How about Cosmic Horror? Chapter 6

The night she cried after getting into an unwanted university and an unwanted major.

The days she’d spent dragging herself from one interview to the next, submitting countless resumes.

The years she’d toiled away at her company, treated like a dog, but unable to find a better job, so she had no choice but to stay.

All of that was fake?

That they weren’t real experiences, but just illusions created by her mind?

How could something so clear be false? She couldn’t believe it. Yet the man in front of her—her husband—had no reason to lie. Like trying to cover the sky with your hand, the truth would come out eventually. What would he gain by deceiving her with flimsy lies? But these memories were so vivid…

“Honey, hold on a sec.”

Leaving her grappling with her confusion, he disappeared somewhere. Left alone, she grew even more disoriented. Moments later, he returned holding something.

“Here.”

It was a file folder. She opened the leather cover to see what was inside. There was a single document in a format she was familiar with.

A job application form.

She was startled to see her ID photo in one corner and carefully read the document. The brief application detailed her education, certifications, and personal information.

It was exactly as he described. She had graduated from an art school and held design-related certifications. Judging by the date, she applied during her senior year of college.

“This… I submitted this?”

“Yup. I shredded the other applications, but I couldn’t bring myself to destroy the one with your face on it. So I kept it, and it turned out to be useful.”

Her hand holding the file folder trembled slightly. This was undeniable proof. She’d hoped otherwise, but his explanation was indeed true. Her memory was the wrong one. Accepting that fact brought an indescribable terror.

How much of this is real?

Which of my memories are real, and which are fake?

The moment she doubted ‘herself’, it felt like the ground beneath her feet crumbled. Below, a dark, bottomless abyss gaped wide, ready to swallow her whole. Once engulfed, there’d be no escape—ever. Not unless it let her go…

Plummeting, Irae pleaded in terror.

No. Save me. Anyone, please, grab my hand and keep me from falling into this hell!

In that instant, a powerful force effortlessly lifted her. With an absolute strength that defied the laws of gravity, the being that rescued her from the malevolent void pressed its lips to her ear and whispered tenderly.

“It’s alright. I remember you.”

“Ah…”

“If there’s anything you don’t know, just ask me. I know everything about you.”

His gentle reassurance made her choke up. Was this what it felt like to be saved by the Apostle John? Clinging to the man embracing her, she burrowed deeper into his arms. A strangely captivating scent emanated from him. But as time passed, her heightened emotions settled, and reason returned, leaving her increasingly embarrassed.

What do I do now?

It was fine just a moment ago, but now, aware of their position, she didn’t know what to do with her body. Her limbs stiffened instinctively, and her stomach tensed. Hugging a man she barely knew? The hurdle was too high for her.

Fidgeting as she debated how to extricate herself naturally, a low chuckle rumbled from his throat, falling softly over her head.

“Feeling better?”

“Yes.”

So… could you please let go of me now? If you don’t, I won’t be ‘feeling better’ in a different sense…

As if sensing her inner plea, he released her. As she pulled away with a sigh of relief, her eyes caught a glimpse of his open sleeve.

“Huh?”

“What’s up, honey?”

“Weren’t there cufflinks on your sleeve? The round, metallic ones.”

They’d been neatly fastened just moments ago.

“Oh, I took them off when I went to the study to get your application. You even remembered the shape?”

His response was casual, but she couldn’t shake the feeling he was somehow displeased. Tracing the context, she found no reason for him to be upset, so she brushed it off as her imagination.

* * *

“How did… someone like you… end up…”

She vaguely heard someone grumbling in her sleep.

Irae groggily opened her eyes. A black cat was staring down at her from the side table.

“Shan?”

She barely recalled its name and called out, but the cat showed no reaction. Given how it nodded eagerly at her husband’s words yesterday, it should at least recognize its own name, yet it was blatantly ignoring her.

Her life was already in shambles thanks to her broken memory, and now she was getting cold-shouldered by a cat first thing in the morning. Just as she sighed—

“Show some manners.”

