I woke up the next morning, back in my hotel room; still trying to process the events that took place yesterday. I desperately wanted it to all just be a dream; a dream that was just really vivid, but sadly it was too real to be a dream; or should I say " nightmare". I sat on my bed for at least thirty minutes or so just debating on what I should do. Should I call the cops?. Would they even believe the story of a tourist?. Was I supposed to burst into the department, announcing I slept with a murderous demon?. Should I just say fuck work & go back home to America?. So many questions ran through my head with no answers and I just didn't know how I was supposed to go on living as if nothing happened. Just then my thoughts were interrupted by a text from Giulia. I had forgotten that I was supposed to go and help her look for a new pet for her family Saturday...
" Hey just wondering whether or not you were still down to go with me to the pet shop Saturday" Giulia texted to me.
" Yea totally, I'm off work a little early today for the upcoming weekend anyway, and I have no plans Saturday; so I am definitely down," I replied.
The saddest part was that I really wasn't down. It was nothing against Giulia, but after last night I don't need another female turning into a monster in front of my eyes; or me finding bodies in their closet again. I just agreed though since I already promised her and Giulia didn't do anything wrong, She replies excitedly; as we both agree to meet at three in the afternoon on Saturday. Afterward, I finish doing my routine for my short shift at work.
As I walk into the office and sit at my cubicle; Dan walks up to me with the widest grin on his face; as Pete & Johnny wheel their chairs to my desk to get in on the conversation as well. I could tell they were about to taunt me with relentless questions about the night I spent with Yuka.
" So..how did things go with the babe last night," Dann asks me excitedly. I pondered on how I should exactly respond; as I didn't want to even give a thought to pretending like we had some happy, romantic night together; but on the same token I didn't know how to tell them she was some urban legend, a monster thing with a long neck either.
" It was good, she had a really beautiful Japanese traditional styled home. We had really good food and yea..." I responded, without actually even finishing the sentence because I didn't even know what else to say.
" Oh come on & you two had sex right?. Don't even bullshit us like that," Pete responded to my statement.
" We did, but sex doesn't make a relationship, and it's not like I live in Japan anyway, so it was a good fling but I think that's it," I exclaimed to the three of them.
" Okay something must have happened that you aren't telling us, cuz you spent the night at the lounge with this chick for weeks, and all of a sudden you're over it. Come on man, make it make sense." Johnny responds with a suspicious tone. I started to stutter trying to come up with a response to Johnny, but he was right & I couldn't deny that I was guilty as charged; just then Dann swoops in and saves my ass.
" Johnny, hop-off his case. I mean he's not wrong it wouldn't be ideal for him to get too attached to a chick in Japan when we go back to America in two weeks anyway. "
" I guess that's true, it is what it is, but we should probably get to work now" responds Johnny as they disperse back into their respective cubicles and we start the eight-hour grind.
The whole shift I just kept picturing the bodies of those young Japanese guys absolutely mutilated in my head. I kept thinking about how I watched Yuka's neck get like ten inches longer, her teeth turning as sharp as razors. I kept thinking about how the mother of one of those boys kept screaming & shouting " Rokurokubi"; and how the old lady at the store said it was a woman with a long neck that kills. I didn't even think urban legends were real, but I know what I witnessed was. Towards the end of my shift, I started to feel a slight sense of relief. Maybe Yuka would leave me alone as she wouldn't want me telling anyone about what I saw. Maybe she would be afraid of me going to the cops, and I could just go back home in two weeks & write a story on Wattpad talking about what I saw and live to breathe another day. Maybe I was overthinking everything & should just move on from it. I started to feel relieved, and before I knew it my shift was over.
As I was walking out of the elevator to get out of the front entrance of the building; the receptionist Mary got out of her desk & came to me.
" Hey before you leave I wanted to give this to you; looks like you have a secret admirer," Mary stated, as she handed me a box of chocolates & a letter in a pink envelope the shape of a heart.
" Uh..may I ask who gave this to you? " I questioned Mary, foolishly as I already sadly knew the answer that I didn't want to accept.
"Well she didn't leave her name, but what I will tell you is that she was a really attractive Japanese girl; fairly young," Mary responded to me. I thanked Mary, and I walked away conflicted and afraid. I sat down at a chair in the waiting area and opened the letter.
" I'm sorry, please forgive me. You're the love of my life, XOXO." it read. Just then I realized I wasn't getting out of this situation as easily as I thought I would. Yuka wasn't gonna let me go without a fight, and I was just afraid of how far she might go. Before I knew it my thoughts were interrupted, as my Uber had arrived to take me back to the hotel. I grabbed the letter and went out of the car. The entire ride my anxiety was through the roof. As we passed through the streets, I felt I was gonna pass out because it seemed every Japanese girl I saw looked like Yuka. That's all I could see everywhere was her face, all I could hear in my head was her voice, her name. It felt like the longest ride of my life, and when we got to that hotel I burst out of the car, into the hotel, into my room as fast as I could. I just wanted to go back home now, not another two weeks. I couldn't take the fear of Yuka and what she might do to me or the people I care about. The guilt of not going to the cops, or the families of those murdered Japanese boys; knowing I knew the murder, and she was my personal yandere straight out of an anime. Before I knew it I broke down, I didn't shower that night, didn't eat dinner that night, I just cried all day and all night until I couldn't anymore. I thought I was finally falling in love again, since my damaged relationship with Ayesha but it turns out I ended up worse off. After so many thoughts running through my head, tears rolling down my face, emotions racing through my heart until nine o'clock at night I had finally fallen asleep. I slept with a monster, a murder. She's now obsessed with me, a monster is my Yandere. It just felt like life couldn't get any worse, but surely enough...it did.