Horror Story - The Reason I Hate My Birthday

Anonymous

The Reason I Hate My Birthday

09/05/26(Sat)09:59:16 No.4455****

> be me

> 23 years old

> well, technically 23 as of a few hours ago

> college student

> only son

> living alone while finishing my thesis

> September birthday

> never really cared about birthdays

> usually forget it's my birthday anyway

> mom messages me in the morning

> "Happy birthday"

> dad messages me a little later

> "Happy birthday. Don't stay up too late."

> reply "thanks"

> go back to thesis

> that's literally how I spend my 23rd birthday

> no cake

> no party

> no friends

> just me and my laptop

> 2 AM

> finally decide to sleep

> 3:17 AM

> DING DONG

> tf

> nobody visits at 3 AM

> DING DONG

> check security camera

> there's a woman standing outside

> don't recognize her

> looks about my age

> normal clothes

> wet hair

> just standing there

> don't open the door

> phone vibrates

> unknown number

> "Happy birthday."

> okay, probably a prank

> another message

> "Sorry I'm late."

> then

> "You always forget."

> stop for a second

> because I actually do forget my birthday

> but who the is this

> doorbell rings again

> check camera

> she's looking directly at it now

> she smiles

> not creepy

> almost looks relieved

> phone vibrates

> "Can I come in?"

> don't answer

> another message

> "You said I could."

> think to myself

> I don't know you.

> phone vibrates immediately

> "You did."

> stay in my room until sunrise

> 7 AM

> check outside

> nobody there

> no footprints

> nothing

> think it's over

> open family group chat

> mom asks if I slept okay

> then I notice something

> message from my account

> sent at 3:19 AM

> "I told her I'd let her in this year."

> don't remember sending it

> check phone history

> didn't type it

> didn't open the chat

> then notice an attachment

> photo of my front door

> taken from inside the house

> look at the reflection

> she's standing behind me

> the woman from outside

> except I took the picture

> and I was alone

> at least

> I thought I was

> that's the reason I hate my birthday

> as for my love life

> there isn't one

> never had a girlfriend

> never had a boyfriend

> never even been close enough to someone for it to matter

> people would probably call me an incel

> technically I guess I fit the definition

> but I don't really spend my time blaming women or posting about how society owes me a girlfriend

> honestly

> I just never cared that much

> I'm a massive fucking nerd

> games

> anime

> manga

> random bullshit on the internet

> that's basically my social life

> I've always been more comfortable behind a screen anyway

> my romantic preferences are kind of weird too

> I tend to be attracted to feminine guys more than women

> never really told anyone that

> not because I'm ashamed

> just because I've never had a reason to bring it up

> most nights I just stay in my room

> browse the internet

> watch whatever I'm into

> get lost in my own fantasies

> then realize it's 4 AM and I have class in the morning

> yeah

> that's pretty much my life

> so when people tell me

> "you should get out more"

> "you'll find someone eventually"

> "you just need to put yourself out there"

> I don't really care

> I don't think I'm missing anything

> or at least

> I didn't think I was

> because here's the weird part

> the woman from that night

> she wasn't my type

> not even close

> but when I saw her standing outside my house

> I felt like I knew her

> not "she looks familiar"

> something deeper than that

> like seeing someone you've been waiting for without realizing you were waiting

> and that scares the shit out of me

> because I've spent 23 years of my life not caring about romance

> and somehow

> the first woman who ever made me feel like that

> was standing outside my house at 3 AM

> on my birthday

> telling me I had promised to let her in

> and apparently

> I've been forgetting her every year

> about what she looked like

> this is probably the hardest part to explain

> I'm terrible at remembering women's faces

> always have been

> someone can talk to me for hours and I'll barely remember what they looked like afterward

