![妖しき語り手 [excerpt]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/958eb3741f3d28f163309ec5960b578f/65be9d0088a03b48-3d/s512x512u_c1/9d95cddb8d216e827cdcabf6ef467fb2d2246f79.png)
Drama CD: [くらやみがたり] ～妖艶異聞～
Vol.1: Youen Ibun
You visit a bar, and the barkeep introduces himself as Rokujou Yuuya. He tells you that only people who have unusual troubles can find this place. You have been seeing visions of mutilated people, and he tells you that you have been possessed by something supernatural. He is an exorcist, and will help lift your curse by recounting the tales of its origin - in exchange for the price of a kiss. ^_~
[Your story]
Your father passed away less than a year ago, and you have never known your mother since birth. Newly orphaned, you ask an acquaintance to help you move to this town. At the train station, you don't know where/how to board, and a handsome young man helps you. His name is Shinichi, and he was also orphaned at a young age, so you naturally grow closer and fall in love.
But another girl, Sakura, is also in love with Shinichi. What's more, Shinichi's older half-brother, Shingo, is in love with you at first sight. Shingo is an alcoholic womaniser. With the promise of a reward, Sakura asks him to seduce you. So one night, he breaks into your house and rapes you at knife-point.
While this is happening, Sakura goes to tell Shinichi that you have been 'tainted' and urges him to break up with you. Upon hearing this, Shinichi rushes to rescue you, but Sakura tries stops him. He pushes her away too hard and she lands on the wall, snapping her neck.
Panicked, Shinichi decides to hide the body in the altar of a shrine surrounded by forest. The altar is fairly new but deserted due to rumours of hauntings. In his crazed state, he begins to dig a grave with his bare hands and doesn't even notice the strange aura of the forest.
Just then Shingo appears out of the forest. Shinichi accuses him of attacking his lover, and he goes into a fit of rage. He blames Shinichi for causing his parents' death, leading to his own self-destruction. With a red-stained knife, he kills Shinichi.
As he is about to bury the bodies, he senses someone watching him from behind and hears a voice in his ear. After gathering the courage to finally turn around, he lets out a bloodcurdling scream... The next day their three bodies are found there, along with many others - the forest is apparently a popular suicide spot.
[Another (related?) story]
Around 20 years ago, during the Meiji Restoration. Haru, much like you, has just moved from the countryside to the town. She meets Souji, and the two fall in love - even though his family has arranged a fiancee for him.
Her name is Yae, and she is an exquisite beauty with a fierce personality. She is very much in love with Souji, but he only loves Haru.
Souji has an older brother named Shinkichi, a deadbeat womaniser who lives off of women. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) He has a jealous streak for other people's belongings, and he is obsessed with Souji's fiancee Yae.
Yae and Shinkichi start to meet regularly. She to complain about her love troubles, and he to find an opportunity to make her his. He begins to joke about making Haru 'disappear'. But ofc Yae has no plans nor courage to actually kill her.
Eventually, Yae lets her guard down around Shinkichi, and he violates her and threatens her into compliance. She becomes pregnant with his child, and dies during labour. With no-one to raise the child, Shinkichi gives him to one of his mistresses, who also has a child by him. She naturally treats Yae's son badly out of jealousy and spite.
The wicked stepmother soon dies of a mysterious fever. Instead of mourning her, Shinkichi goes to the bar to find her replacement. A beautiful woman approaches him and he starts to seduce her... until he realises who/what she is. The next day, his is found dead in the nearby streets.
Meanwhile, Souji and Haru got married quietly and Haru also becomes pregnant. One night coming home from work, he sees a woman (Yae) standing in front of his house. He rushes inside to check on Haru, and is relieved to find her sound asleep. But then she wakes up and says she had a dream about a woman wanting to make her disappear...
On the day when Haru gives birth, Souji is pacing around outside, when he sees Yae approaching again. He couldn't stop her as she opens the door to the house. At that moment, the baby is safely delivered, but Haru dies. The baby's first words, spoken in a disembodied robot voice: '誰にも分かりゃしない' (it's too bad no-one knows).
Souji takes the child and skips town. (He gives Shinichi's two kids away to a foster family.) An altar is later built for Yae in the forest.
*
[Revelations]
The altar is named "Yae's altar"; it's where your lover was murdered. Shinkichi's two children are named Shingo and Shinichi (mothered by the mistress and Yae, respectively). You are the child of Souji and Haru,... and you are also named Yae. You think you are possessed by Yae's spirit, but that's not the case - if it was her, you would know.
The truth is... You are already dead. Shingo killed you during the attack - that is why his knife was already blood-stained when he later killed Shinichi. He actually went to the forest to dump your body. The bloodied visions you've been seeing are other spirits just like you. Most of them are harmless, but some are 'vengeful' like Yae, who causes trouble out of strong desire to protect her son.
With these revelations, Yuuya has successfully exorcised you. As he goes in for the promised kiss, you unfortunately (or fortunately?) start your ascent to Heaven...
*
I think Kurayami Gatari just became my new favourite series. Tsuda Kenjirou has one of those voices that borders between sexy and creepy. The narration is dotted with scene reenactments and horror effects. My heart was racing the whole time. 10/10 storytelling; 11/10 doki-doki factor. (◎*'艸`q*)☆.+゜
