TOMIE PROJECT

Tomie - ANOTHER FACE

  Hello, my name is Grace Lawrence. I live on the second floor of Silvia's Apartment building. You know, that old set of rundown apartments right on the edge of town? Heading from Couples Corner? Yeah, I live in Room 4 there. I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of it. No one goes there.

  Yeah, it's not the best spot in town per se. But the rent is cheap. So I can't complain. Right now, there's only about three other people living their with me. Um, there's the elderly lady on the first floor. She's kinda down there alone. But she normally keeps to herself anyway. I think she's hard of hearing actually.

  Then there's the landlord. But she's hardly ever around. She probably doesn't really count then. But when she does show. She usually stays around for a while. She normally comes to check in every two months. But... I haven't seen her in a while either. She's a much older woman. So she clearly has things to take care of.

  Since I'm going in order here. I guess I matter skip around to me. Like I said, I live in room four. Right next to the landlord lady actually. Anyway, if you haven't guessed it already. I'm a bit of a hikikomori, and Japanese otaku... The walls of my apartment is plastered in posters and merchandise of cute girls (and even cuter guys) from all types of anime. I like to view myself as an avid collector of fine arts. I mean, statues and exclusive art commissions of certain characters is no different from collecting paintings of Da Vinci, and sculptures of Michelangelo, am I right?

  Okay, never mind. Anyway, the last resident is bit of a strange one... And I know, it must not mean much coming from me. But just stay with me here. She lives directly next door to me. I mean like wall to wall. I can just lean against my wall and hear everything she has to say. I can step out onto my back balcony and see the back corners of her room. (Very tidy actually...)

  Okay, but that's only the half of it. Every night, she seems to bring home some guy. And I mean like a different guy every night. Every time she goes out, she brings back another guy like routine. And every night, it's the same thing. Loud, and sometimes muffled, screams. -- N- No, I'm not saying she's a prostitute. I'm saying, I'm saying every time she brings a guy back into her apartment. There always seems to be a sense of danger. I hear her screaming out in pain and horror all the time. Like someone is killing her over there.
  And the guy, he always leaves alone with a look of horror plastered to his face. Everyone of them. Like they're all scared. And when I try to communicate with them. Ask them what's going on. They all rush off before I can even get a word out, or a good look at them as well.

  Yeah, I've tried investigating. But the door is always locked shut by the time I get there. I've even tried reaching her from the balcony. But every time I call out to her, there's never a response. That's the real worrying part. And yes, I have tried contacting the authorities... But that's normally when things start to get weird...

  One time when I was standing out on the balcony, I heard her scream, again. She was saying something like: "Help me, he's going to kill me! Someone stop him! Some one kill him!" And right afterwards the guy came out wearing a red shirt. When I was sure he went in with a pink one. I saw him through my peephole. That's normally how I operate now... The windows are too dangerous. I've actually covered them with boards because of this.
  Anyway, I contacted the police immediately. Told them what was going on. And they responded immediately. They were their in thirty-minutes. I was quick to inform them of what I saw. And they went over to the girls house right afterwards. Knocked on her door and... she answered.

  From what I could see. She seemed perfectly fine. And the two cops that came thought so as well. They questioned her for a bit. And... she denied everything I said... Insulted my lifestyle, and the two cops wrote it off as a prank call... But look, I know what I saw. You have got to believe me!!