Her husband’s voice rang out. 

The cat jumped in surprise and then prostrated itself before her. Not in a cute, loaf-like manner, but sprawled out on the floor with all its limbs extended. It was like a full-body bow.

Stunned by the bizarre sight, she turned to look at where her husband was standing. He was dressed more formally than what was considered casual wear for lounging around the house.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“I have no other plans other than going to the hospital with you.”

She figured that was his preferred style. It was quite admirable, and she nodded in approval. 

He looked perfect from the neck down, as usual.

“What do I look like today?”

Curiosity laced his playful question. She hesitated for a moment before confessing.

“Your head is… a flower garden.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t mean you’re cheerful. I mean literally—a field of flowers.”

Where his neck and head should have been, all sorts of flowers were blooming in abundance. The colorful display of flowers of various shapes and sizes was quite a sight to behold. It would have been even more so if they weren’t growing on top of his shirt collar.

How had they even bloomed there? If she saw these at a flower shop, she’d buy them in a heartbeat. But the fact that they were sprouting from her husband’s neck made her dizzy.

She’d thought she’d grown used to his facelessness. Clearly, she’d been overconfident. Tentacles and planets were so fantastical that her brain had distanced itself from the horror. But flowers? Too familiar. Too real.

How could flowers grow from a person’s body? Was his body the source of nutrients? The more she imagined it, the more grotesque it became.

“Why that expression? Do the flowers look like they’re going to eat you?”

“No. Just… ordinary flowers.”

Maybe that’s what made it scarier. The normalcy.

Turning back to the side table, she saw the cat had disappeared again.

“Shan is quite elusive. I wanted to hold him.”

According to cat owners, cats are liquid. So soft you can’t believe they have bones, stretching endlessly when pulled, and slipping away if you’re not careful. She’d never had the energy to consider owning one, but she was curious about that texture.

“I wouldn’t recommend holding it.”

“Why not?”

“I think you’d be traumatized.”

Why would she be traumatized by holding a cat? Was it heavier than it looked? Puzzled, she looked at him, but he seemed uninterested in explaining. She decided not to ask any further. She was curious, but not curious enough to pester him for an answer.

“Was the bed uncomfortable?”

“No, I fell asleep right away. Did you sleep well?”

The moment she lay down, she was astonished. The mattress molded to her body perfectly—firm yet soft, cradling her from head to toe. It felt like heaven on Earth. Compared to this, all the beds she’d slept on before were basically straw mats. No wonder she was still lounging around, unwilling to leave it.

As she basked in her contentment,

“I felt empty without you next to me.”

He replied, fiddling with one of the flowers where his head should’ve been. 

Her jaw dropped at the bizarre scene. What on earth was he doing? Was he touching his hair in reality? For her mental health, she decided it was better not to look and awkwardly played along.

“Oh, I see.”

They’d slept in separate beds. She’d said she wouldn’t sleep well sharing one, and he respected her wishes. Thankfully, this house had more than one room. Astonishingly, every room had its own bed.

 

“Wouldn’t it get boring if doing it in the same bed every day, don’t you think?”

 

When she asked why there were so many beds for just two people, that was his answer.

Her husband seemed a bit extravagant and… unusually energetic. The problem was, she definitely wasn’t built to keep up. She was an average modern person, fluctuating between normal and below-average stamina depending on the day.

How did I even live before I lost my memories? Did I work out or something to keep up with him?

Testing herself, she clenched and unclenched her fist. Her grip didn’t feel any stronger. Tilting her head, she decided to let the mystery slide. She would find out eventually.

“Um… Did we sleep together every day?”

“We’re married, so of course.”

He answered matter-of-factly, sitting casually at the edge of her bed. Even without eyes, the angle made it clear he was gazing at her.

The flowers were so vivid, it was hard to believe they were a hallucination. If she buried her nose in them, she was sure they’d smell delightful.