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Johatsu

Japanese: Evaporated People

By Matthew DanielsPublished about a year ago 1 min read
Johatsu
Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash

It started in the news. Headlines were always far away.

“More trouble for the downtrodden,” Cheche said with a sigh.

“We’ll have to vote about it,” her husband replied.

Cheeks were pecked. She left with the keys to pick up her son, checking that his extra crutches were in the car.

She nearly missed a stop light when she saw a homeless man turn to mist.

The abortion clinic steamed.

Cheche ran from the car, keys still in the ignition, and choked on the son in her arms.

Her fading hand reached for the nearest teacher. Her scream was fog.

Horror

About the Creator

Matthew Daniels

Merry meet!

I'm here to explore the natures of stories and the people who tell them.

My latest book is Interstitches: Worlds Sewn Together. Check it out: https://www.engenbooks.com/product-page/interstitches-worlds-sewn-together

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Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

Add your insights

Comments (5)

  • Donna Fox (HKB)about a year ago

    I was unfamiliar with the concept of Johatsu before this so I had to google it and reread the story. I like your interpretation if this, it felt eery and tense. Nicely done!

  • Kristen Balyeatabout a year ago

    Oh wow- terrifying. Fantastic job!

  • Dana Crandellabout a year ago

    Like Andrei, I'm a little bit lost in this one. Not necessarily a bad thing, considering the title.

  • Andrei Z.about a year ago

    Oh, I've just recently read an article about johatsu. I think, in general, it's not how it works, or does it? Reread your story several times trying to wrap my head around what you've layered here. I wonder what does the abortion clinic refer to (if it does)?

  • L.C. Schäferabout a year ago

    Horrifying 😱 👏

Matthew DanielsWritten by Matthew Daniels

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