I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema!

The deliberately aged, water-stained and scratched paper's yellowed hue resembles a long-forgotten photograph, exuding a stale air. The figures in the painting, with their simple lines and flat colors, lack light and shadow, and lack gradients, appear particularly stiff and eerie.

Especially the masked man, he was clearly smiling, but people could not feel a trace of warmth, only the coldness from the bone marrow.

The late-night restaurant, which was originally full of conversation and laughter, suddenly became quiet.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the small screen.

The masked man drew back the curtain of the wooden stage, revealing the first picture.

【Anzhiju·Fu Nu】

Chapter 20 Horror

The story begins.

The picture shows a young boy moving into a new apartment.

The narrator used a flat tone to tell the story of the boy who discovered a talisman pasted on his house and that the neighbors in the apartment across the street were looking at him strangely.

"...What a strange neighbor." Tanaka muttered to himself subconsciously. He had forgotten about drinking.

And subconsciously, he realized that the apartment mentioned in the story seemed to be a very common type of apartment in Tokyo. In other words, even Tanaka himself, who came to live in Tokyo from other places, currently rented an apartment of this type.

"Gudong." Tanaka swallowed subconsciously and became curious about the story.

So all the guests at the bar, including him, looked at the TV.

Watched this show.

The plot continues.

The boy looked through the window and saw the woman opposite him with black hair, pale face, dull eyes, and strange behavior.

The atmosphere in the cafeteria became increasingly solemn.

Mingmei hugged her arms unconsciously. She also lived in a single apartment and had no idea what kind of people her neighbors were.

As the story goes, even after the boy called the police and had the woman arrested, he found his house full of talismans.

There are talismans even under the table.

The climax is coming.

The boy finally lost his temper and began to tear the talisman hysterically.

While tearing the talisman, the boy finally realized that there seemed to be something else beside him. However, he did not dare to raise his head. He continued to tear the talisman, and his whole body was filled with despair.

Then, amidst the whispers of despair, darkness fell in an instant.

The show is over!

"what!"

Mingmei let out a suppressed cry, and her body trembled violently, like a gavel, hitting everyone in the late-night restaurant's heart hard.

Dead silence.

It was more completely silent than ever before.

The air seemed to freeze, and the only sound was the low hum of the refrigerator compressor and a few heavy, suppressed breaths.

The drunken look on Tanaka's face had long since vanished, replaced by a pale face. His knuckles were turning pale from the force of the beer bottle, and a fine layer of cold sweat oozed from his forehead.

Mingmei's face was even uglier than Tanaka's. She bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with fear and trepidation. She didn't even dare to turn around and look at the door of the shop, fearing that there would be a talisman stuck outside the small window on the door.

The college student kept wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, and his eyes behind his glasses were flashing with uncontrollable fear.

Even the usually calm Shui Shangxiang felt a chill on his back. He subconsciously touched his arm and felt goose bumps all over his body.

This animation...

There was no blood, no startling screams, and even very little movement.

But those few simple pictures and the eerie narration created a sense of terror that penetrated deep into the bones and from which there was no escape.

Because it is so close to life.

Apartments, neighbors, spells, walls... these are the most common elements in daily life. Precisely because of their commonness, when they are combined with the unknown and the weird, the fear they bring will be infinitely magnified.

"Gudong."

After an unknown amount of time, Tanaka finally swallowed hard and broke the suffocating silence. His voice was dry and hoarse, with a hint of trembling:

"What the hell is this...?"

He no longer had the arrogance and disdain he had before, and was left with only the weakness of someone who had survived a disaster.

"It's... too scary..." Mingmei said in an almost inaudible voice, "I'm... a little afraid to go home now... It seems there's a woman living across from me who rarely goes out..."

Her words made everyone present feel nervous again.

"The horror isn't visual, it's psychological," the university student said, adjusting his glasses. His analysis, scholarly yet unconcealed, was in a tone of terror. "After watching it, you can't help but wonder, 'What if...what if this happened to me?' That sense of immersion is the scariest thing."

That's right!

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Their minds were now filled with the image of a room covered in talismans and the ghostly figures hanging upside down from the ceiling. This scene would probably become their nightmare for tonight, and for the next few nights.

