My friend Chieko had been a horror enthusiast. One day, we stumbled upon a website that offered an all-you-can-watch selection of scary videos, and we decided to check it out.

   Upon accessing the page, I nearly fainted at the sight of what seemed like thousands of videos. The first one Chieko clicked on showed a person being devoured by mice. The next video depicted people being sewn together like a rug. Each subsequent video looked more gruesome than the last, featuring individuals being torn apart, killed by a haunted doll, and eaten alive by monsters. However, the strangest part was that each time these videos restarted, the victims’ reactions seemed slightly different, as if they were coming back to life only to die again. “They must have used top-notch CGI,” Chieko remarked. “And look, to subscribe, they only ask you to answer one question.”

   I glanced at the question—What’s Your Greatest Fear?

   “Mine is,” Chieko typed, “to be skinned alive—”

   I left before Chieko could finish. That was the last time I saw her.

  Six months later, I remembered that website. One night, I accessed it again and was immediately recommended a video. It showed a person who looked just like Chieko hanging upside down. Her torturer began making a cut around her ankles, before making a tugging pull that ripped the skin downward, like pulling off cloth. The red flesh beneath became visible, and she screamed, her upper jaw appearing as if it could detach from her head.

   I had no doubt, the person on the screen was Chieko.

   Then, once she finally died, the video restarted. Chieko was alive once more, to be skinned again and again, and again.