Layers of Fear

[cyberghostface]

Warning for gore.

The story opens in 1996 with a group of archaeologists examining some ancient ruins.



In 2017 the archaeologist's wife and daughters are traveling on the 13th anniversary of his death. One of the sisters, Reimi, was a former child star and was pampered and infantilized by her mother. Narumi, the other, feels neglected in comparison. Her mother says she was too ugly to be a star.

They get into an accident.







Narumi tells her mother that this is a curse because of what her father did at the ruins. She says the curse was passed onto her as well.



Narumi says that they need to find the baby's skull and give it a memorial service to lift the curse but their mother refuses to believe it.



That night the mother hears Reimi's two year-old voice calling out to her from within her.







The mother says the curse must have passed onto her as well and says if she peels off her face back to when she was 38 she will be able to give birth to Reimi again.



Narumi goes to find the baby's skull to lift the curse but she is informed that it went missing after her father's death.

Comments

[crinos]

Jeez, even for a Junji Ito Story this is really fucked up.

[captainbellman]

It almost feels like the bizarro version of "Amigara Fault".

[mesmiranda]

Is it weird that for me, the most creepy image of them all isn't the little girl missing all her 'faces' or the mother ripping her own face off...

...but Narumi just standing there motionless in the doorway, sad and silent with shadowed eyes?

Damn, Junji Ito packs a punch.

[icon_uk]

Nope, not weird at all.

[fungo_squiggly]

I read the title as "Lawyers of Fear."

Now I sort of want to read that story.

[alicemacher]

Yikes.

I'd ask how Ito comes up with such ideas but I'm not sure I want to know. That said, please keep these posts coming!

[doctor_spanky]

nononono