"Boss...what's the name of this animation?" the college student asked in a trembling voice.

Shui Shangxiang's eyes fell on the TV screen. When the final credits flashed by, he clearly saw the three Chinese characters.

"'Dark Zhiju'." He answered softly.

"Dark Chiju"......

These three words, like a brand, were deeply engraved in the hearts of everyone present.

Tanaka silently put down the bottle, no longer in the mood to drink. He stood up, pulled a few bills from his wallet, placed them on the bar, and said in a hoarse voice, "Boss, check."

"I...I'm leaving too." Mingmei also stood up hurriedly, as if she would be swallowed by the darkness if she stayed for another second.

The guests paid and left one after another, hurriedly wanting to return to their homes as soon as possible and lock the doors and windows.

But do they really dare to look under the table or carefully examine their ceilings?

no one knows.

Soon, Mizukami Xiang was the only one left in the late-night restaurant.

He cleaned up the dishes silently, but his mind was uncontrollably replaying the scene over and over again.

He raised his head and glanced at the clock on the wall.

12:25 AM.

"Well, it's really a bit... scary story." Mizukami Xiang leaned against the door frame, lit a cigarette and smoked it lightly.

As the hot air rushed into his lungs, he couldn't help but think of some of the plots in this animated short film.

Subconsciously turned his head to look outside.

Not far away, outside the alley, are residential buildings and relatively low three- or four-story apartments.

Looking at the dark window, his heart began to beat faster.

Subconsciously, I didn't dare to continue observing.

Just looked away.

"Um!?"

Suddenly, Shui Shangxiang saw the corner of his late-night restaurant, his face changed slightly, and even the corners of his eyes twitched. Because right there, he saw a talisman stuck on the corner.

Perhaps due to its age, the talisman had turned a bit yellow. Under the light, in the dim corners, it was now extremely visible.

Shui Shangxiang's hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly.

My mouth feels a bit bitter.

He remembered that this was a talisman he had obtained from a temple over ten years ago, used to suppress evil spirits. He had long forgotten it, but now, seeing it and remembering it, he felt something was wrong inside, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Boss, one serving of tamagoyaki! With two servings of cheese!" Just then, the door curtain was lifted, and a regular customer walked in drunk.

"Oh...hi! Please wait a moment." Shui Shangxiang reacted immediately, and a slightly awkward smile appeared on his scarred face.

He found himself actually frightened.

He shook his head vigorously.

"It's just a cartoon." He couldn't help but complain.

But suddenly he had a premonition in his heart.

Starting from tomorrow, no, maybe starting from tonight, during the countless sleepless nights in Tokyo, the name "Anzhiju" will quietly spread from mouth to mouth like a horrifying urban legend.

This kind of urban-themed horror animation is also in line with the environment of Tokyo, and is combined with some horror ghost stories that I have heard before.

It seems like... it's a bit exciting just thinking about it!

Chapter 21 Damn it!

Tuesday morning, 12:15 AM.

Shinjuku, Shui Shangxiang's late-night restaurant.

The L-shaped bar was packed, and there were even a few young people peeking in at the door, a scene that would never happen on ordinary days.

"Boss, is there still room?"

"Sorry, it's full." Mizukami Xiang answered without raising his head. The shovel in his hand flew across the iron plate, and the aroma of tamagoyaki filled the air.

Today's guest is a bit strange.

Most of them were absent-minded, glancing at the old TV in the corner from time to time, as if there was some priceless treasure hidden in it.

"Mr. Tanaka, you didn't drink today?" Mingmei changed into a simple dress today and her makeup was much lighter. She ate the white radish in the oden in small bites, but her eyes were still fixed on the TV.

Tanaka had a bitter face, a cup of oolong tea in front of him. "Don't mention it. After watching 'The Talisman Girl' yesterday, I went home and turned our house upside down. My wife thought I was crazy and almost called the police. I won't drink any alcohol today. I have to stay sober, otherwise I'll be so scared that my heart will jump out and no one will save me."

His words elicited a wry laugh of deep sympathy.

"Who says it's not true? When I went home yesterday, I had to drag the sister next door with me to give me courage before I dared to go into the house."