1 Late that night, a chilling video popped up in the community chat, freezing the blood in my veins. It showed a wild monkey, its face eerily human-like, tearing into a stray cat right below our building. The cat’s screams, raw and piercing, scraped down my spine. The cat lovers in the group instantly erupted, grabbing brooms and whatever else they could find, ready to storm downstairs and beat the creature to death. Then, a message from Old Man Miller, our neighbor in 502, flashed across the screen: “Don’t you dare go down there! That’s a Man-Faced Ape, and it loves brains!” “Someone from back home was killed by one of those things!” he added, a second message following swiftly. “Legend has it, they’re strong as an ox, can shatter a human skull with a single swipe, then scoop out the brains and devour them. After that, it’ll crawl inside the corpse and puppet the dead like a doll!” Having just seen the ape’s brutal, bloody feast, then reading Old Man Miller’s chilling words, a shiver raced down my spine. But… that sounded a bit too wild, even for me. And I wasn’t the only skeptic in the chat. Seeing the collective doubt, Old Man Miller launched into a vivid, dramatic tale of the Man-Faced Ape killings back in his hometown. I was hanging on his every word when the doorbell suddenly shrilled, jolting me out of my skin. “Delivery, signature required!” a muffled voice called from outside. It was Black Friday sales week, and our regular delivery driver often worked late into the night. I pushed myself off the couch, heading for the door. The moment my fingers brushed the cold metal of the doorknob, my eyelid twitched violently. I pulled out my shopping app to check – my own packages were still stuck at the distribution center, not due until tomorrow. Alex’s, maybe? But he hardly ever ordered anything online. I pressed my eye to the peephole. Sure enough, a delivery driver stood there. His face was mostly hidden beneath the brim of a baseball cap, a large box cradled in his arms. “Hello? Can you open up for a signature?” This time, he didn't ring the bell, just rapped his knuckles directly on the door, almost as if he knew I was standing right behind it. Maybe it was Old Man Miller’s wild tales getting to me, but something about him felt… off. Unsettling. “Just leave it at the door,” I called back, my voice muffled through the wood. The driver paused, then turned and walked across the hall to Brenda’s apartment, 703, ringing her bell. “Hello? Delivery, signature required!” My heart slammed against my ribs. He’d only had one package in his arms, and when I wouldn’t open, he’d just… gone to Brenda’s? “Coming!” Brenda’s voice sang out from 703. Frantically, I dialed Brenda’s number, but before it could even connect, I heard the click of her lock. Peering through the peephole again, I watched as Brenda took the box from the driver. He turned, walked away, and she closed her door. What the hell? Was it really her package? Had I just been paranoid? Just then, Brenda answered. “Lily? What’s up?” I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a word, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the phone. “Brenda?! What happened?” I gasped, but the line went dead. I tried calling again, but it just rang and rang. A knot of dread tightening in my stomach, I quickly texted her, then immediately called Mike, our property manager. The moment Mike picked up, Brenda’s reply popped up on my screen: “Nothing, just killed a huge spider.” A spider. Right. False alarm. I hung up with Mike, collapsing back onto the couch, trying to lose myself in Old Man Miller’s ongoing ape tale. “And after it eats the brain,” Old Man Miller typed, “the Man-Faced Ape can steal the victim’s memories, even perfectly mimic their voice…” The story grew wilder with each passing moment, and the neighbors in the chat were locked in a furious debate. Mr. Rodriguez from 402: “I’ve heard this story a hundred times. Last time it was a bear, now it’s an ape. Pure fiction!” Ms. Davis from 201: “What if just one of those wild stories turns out to be true?” Mr. Kim from 503: “And the garage has been missing gas lately. Maybe this ape is just a diversion for a thief?” Mike, the property manager, finally chimed in, assuring everyone the police had been called and specialists were on their way. He urged us all to lock our doors and windows, especially since the video clearly showed the creature scrambling into our building. I went around double-checking every lock, calling Alex, who was still out. He just laughed, completely unconcerned. “An ape, Lily? If I can’t handle an ape, how am I supposed to protect you?” “Just pulling into the complex now. Talk to you in a bit.” The moment I hung up, a soft knock echoed from the door. “Lily, are you asleep yet? I brought you some durian cake.” It was Brenda’s voice. I walked to the door, peering through the peephole— Brenda stood there, holding a slice of durian cake. Her eyes were fixed, unnervingly, on the