Am I Beautiful?

by Jon Athan

‘Watashi kirei?’ ‘Watashi kirei’ translated to ‘Am I beautiful?’

Parents started warning their children about strangers while the kids told stories of a murderous ghost. Urban legends were born from tragedy.

The bottom half of his lower leg stood upright, still caught in the bear trap’s jaws, while Brian was sprawled across the ground behind it. Towering over him, Miki said, “Looks like you’re not going anywhere.”

She had used her weight to break through his bone. She knew stabbings—murders—weren’t as easy as the movies made them look. She had calculated every detail, studied the human body, and accepted her own strengths and weaknesses. She accepted the fact that she wasn’t as strong as most men or even most teenage boys. She had planned on only targeting young girls, but she took what she could get. Patterns led to capture anyway.

“I told you you’d wish you never met me,” she said. She watched his suffering with wide, unblinking eyes. She had seen death—murder—several times before, and it was always beautiful. It was like reliving her first love again and again and again.

She said, “I’ve felt like I’ve been dead since your husband attacked me. Do you know the word onryō? It’s Japanese. It means ‘vengeful spirit.’ I think that’s what I’ve become. But you want to know something interesting? I don’t think the punches or the cuts hurt me as much as Adam’s lies. You feel it, too, don’t you? It stings, right? He said I was the most beautiful girl in the world, but he didn’t love me. He couldn’t love me. And I guess it was because of you.”

Miki gave Amber’s head a shake and asked, “Who’s more beautiful now?”

“Physical pain is nothing. Your wife understands that and I know you understand it. Look at yourself. Your hands are trembling so bad. Your feet are shaking so much. Can you hear your feet tapping against the floor? Tap, tap, tap, tap. And I’ve barely touched you. Mental torture is the greatest form of torture. The ultimate revenge is… taking everything a person loves… right in front of them… while they’re helpless and hopeless.”

Now, tell me the truth, Adam. Am I beautiful?” Adam stuttered, “You–You’re a–a mon–monster.”