観覧車が流行っている。一回五分ぐらいの夜景をみるのに七百円近く取られるのは考えものだが、恋に血迷ったふたりにはそんなことは何の障害にもならないのだろう。
「私たちは女の子ふたりで乗りに行ったんですよね」
ゴールデンウィーくも過ぎ、人混みもなくなっただろうと考えて深雪さんたちは最新スポットだと噂される場所に出かけた。そこにある観覧車は日本でも有数の高さを誇るということですでに長蛇の列ができていた。
「その日はちょうど、半年ほどやっていた催しが終わる日だったせいか、いつもの平日より人が多かったですね。だから観覧車も”本日は相席になります”って看板が出てた」
カップルなら相席というのは敬遠するところであろうが、彼女たちは女ふたり連れ、どちらも彼氏募集中なのでカッコイイ男性と相席のになるのは歓迎だった。しかし、彼女たちの後ろに並んだのは残念なことに暗い顔をした若いサラリーマンだったという。
「二十分ぐらい待つと番が来たんですよ」
係員の誘導で彼女たちが乗り込むと先ほどのサラリーマンも乗り込んできた。車内は三人だけとなり、ドアが閉められると箱が上昇していった。
あまり話しをしたくないタイプだったので、彼女たちは自分たちで盛り上がることに決めた。
「なんてやってると、突然友達が目を丸くしたんです。とうしたのって言っても動かなくなっちゃゃった」
振り返ると反対側のシートに座っているサラリーマンが手首の当たりをゴシゴシ何かでこすっていた。ナイフだった。男は果物ナイフのようなもので手首を削ぐようにして切りつけていた。血が半開きになった鞄のなかにドボドボと流れていた。
「ふたりとも金縛りになっちゃって……友達なんか目から涙をポロポロこぼしたまま」
男はふたりの視線に気づくと顔を上げたが、それを無視して手首をより深く抉っていた。
そして、ひときわ大きな血管を切断したのかブシュッと音が立つとシートの壁に血がはねた。いっそう激しく血が鞄のなかに滴っていく、男は片手でハンカチを出すと汚れた壁を拭き、終わると大きなため息をつき、彼女たちを凝視したままシートに身を預けた。
時がとまったような空間を載せたまま観覧車だけがゴトンゴトンと微かに揺れながら頂上を目指していた。
「突然、彼女たちがいや！って叫ぶと目を伏せたんです」
「突然、彼女たちがいや！って叫ぶと目を伏せたんです」
すると男は手を深雪さんに伸ばし、何かをつぶやいた。
“みてて…みてて…”男はつぶやいた。
“みてて…みてて…”男はつぶやいた。
「“見てて…そしたら何にもしない”って言うんですよ」
“ホレ、もう死ぬから。でもひとりじゃ寂しいから…見てて…そしたら何にもしない”男はそういうと瞬きもせず深雪さんたちをジッと見つめた。
男はたまに苦しそうに呻く以外は捨てられた人形のように彼女たちを見つめたまま動かなかった。やがて血がどまり、苦しげな呼吸も消えていた。
「死んじゃったの？」友達が掠れ声で言った。
男の目には何も映っていないようだった。
「死んじゃったの？」友達が掠れ声で言った。
男の目には何も映っていないようだった。
箱が到着した。
ふたりは悲鳴をあげながら飛び出した。
後はどうなったか知らないという。
The Ferris wheel is a fad. For five minutes of a night view, it is probably around 700 yen. But that isn’t likely to stand in the way of two people who are madly in love.
Since Golden Week had been and gone, Miyuki and her friend decided to check out the latest ‘place to be’; as they figured it wouldn’t be too crowded.
“I went with my friend to ride the wheel.”
The Ferris wheel boasts the tallest in all of Japan
“There were more people there than there usually would be on a week day, probably because about half the year’s events had finished on that day. So there was a sign asking people to ride the Ferris wheel with people they may not know.”
For couples, this kind of arrangement is probably something to avoid, but for the two girls who had come together as friends and were on the hunt for boyfriends anyway, the opportunity to share a compartment with cute boys was welcomed. However, the person in the queue behind the two girls was, unfortunately, a young business man with a glum face.
For couples, this kind of arrangement is probably something to avoid, but for the two girls who had come together as friends and were on the hunt for boyfriends anyway, the opportunity to share a compartment with cute boys was welcomed. However, the person in the queue behind the two girls was, unfortunately, a young business man with a glum face.
“After a twenty minute wait, it was our turn.”
Under the instructions of the person monitoring the wheel, the two girls climbed aboard, along with the aforementioned business man. With only three people aboard, the door closed and the compartment began to rise up into the air.
Not being the talkative type, the two girls decided to keep their excitement to themselves.
Under the instructions of the person monitoring the wheel, the two girls climbed aboard, along with the aforementioned business man. With only three people aboard, the door closed and the compartment began to rise up into the air.
Not being the talkative type, the two girls decided to keep their excitement to themselves.
“Suddenly, for some reason, my friend’s eyes widened. Even when I asked her what was wrong, she did not move.”
Turning her head, she saw that the business man in the seat opposite was rubbing at his wrist with something. The man was slashing at his wrist, as though trying to chop it off. His blood dripped down into his half-open bag.
Turning her head, she saw that the business man in the seat opposite was rubbing at his wrist with something. The man was slashing at his wrist, as though trying to chop it off. His blood dripped down into his half-open bag.
“We were both paralysed… Tears poured from my friend’s eyes.”
When the man noticed the two girls staring, he lifted his head up, but ignored them and gauged deeper at his wrist.
Then, he severed a particularly large vein, and blood gushed from it, splattering onto the wall beside his seat. More and more blood dripped into the man’s bag. The man took a handkerchief and, with one hand, cleaned his blood from the wall. When he’d done, he let out a sigh, and slumped back down in the seat, still staring at the two girls.
When the man noticed the two girls staring, he lifted his head up, but ignored them and gauged deeper at his wrist.
Then, he severed a particularly large vein, and blood gushed from it, splattering onto the wall beside his seat. More and more blood dripped into the man’s bag. The man took a handkerchief and, with one hand, cleaned his blood from the wall. When he’d done, he let out a sigh, and slumped back down in the seat, still staring at the two girls.
Time almost stood still. Only the wheel, still suspended in mid air, seemed to shake subtly, as the compartment reached the top.
“Suddenly we girls began to scream, unable to look anymore.”
At that point, the man stretched his hand out to Miyuki, muttering something.
‘Look…look…” he muttered.
“He said ‘Look... That’s all you have to do’.”
‘I’m going to die soon. But I don’t want to die alone… so look… that’s all you have to do…’ the man said, staring unblinkingly at Miyuki and her friend.
Occasionally, the man would let out an agonised groan. The people down below, appearing like discarded dolls, watched the two girls- no one making any movement
Eventually, the blood stopped flowing, and the sound of the man’s breathing began to fade.
“Is he dead?” the friend asked, her voice hoarse.
It appeared as though there was nothing in the man’s eyes.
It appeared as though there was nothing in the man’s eyes.
The compartment stopped at the bottom.
The two girls jumped out, screaming.
It is not known what happened after that.
From: 東京伝説呪われた街の怖い話
著者：平山夢明
著者：平山夢明
発行：ハルキ・ホラー文庫
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