peephole, as if she could see right through the wood and into my apartment. Brenda and I were close. She was a single mom, and her daughter, Daisy, often came over for help with her homework – a sweet, well-behaved kid. Brenda frequently brought me homemade treats as a thank you, but never this late. Durian cake was my absolute favorite, but suddenly Old Man Miller’s words echoed in my mind: the Man-Faced Ape crawls inside the corpse. My gaze snapped to the top of Brenda’s head. She had her hair pulled back in a neat bun, making it impossible to see if her skull was intact. Wait… no. I distinctly remembered her hair being down, flowing around her shoulders, when she opened the door for the delivery driver earlier. Who puts their hair in a bun right before bed? Aside from that, Brenda looked perfectly normal. The idea that she was dead, a puppet for some ape, felt utterly outlandish. Ludicrous. “Thanks, Brenda, but I’m trying to cut back on late-night snacks,” I replied, forcing a polite tone. “Daisy can have it.” Brenda slowly turned her head, looking back into her own apartment. What was she looking at? I frowned, puzzled. “Alright then,” she said, a faint smile gracing her lips as she turned and carried the cake back inside her apartment. A cold jolt shot through me. Brenda had acted as if she had no idea Daisy was even in her own home! Just then, Alex’s key scraped in the lock. He’d arrived. He exchanged a quick “Evening, Brenda” with her as she was about to step inside, then came in. I quickly shut my door and checked the peephole again. Brenda had gone inside. I was about to tell Alex about Brenda’s strange behavior when he spoke first. “Lily,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Someone dumped an entire box of brand new tissues on the lawn downstairs. Weird, right?” My brow furrowed. New tissues? Suddenly, a memory flashed, sharp and clear. The large box the delivery driver had been carrying earlier – it had the exact same brand logo for tissues on it! Had the driver dumped the tissues? Had he emptied the box… to carry something else inside? Like… The answer that sprang to mind made the hair on my arms stand on end. Could that box have been carrying… the Man-Faced Ape? I quickly recounted everything that had just happened. Then I asked him, “Alex, when you saw Brenda just now, did you smell anything? Like… blood?” He shook his head. “No, but her perfume was incredibly strong. It almost choked me just standing in the doorway!” Perfume… to cover the scent of blood? My heart lurched. “Oh no. Daisy’s in danger!” “‘Brenda’ didn’t know Daisy was home. Daisy must have hidden before she was discovered!” “And my casual words had just exposed Daisy’s presence!” A wave of sickening regret washed over me. Alex and I moved as fast as we could, gathering three male neighbors at Brenda’s door. Big Dave from 601, Gabe the tech guy from 602, and Stretch from 603. They’d all brought weapons: a folding chair, a golf club, a frying pan. At the mention of hunting a Man-Faced Ape, they’d all been eager, practically chomping at the bit. But when they heard Brenda might be dead, their faces went grim, solemn. Alex returned with a sledgehammer from our apartment. If ‘Brenda’ wouldn’t open up, we’d smash the lock. I gave the others a quick glance, a silent signal to be ready, then knocked on Brenda’s door. “Brenda, is that cake still around? Alex says he’s suddenly craving some!” “Brenda?” After a long, agonizing pause, Brenda’s voice finally came from inside. “There’s only one slice of cake. You all wouldn’t be able to share it.” A chill spread through my chest. Brenda’s door didn’t have a peephole. How did she know there was more than one of us out here? My mind raced. “Brenda, actually, Alex and his buddies are playing poker,” I blurted out, “and they all hate durian! So they’re betting on who has to eat it if they lose!” Brenda’s voice turned cold. “Daisy already ate the cake. Daisy, tell Lily there’s no more durian cake.” And sure enough, Daisy’s small voice piped up from inside: “Lily, the durian cake is all gone.” “Daisy, you’re still awake this late?” I quickly engaged, trying to buy time. “Remember to brush your teeth after that cake, okay? Oh, and hey, didn’t you ask me about that tough math problem earlier tonight? I figured it out! Come over and I’ll explain it to you!” Daisy’s voice came again: “Tomorrow, Lily. I’m sleepy!” I met Alex’s gaze, my voice firm, decisive: “It’s not opening the door. Smash the lock!” Without a second thought, Alex swung the sledgehammer, bringing it down hard on the door’s deadbolt. I quickly explained to the others: “I made up that math problem.” Therefore, it wasn’t Daisy speaking. It was the Man-Faced Ape, mimicking her voice! The ape hadn’t seen through my lie, which meant it didn't have Daisy’s memories. Which meant… Daisy was still alive! I yelled into the apartment, “Daisy, stay hidden! Don’t come out! We’re coming to get you!” The other three neighbors joined in, a flurry