The Position of the Teacup

It seems July 13th is Occult Memorial Day. Apparently, it was on this day in 1974 that The Exorcist was first released in Japan. Since it's a special occasion, I asked God for the scariest story he knew.

It has become my daily routine to check 'What day is it today?' on my smartphone. July 13th was Occult Memorial Day. It seems it's named after the day the movie The Exorcist was first released in Japan in 1974.

Back then, Japan was buzzing with things like Nostradamus's great prophecies and spoon-bending, and when that movie arrived, it apparently ignited an occult boom all at once.

I like the occult and horror, and I've watched everything from The Exorcist to The Omen and Friday the 13th. I've seen the head spinning around, the green vomit, and the spider-walk down the stairs. Having seen all that, I still love the genre.

So, since it was a special anniversary, I begged God. Tell me the scariest story, I said; I want to be scared in a big way tonight.

God brought his sake cup to his lips and remained silent for a while. Then he said,

'Flashy things are more surprising than they are scary.'

When I asked what was scary then, this is what he replied.

'The same teacup is in a slightly different position in the morning than it was at night. That story alone lasts the longest.'

Is that it? I asked back. That's it, God said. You are the only one who knows that no one moved it.

The ice in my glass clinked. I tried to laugh, but my cheeks froze halfway. The city lights outside the window seemed to look further away than usual. I think it's just my imagination. Probably.

As someone who has watched horror movies, I feel a bit frustrated. I've already studied fifty years' worth of demons and Jasons. And yet, I'm being silenced by a story about a single teacup.

But I realized something. The nights after I watched The Exorcist are shorter than the nights when I'm at home and think, 'Wait, did I put it here?' Once I'm in bed, those nights feel endless. I can't tell anyone about that. Because even if I did, it would just end with, 'It's just your imagination.' I think that's what God meant by 'only you know'.

W-wait, don't scare me, I said, demanding something flashier, and God smiled faintly and said,

'You have looked at the corner of the room three times now.'

He had been counting.

I was gripping my glass tighter than usual. The ice had already become quite small. I think I'll go to sleep tonight without checking the position of the teacup.

*The manga was drawn using the Shin-Usami Style No. 6.

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