In the still darkness of a night like this, it's easy to find monsters for at the edges of light where the shadows dance, that's where the unexplained live.
And in Japan they call these supernatural entities yokai, but sometimes it's not the ones in the dark that you need to worry about.
Sometimes the very worst walk with us in the day, creatures like the Kuchisake-onna the slit faced woman who ambushes children asking one question, do you think I'm pretty?
While the other children cheered at the soft chime of the 3pm school bell, Young Ren was silent. Sure, he wanted to be excited.
He wanted to go home and play his new Super Nintendo, but first he'd have to brave the long, lonely walk home, and that meant he'd have to elude the Kuchisake-onna.
Now usually Ren had his older brother to protect him on the walk home, but not today.
He was homesick and he was all alone and she preyed on the lone children, but he couldn't put off the journey any longer.
The walk home started easily enough, with Ren knowing that an adult was just a shout away for added comfort.
He popped a hard candy into his mouth, savoring the sweetness. Even though every street seemed to be empty. Ren was taking no chances.
He clutched his bag to his chest and peered down every road long and hard before he took it. He also tried to avoid bus shelters. Trees or really anywhere she could be hiding.
