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Ghost StoryAuthor: Edogawa Ranpo
| Original Title | 悪霊物語 |
|---|---|
| Author | 江戸川 乱歩 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | A renowned horror novelist embarks on an unsettling quest to uncover the secrets of doll-making, drawn to an enigmatic craftsman known as Bateren Jijii—a reclusive figure shrouded in whispers of forbidden artistry. Guided by cryptic directions, he arrives at a decaying Western-style house cloaked in shadows, where candlelight flickers over anatomical sketches and ancient tomes. The doll maker, a gaunt old man with unnerving vitality, boasts of techniques both macabre and mesmerizing: wax molds cast from living subjects, grotesque sculptures capturing death’s agony, and a chilling reverence for dolls that "breathe true life." Their conversation spirals into a disquieting exchange about beauty and artifice, interrupted only by the arrival of Mogami Reiko—a woman of ethereal perfection, her movements eerily mechanical. As the night deepens and cognac blurs reality, a hidden plea surfaces, hinting at unspeakable horrors beneath the workshop’s artistry. The line between creator and creation blurs, leaving the novelist—and the reader—to wonder what lurks in the darkness where art and dread entwine. |
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