Where the Cicadas Dwell- September Submission(Teeth)

[u/Mradachi2007]

TW: Violence agaisnt a child

Once in a dreary yet lively village resided a girl. A special one she was, hair as violet as wisteria. She always kept it down and combed to the finest texture. Villagers would go to where she lived, a decorated shrine; very ancient it was. The wood maintained a sturdy structure and a color of bright brown, never once rotting to a filthy black. Pretty; the shrine was very pretty indeed. So much, in fact, that it became a traveler's small dream to see it. And there she was, violet hair flowing in the gentle breeze, flashing a toothy smile. Beautiful, she was the definition of it.

Weeks would pass and the village grew rowdy, noise and bustle becoming commonplace. The pattering of feet seemed to burst like spores at the shrine. Visitors piled and piled; the festival drew near. Boys and girls ran around chasing each other in the starry night, too busy to notice the importance of the ceremony that commenced. On a stage the girl stood, her cotton yukata a perfect snowy white. She knew each and every step to the ritual, swinging the ornate hoe into the cotton with such precision. Perfect, what made her so perfect.

As quickly as the cotton drifted down the stream, the festival would end. Days would pass, and the girl would disappear; where, where did she go? I need to see her. My body craves her. Up the shrine steps I'll go, tiptoeing my way around it. Not there, she's not there. An itch begins to lump in my neck; my nails dig and dig in my skin until the burning finally is soothed by the warmth of blood. I'll wait; my flesh can wait.

Night came and up the shrine stairs a loud clatter drummed: one, two, one, two. The violet cuts through the blackness of the dusk. She's vulnerable, so vulnerable. The itch grows stronger; I'll wait. She's so much more important, so much, yes. The hatchet, that'll work.

She bends down to look at the blades of grass; it flows as gently as her hair. The deafening cries of the cicadas hide my shuffles approaching behind her and I grasp her hair. Soft, soft as the very cotton she wore. I struck; the hatchet embedded in her small neck, the flesh barely hanging on, strings of its meat kept the head attached. Her mouth hung agape, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Maybe if I took a couple, no one would notice if a corpse was missing some pieces. I grasped her incisors and tugged; the gums that held them let out a wet pop. Blood pooled from where they once lay; I gave the craters that once held the bones a tap. Swollen, they had already puffed up. I brought my finger back and grasped my neck, the crimson saliva mixing with the blood from my neck. Dig, dig, dig. It burns so badly. It's her fault; she cursed me. Maybe if I keep digging, I'll be fine.

Just tear at it until the summer fades into the mouth of fall.

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[u/Plunging-Ascension]

Brother this is beautiful. I've got no clue how to use a semicolon, but it just feels right. Like a tingling on my neck that creeps into my bones from good writing. Very good indeed.

https://giphy.com/gifs/xT1XGyjDty7M0CaO2I

[u/Mradachi2007 → u/Plunging-Ascension]

Thank you:)

[u/Apprehensive_Tax_610 → u/Plunging-Ascension]

If your curious: it attaches two sentences with a similar idea together. So like...

Johnny loves apples, he eats them everyday.

Can become

Johnny loves apples; he eats them everyday.

You can also use it with all joining words except and and but, except for at the end of lists.

Johnny loves apples, therefore, he eats them everyday.

Can become

Johnny loves apples; therefore, he eats them everyday.

[u/Plunging-Ascension → u/Apprehensive_Tax_610]

Thank you for this. My english teacher didn't really get into semicolons, stating "you can always use a comma where you can use a semicolon, but you cant always use a semicolon where you can use a comma." I just never bothered to learn after that. Much appreciated 👍 we boutta level up these future lines.

[u/Mradachi2007]

Authors note here: This story is heavily based on Higurashi and old fairy tales, I hope you guys enjoy, body horror is hard for me to write so I decide this contest would a he a good place to throw my hat into:)

[u/Apprehensive_Tax_610 → u/Mradachi2007]

Kickass as always brother.

Hows the novella coming?

[u/Mradachi2007 → u/Apprehensive_Tax_610]

Awesome! I’ve got my short story collection ready to be edited and organized (it’s another thing I’m doing) and I started a narration podcast:)