“The House of Red Silence”
Chapter 1 – The Village in the Mist
In the heart of the Japanese mountains, the village of Shiranui is wrapped in a mystery as old as the mist that surrounds it. Among the silent alleys and moss-covered roofs stands a house abandoned for years. Children don’t play near it. The elders lower their voices when they speak of it. Yet once, a happy family lived there.
Chapter 2 – The Perfect Family
Kenji, a respected man and loving father, works at a bank in Tokyo and returns home every evening, where Aiko greets him with a smile and their children, Haruto and Mina, run into his arms. Their life flows peacefully, filled with the scents of Japanese cuisine, the sound of wind through bamboo, and the song of cicadas. But beneath this perfection, a shadow begins to grow.
Chapter 3 – Tokyo Nights
One evening, a colleague invites Kenji to join him at an exclusive club. It’s an underground gambling den. Kenji refuses at first. But curiosity soon turns into habit. Each week, he bets more. A lucky win gives him false hope. Then comes the downfall. And no one at home suspects a thing.
Chapter 4 – The Debt
By the time Kenji realizes he’s lost the children’s education fund, it’s too late. The threats from creditors grow harsher. He sells the car, lies to his wife, and borrows from loan sharks. Eventually, the bank finds out. He’s fired. A foreclosure notice arrives. All that remains is the cold November rain.
Chapter 5 – The Confession
That evening, Kenji returns home in silence. Aiko welcomes him with dinner ready. But his face is pale, his eyes empty. He confesses everything: the debts, the firing, the coming foreclosure. Aiko, horrified, screams at him through tears. The children wake up, frightened. And then... darkness.
Chapter 6 – The Massacre
Blinded by shame and rage, Kenji grabs a kitchen knife. Aiko’s screams are the first to fall silent. Then Haruto. Then Mina. Blood mixes with the rain pouring through the windows. The tatami absorbs every drop. Finally, Kenji walks to the central corridor and hangs himself with his kimono belt. The paper lanterns flicker.
Chapter 7 – The Empty House
No one dares enter the house. The bodies were found days later, in a scene so horrific it drove some police officers mad. Since then, the house has remained locked and forgotten, as if the village wanted to bury it in time. Yet those who get too close swear they can still hear the children crying in the wind.
Chapter 8 – The New Tenants
Over the years, some families tried to live there, drawn by the low price and the beauty of the garden. But none stayed longer than a week. Something always forced them to leave quickly, abandoning luggage and leaving doors wide open. Each story matched: a woman in white, long hair, invisible eyes.
Chapter 9 – The Presences
Mediums speak of spirits trapped by violent trauma. The mother searches for her children, the children seek comfort. But something binds them to the rage of that night. Every night, footsteps, cries, and laughter echo through the house. And sometimes, the creak of the belt tightening in the hallway.
Chapter 10 – Open the Door
Now, the house is for sale again. A faded sign reads: Price negotiable. Ideal for families. The windows look like wide-open eyes in the dark. Someone from the village watches as you approach. The door is ajar. A lantern flickers to life on its own. Only one question remains: Do you have the courage to go in?