of smashing and kicking, a terrifying symphony of destruction. In less than a minute, the lock splintered, the door burst inward. We stormed inside! But Brenda was gone. The ape was gone. The glass pane on the entryway window was shattered, a gaping hole suggesting the Man-Faced Ape had just made its escape through there. The floor in the entryway was slick with a significant pool of blood, thick strands of hair matted within it – Brenda’s hair, unmistakably. From the balcony, Daisy’s voice cried out, “Help! I’m here!” My eyes darted to the balcony, where a pair of small hands clung desperately to the railing, their grip visibly weakening. “Daisy!” Alex lunged forward, charging towards her. He was just a step from the balcony door when I screamed, my voice tearing through the air: “Alex! Don’t!” “That’s not Daisy!” Alex spun around. I pointed at the balcony’s sliding glass door, which was open just wide enough for one person to squeeze through. “It’s a trap! Get back!” The words were barely out of my mouth when a dark blur dropped from the balcony ceiling, lunging straight for the back of Alex’s head! “Look out!” Big Dave bellowed, flinging his folding chair like a projectile. It spun through the air, aimed right for Alex’s face. Alex reacted instantly, ducking, the chair whistling past his head. It struck the Man-Faced Ape squarely, knocking it hard to the ground. Gabe and Stretch charged, golf club and frying pan at the ready. But the Man-Faced Ape was already rolling, a blur of motion, slipping under the railing, and leaping into the darkness beyond. By the time they reached the balcony edge, it was gone. Clinging to the railing, where Daisy had been, was nothing but a worn rabbit doll, its tiny paws covered in rubber gloves. “Daisy!” I rushed back into the apartment, frantically searching. Finally, I found the terrified little girl, trembling in the bedroom closet. Alex, meanwhile, had found Brenda’s body, hidden beneath the sofa. A horrifying, bowl-sized crater gaped at the crown of her head. She was still, cold, no breath, no pulse. The moment Daisy saw her mother, she shattered. She collapsed onto Brenda’s lifeless form, her wails tearing through the silence, raw and guttural. Big Dave, unable to bear the horrific scene, grabbed his folding chair, his face contorted with rage, ready to hunt down the Man-Faced Ape for revenge. Alex and Stretch quickly restrained him, insisting he couldn’t go alone. Gabe had already called the police, relaying the horrific events to the community chat. The chat exploded. Panic, absolute pandemonium. Old Man Miller’s Man-Faced Ape legend… it was all true! Killing, soul-stealing, voice mimicry – every terrifying detail, spot on! Fear, cold and suffocating, instantly seized every heart in the complex. The entire community felt warped, sinister. Only one neighbor remained chillingly calm, typing: “Are you sure you guys didn’t just team up to kill Brenda and make up this story?” Big Dave saw that, and his rage flared anew. He launched into a furious voice message, a torrent of righteous anger, and the keyboard warrior instantly went silent. Amidst my grief and simmering fury, another question gnawed at me: Who was that delivery driver? From the glimpse I’d caught of his profile, he wasn’t anyone I recognized. Why would he want to harm Brenda and me? We had no quarrel with this Man-Faced Ape. As a wild animal, it had no reason to target us specifically. So, it had to have been controlled by someone. Only humans truly sought to harm other humans. Soon, police cruisers and wildlife management vehicles swarmed the complex. Officers, K9 units, and specialists with capture gear fanned out, launching a full-scale hunt for the Man-Faced Ape. But before they even located the ape, the K9s sniffed out another body. A morbidly curious neighbor at the scene posted a photo of the corpse in the chat. I clicked it open, and my breath hitched. It was the delivery driver. The report said the driver’s death mirrored Brenda’s: a massive hole in the skull, brains scooped clean. But unlike Brenda, the driver’s limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, and human tissue was scattered around the body, consistent with a high-fall impact. This revelation threw me into a fresh spiral of confusion. I’d been so certain the Man-Faced Ape was the driver’s pet, his weapon, that he’d ordered it to kill. But now… the driver was dead too, clearly a victim of the ape itself. Why would the Man-Faced Ape kill its supposed master? When I gave my statement, I dumped all my questions on the officers. The detective, a stoic woman with tired eyes, listened patiently. “Someone reported a scream from downstairs shortly after you entered 703,” she explained. “The delivery driver likely died then.” “His identity was verified. He was indeed here to deliver packages. The shipping label on the box was addressed to Brenda, and the apartment number matched.” “For now, we have no reason to suspect the driver was