked body. She then laid down on her bed, and suggestively signaled her hand for me to come over. I walked over and well let's just say after the bedroom activities I didn't wake up until around three in the morning realizing I was still at her home. Yuka, lying next to me, sounds asleep. I got out of bed to quickly grab a glass of water. As I grabbed my water I took the time to walk around a little more. The home had at least five rooms. I noticed one of the rooms looked to have some kind of furniture or something, and I also noticed a distinct smell coming from the room. I paused as I was about to slide open the door. The guilt of invading Yuka's home made me feel wrong, so I turned around. I only got about five steps from the door before I turned back around to open the door. If only I could turn back time. When I opened that door I couldn't believe what I saw. There lying on the floor was one body that looked to be male and the head was completely missing from the body as if someone just completely served it off. The other body I instantly recognized as the body of one of the other missing males from today's news. He still had his head but his completely abdominal insides were gone, he was basically a skeleton at this point. I knew I had to get out of this house at once. I couldn't believe this girl that I fell for, this girl that I just slept with was literally a serial killer. I shut the door quietly and tiptoed back to her bedroom to grab my clothes. That's when it got even worse. I was frightened by the sight of Yuka's body still lying on the ground but her neck was like a giraffe, it was literally " To The Roof". Her neck then proceeded to twist around and look at me. There was her face with razor-sharp teeth, and a tongue that looked like it belonged to a snake. I bolted out of the house at that point. Thank God the gate was still unlocked from my entrance and I ran. I just kept running, I ran for at least twenty minutes no stopping, until I finally caught another train station. That train ride felt like the longest ride of my life to get back to my hotel room. I was still trying to process what I just saw. I don't know how I was supposed to get up for work in a few hours like I didn't just find two bodies, and a monster, who I thought could have been the girl of my dreams. When I finally got to my room I stayed up for the rest of the night trying to process the things I saw. I guess the talk of yokai isn't just some bullshit urban legends, because tonight I just saw two victims of and was literally face to face with a real-life Rokurokubi, the saddest part is knowing the fact that it was only gonna get worse from here...