> but I remember hers

> at least I think I do

> dark brown hair

> pale skin

> tired eyes

> small mouth

> nothing particularly unusual

> if I saw her on the street I probably wouldn't think twice

> but there was something about her face

> something that felt familiar

> at first I thought she looked like a girl I knew when I was a kid

> we were friends for a few years

> then she moved away

> never saw her again

> can't even remember her face properly anymore

> but whenever I try to remember it

> I end up seeing the woman from my front door instead

> that's the weird part

> because she doesn't actually look like my childhood friend

> some features are similar

> the eyes maybe

> the smile

> the way she tilts her head

> then there's my mother

> there are certain expressions she makes that this woman has too

> not enough to say they look alike

> just enough to make my brain connect them

> childhood friend

> mother

> stranger

> somehow my brain keeps putting the three together

> probably just because I'm trying to make sense of something I can't explain

> anyway

> after that night I started looking around the house

> not because I thought there was a ghost or anything

> I just wanted to find something

> anything

> there's an old cellar underneath the house

> mostly storage

> boxes

> old furniture

> things my parents haven't touched in years

> there are also a lot of Buddha statues down there

> my family is Buddhist

> pretty normal stuff for a house like this

> found an old photograph while going through one of the boxes

> it's a picture of an old woman sitting in front of several Buddha statues

> really old photograph

> no date written on it

> the woman is probably in her seventies

> don't recognize her

> never seen her before

> but the moment I looked at the photograph

> I thought of the girl outside my house

> not because they looked identical

> they don't

> different age

> different hair

> different clothes

> different everything

> but something about her face

> especially the eyes

> same feeling

> can't explain it

> I've gone back downstairs several times just to look at that photograph

> every time I see it

> I think about the woman

> not the old woman

> the girl

> the one who stood outside my house

> the one who somehow knew it was my birthday

> the one who said I had promised to let her in

> asked my mother about the photograph

> sent her a picture of it

> asked who the woman was

> she didn't answer for a while

> then she asked me where I found it

> I told her

> she just said

> "Don't worry about that."

> asked again

> she changed the subject

> that's all

> no dramatic explanation

> no "that's your great-grandmother" bullshit

> nothing

> just refused to talk about it

> so now I have this old photograph sitting on my desk

> and I keep looking at it

> trying to figure out why it bothers me

> because the more I look at the old woman's face

> the more familiar it becomes

> not like I remember her

> more like I've seen that expression before

> somewhere

> sometime

> and every time I try to remember where

> I think about the girl at my door

> which makes no fucking sense

> I've never seen either of them before

> at least

> I don't think I have

> okay

> so I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to explain what she is

> yeah

> I can't

> I genuinely don't know

> I tried

> the photograph didn't help

> asked my mom about it

> she wouldn't tell me anything

> checked old family stuff

> nothing

> as far as I know

> the only person in my family who died was my grandma

> diabetes

> she was old

> that's it

> and that woman in the photograph definitely wasn't her

> I know what my grandma looked like

> I've seen plenty of pictures of her

> not the same woman

> all the other elderly people in my family are still alive

> some of them are in their eighties

> good for them

> seriously

> I'm glad they're still around

> so unless my family has been hiding a dead relative from me for 23 years

> which would be fucking impressive

> I have no idea who that woman was

> and that means I have no idea who the girl is either

> but something strange has been happening lately

> mostly when I try to sleep

> at first I thought I was imagining it

> you know that half-asleep shit

> your brain making you feel things that aren't actually happening

> fine

> whatever

> except it keeps happening

> I'll be lying in bed

> lights off

> almost asleep

> and suddenly

> it feels like something grabbed my leg

> not a cramp

> not numbness

> an actual fucking grip

> like fingers around my ankle

> sometimes it feels like something is crawling up my leg

> slowly

> under the blanket

> I'll feel it move

> from my ankle

> to my calf

> then higher

> and the second I open my eyes

> nothing

> absolutely nothing

> blanket hasn't moved

> door is locked

> windows are closed

> nothing under the bed

> not even a fucking mosquito

> and it's rainy season here

> there should be mosquitoes everywhere

> but somehow

> nothing

> I've started checking the room every time

> under the bed

> behind the curtains

> inside the closet

> nothing

> then last night it happened again

> I felt something crawl across my stomach

> slowly

> like whatever it was had no reason to hurry

> I froze

> didn't open my eyes

> just stayed there

> trying to convince myself it wasn't real

> then I felt something near my chest

> and stopped breathing

> because I swear

> for a second

> I could feel someone leaning over me

> close enough that I could feel the weight beside my body

> and I heard breathing

> quiet

> right next to my ear

> I opened my eyes

> nothing

> just my room

> dark

> empty

> silent

> I turned on the light immediately

> still nothing

> and then I noticed my phone

> it was on the floor beside my bed

> screen facing up

> camera open

> I don't remember opening it

> there wasn't a picture on the screen

> just the camera view

> pointed directly at my bed

> and for maybe half a second

> I thought I saw someone standing behind me

> I turned around

> nothing

> looked back at the phone

> nothing

> probably just my own reflection

> probably

> but here's the part I can't explain

> when I finally went back to sleep

> I dreamed about the girl

> she wasn't outside my house this time

> she was sitting at the edge of my bed

> looking down at me

> and she said something

> I couldn't hear it

> but I remember her expression

> she looked annoyed

> almost like I was the one bothering her

> then she smiled

> and said

> "You still don't remember?"

