Cutting nails
Author: Ukari
To say here is far, and to call yonder nearby. Stories on the edge of the every day, strange tales you may or may not be moved by. Strange, curious, fantastic stories told by me, you, him and her. There are many stories but they’re all concluded within a single page, each story around 200 to 1200 characters in length, a short story collection you can easily read. Please enjoy them. Updated every Saturday at 6pm.
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I went to stay at my grandfather’s house in the countryside for New Year’s.
The train rattled and shook, and by the time we arrived it was already dark.
A lot of my relatives were already there so we all ate dinner and then I went to wash up and go to bed.
When morning rolled around and I opened my eyes something felt off. My feet were itchy.
I looked down and all my toenails had been cut really short.
“Mum!”
I call out to my mother who was already awake.
“Mum, did you cut my nails while I was sleeping?”
She came and let out a soundless scream.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
She kept repeating it over and over while holding me. Tears rolled continuously down her face.
My aunts and uncles gathered around as well.
Looks like I’m going to die before my mother.
** Translator’s note: This story is a pun on the word “tsumekiri” which means ‘cutting one’s nails.’ A common superstition in Japan states you should never cut your nails at night. One of the reasons is a play on words in the Japanese phrase “Yoru ni tsume wo kitte wa ikenai.” Yo from yoru and tsume can also translate to “shortening one’s age,” thus, dying quickly. The boy’s nails were all cut short during the night, so his age was shortened and he would die sooner than his mother. **