Mayesha Raidah
Urban stories are often exhilarating including many folkloric elements that make it spread fast quickly within a community. The tales are exaggerated by people, each adding their own personal touch to it.
Local elements are added to the legend, sometimes leading to giving true shivers down people’s spine.
Among such legends would be the one in Japan and China of a girl called Kuchisake-Onna also known as the slit mouthed woman. She is also known as the samurai’s wife. One fine day, she decided to cheat on her husband with a dashing looking man. When his husband became aware of this extramarital affair, he felt and decided to avenge her wife. He took his sword and slit her mouth ear to ear.
She is known to be cursed so that she can never die and still drifts around world receiving pity and sympathy for her hideous scar.
Some even state that they have seen a beautiful lady ask them, “Am I pretty?” Once they gave a positive response, she rips off the surgical mask and shows her hideous scar. She then asks the same question and whoever doesn’t answer positively is condemned to instant death.
Who knows, maybe honesty isn’t the best policy after all.