> I woke up before sunrise

> and my ankle fucking hurt

> there were no marks

> nothing visible

> just that same feeling

> like something had been holding it

> so yeah

> that's where I am now

> I don't know what she is

> I don't know who the old woman was

> I don't know why my mother refuses to talk about the photograph

> I don't know why this happens every year around my birthday

> and I don't know why she keeps asking me to remember something

> but apparently

> whatever I'm supposed to remember

> she's getting tired of waiting

> there's one more thing

> I usually listen to ASMR before sleeping

> it's kind of a routine

> earphones in

> lights off

> something playing quietly in the background

> lately I've been restless though

> so I've started exercising before bed

> pushups

> situps

> whatever I can manage

> just trying to tire myself out enough to sleep

> then I put my earphones in

> my favorite ASMR is ear eating

> yeah

> sounds weird

> don't care

> it's relaxing as

> I also listen to heartbeat ASMR

> for some reason

> I really like hearing an actual human heartbeat

> that steady

> thump

> thump

> thump

> something about it makes me feel safe

> last night I did my usual routine

> exercised

> showered

> got into bed

> put my earphones in

> started an ASMR video

> eventually fell asleep

> then I woke up

> no idea what time it was

> room was completely dark

> and I could hear breathing

> slow

> quiet

> right beside me

> then

> thump

> thump

> thump

> a heartbeat

> really fucking close

> at first I thought it was the video

> then I reached up to my ears

> and froze

> there were no earphones

> they were sitting on my desk

> exactly where I left them

> so what the was I hearing?

> thump

> thump

> thump

> it was so close I could feel the vibration against my ear

> like someone's chest was right beside my head

> I didn't move

> didn't even breathe

> because somehow

> the sound was comforting

> and that scared me more than anything

> then the heartbeat stopped

> silence

> something shifted beside me

> the mattress sank

> just slightly

> and I felt a hand touch my cheek

> I almost fucking screamed

> it wasn't warm

> but it wasn't freezing either

> just strangely cool

> cooler than skin should feel

> the fingers slowly wrapped around the side of my face

> then she whispered

> "Don't open your eyes."

> I don't know why

> but I listened

> my eyes stayed shut

> the hand was still there

> holding my face

> then something touched my ear

> at first I thought it was her lips

> then I felt her tongue

> and

> okay

> this is going to sound fucking insane

> but it was way too long

> and strangely wet

> it slowly moved along my ear

> not painful

> just

> wrong

> way too deliberate

> I froze

> my brain kept trying to compare it to the ASMR I usually listen to

> but this wasn't a recording

> this was actually happening

> right next to me

> and I don't even know what a real girl doing that is supposed to feel like

> I've never had a girl eat my ear

> so maybe I'm completely fucking wrong

> maybe that's normal

> I wouldn't know

> but I'm pretty sure human tongues aren't supposed to feel like that

> then I heard her breathing again

> slow

> quiet

> and underneath it

> that heartbeat

> thump

> thump

> thump

> I wanted to open my eyes

> but the hand was still covering part of my face

> and she whispered

> "Don't."

> so I didn't

> eventually the sensation stopped

> the hand disappeared

> the breathing stopped

> and the mattress rose back into place

> I waited

> then opened my eyes

> nothing

> my room was empty

> my earphones were still on the desk

> my phone was on the floor

> and the clock said

> 3:17 AM

> I touched my ear

> there was nothing there

> no marks

> nothing

> but it still felt wet

> and I don't know what the I'm supposed to make of that

> because I never saw her

> not properly

> I don't know if it was the girl

> I don't know if it was someone else

> and I don't even know if what I felt was human

> the worst part is

> I can't stop thinking about that voice

> because it sounded almost familiar

> like someone I've heard before

> someone who knows me

> someone who knows exactly what I like

> even though

> I don't remember ever telling her

> I've always been into folklore

> probably because I spend too much time playing Touhou

> if you don't know it

> it's basically Japanese folklore turned into cute girls

> and sometimes very sexy girls

> youkai

> ghosts

> gods

> urban legends

> all that stuff

> my favorite is Sekibanki

> the rokurokubi

> the head thing

> cool design

> don't judge me

> anyway

> I've read about a lot of Japanese folklore because of that

> and it got me thinking about what happened to me

> which is probably a bad idea

> because once you start comparing real shit to folklore

> you can make anything sound supernatural

> Thailand has plenty of creepy folklore too

> probably the most famous one is krasue

> a woman's head floating around at night

> with her organs hanging underneath

> looking for food

> then there's pret

> the really tall hungry ghost

> depending on the story

> they're cursed because of something they did while alive

> can't satisfy their hunger

> always suffering

> there are tons of variations

> I'm not an expert

> just interested in this stuff

> so obviously my brain started making connections

> the girl appearing at night

> the birthday

> the weird physical sensations

> the heartbeat

> the thing with her tongue

> the fact that I can never properly remember her face

> it sounds like the setup to some obscure fucking folklore story

> but here's the problem

> none of it actually matches

> krasue doesn't fit

> pret doesn't fit

> rokurokubi doesn't fit

> and there are probably a hundred other Thai spirits I don't know about

> so I'm not saying she's some kind of ghost

> I'm not even saying she's supernatural

> maybe I'm just sleep deprived

> maybe my brain is turning sleep paralysis into something more interesting

> maybe the heartbeat was tinnitus

> maybe I dreamed the whole thing

> and the photograph is just some random old woman

> that's probably the reasonable explanation

> I'm writing all this down because I'm trying to find one

> not because I actually believe there's a youkai standing beside my bed every birthday

> that's ridiculous

> besides

> if she actually was some kind of folklore creature

> I feel like I'd know what she was

> I've spent enough time reading about this shit

> ...

> at least

> I thought I had

Anonymous

The Reason I Hate My Birthday

09/07/26(Mon)08:41:08 No.4455****

> someone told me to ask her for a photo

> so I did

> last night

> I was sitting on my bed

> and she was there

> not sure where exactly

> couldn't really see her face

> so I asked

> “Can I take a picture of you?”

> she went quiet for a few seconds

> then laughed

> “You want to remember me that badly?”

> I said yes

> she said

> “Alright.”

> that's all I remember

> I don't remember taking the picture

> I don't remember holding my phone up

> I don't remember her posing

> nothing

> this morning I checked my gallery

> there's one new photo

> timestamp says 3:17 AM

> it's completely normal

> at least at first

> my phone flash was on

> you can see almost everything in the room

> my bed

> the pillows

> the light stand next to it

> the white walls

> even the stuff sitting on my desk

> the flash is actually pretty fucking bright

> and then there's her

> she's wearing black lingerie

> and somehow she looks fucking good in it

> not in some creepy ghost way

> she just looks like a normal woman who happens to look really good

> short black hair

> slightly chubby

> large breasts

> soft figure

> nothing obviously unnatural about her at first glance

> if anything

> she looks more alive than anyone I've seen in that room

> that's what bothers me

> she doesn't look dead

> she doesn't look pale like a corpse

> she doesn't look transparent

> there's no fucking ghost shit

> she looks warm

> healthy

> almost embarrassingly normal

> but the lighting is wrong

> the flash illuminates everything around her

> my bed

> the walls

> the light stand

> everything

> except her

> the light doesn't seem to affect her body at all

> her skin doesn't brighten

> her lingerie barely reflects the flash

> even the shadows around her look wrong

> it's almost like the flash went around her

> or through her

> and somehow she's still perfectly visible

> not dark either

> she has this soft, impossible light around her

> so subtle I didn't notice it at first

> like she's illuminated by something that isn't in the room

> the bedroom looks like a normal phone photograph

> she looks like she was photographed under completely different lighting

> but she's standing right there in the same picture

> and she's smiling at the camera

> not a scary smile

> not even an obviously strange one

> just familiar

> like she knows exactly how I want to remember her

> I stared at that picture for ten minutes

> and I swear

> the more I looked at her

> the more familiar she became

> maybe that's what she meant

> when she said

> “You want to remember me that badly?”

> maybe she wasn't asking

> maybe she was deciding what I would remember

> there's one more thing

> I checked the photo details

> it was taken with my phone

> inside my bedroom

> at 3:17 AM

> from about two meters away

> which means I wasn't holding the phone

> someone else took it

> I'm not deleting it

> not yet

> I've already forgotten too much

> I'm not risking forgetting her again