involved in any wrongdoing.” “As for everything else, we’ll get to the bottom of it, swiftly.” The police showed me his ID. I’d never seen him before, truly didn’t know him. My heart sank even lower. If it wasn’t the driver, then the mastermind was still out there. Someone else. But who? I prided myself on never making enemies, never crossing anyone. I racked my brain, sifting through everyone I knew, but no one fit the chilling profile of a suspect. As I finished my statement, a commotion erupted downstairs. Someone in the chat reported: the K9 unit had found the Man-Faced Ape! Under police pursuit, it had scaled the fence and fled the complex. Police and wildlife management personnel rushed after it. Officers took Brenda’s and the driver’s bodies away. Daisy, thankfully, was taken into protective custody. Alex and I walked back into our apartment, the silence between us heavy, devoid of comfort. We were both heartbroken over Brenda’s death. But I, more than Alex, knew grief wouldn't solve anything. I bit my lip, then pulled up the community chat, found Old Man Miller’s profile picture, and sent him a friend request. I needed to know more about these Man-Faced Apes. Old Man Miller accepted immediately. His very first message made my breath catch in my throat. “Hello there, Man-Faced Ape.” What? My mind reeled. I typed a rapid string of question marks. Old Man Miller chuckled in his reply: “Forgive my bluntness. Over the internet, I can’t tell if you’re human or ape. Just a little test, you understand!” I didn’t have time for jokes. I cut straight to it: “Your story in the chat… it sounded unfinished. What happened to the Man-Faced Ape back in your hometown? The one that killed all those villagers?” Old Man Miller replied: “It vanished.” I frowned. “Vanished? Did it just… run away?” Old Man Miller typed: “I never truly had an answer. Not until a decade after it happened, when I visited the Appalachians and met an old folklorist. His explanation… that’s the only way I could begin to make sense of what happened back then.” “He told me the Man-Faced Ape was a monkey under a curse.” My heart hammered against my ribs. A curse? “Just like humans experience the uncanny valley when they see something almost human, animals also react with revulsion to their own kind that looks… off. Especially when that ‘off’ means a human face.” “To animals, humans are the biggest threat to their survival. So when they see one of their own with a human face, it fills them with a terror akin to seeing a ghost.” “And that, the folklorist said, is precisely the point. The appearance of a human face on an animal is an ancient deity’s curse on humanity.” “From the moment humans first held up fire and stepped out of their caves, this Old God foresaw a future where gods would be forgotten. So, He wove an eternal spell into all living things, ensuring that, at random, any creature born could develop a human face, triggering humanity’s uncanny valley, a stark warning of the Creator’s continued existence.” “And the creatures chosen by this curse? They have a chance to hear His call, to learn the true path to becoming human.” “That path… is slaughter. The slaughter of humans.” “They kill humans, devour the brain – humanity’s most prized possession – then seize the human body, spreading the curse of the uncanny valley further.” “It’s like an organ transplant; the Man-Faced Ape needs to find a compatible human host to truly merge, to truly become human. If the match fails, the controlled corpse can only last a day at most.” “But if the transplant succeeds, it fully inherits the host’s memories, forgetting its own past as an ape, and lives on as a human among us.” “So, every cursed Man-Faced Ape has three possible fates:” “Either it becomes human, living among us right now; or it fails to find a suitable host and only briefly lives as a human for a day; or it returns to its pack, tormented and bullied to death by its own kind.” I didn’t feel fear after hearing Old Man Miller’s tale. Just… disgust. What kind of petty, insecure Old God was this? Just because humanity got smarter, He threw a tantrum and decided to be a cosmic jerk? And besides, letting non-humans become human – wasn’t that betraying the very concept of creation itself? Like calls to like. A monkey turning human halfway through? What was the point of that? If I ever learned that Old God’s name, I swear I’d go to the old chapel on the hill and lodge a formal complaint with whatever higher power was listening. But now, finally, I understood why that Man-Faced Ape had come for me. Because ever since I was a kid, I’d been immune to the “uncanny valley.” I first learned the term in middle school. Kids would pass around videos designed to creep people out, to trigger that uneasy feeling, but when I watched them, I felt… nothing. And it wasn’t just that. Most people had instinctive likes or dislikes for different animals – adorable puppies and kittens, disgusting spiders, terrifying snakes. I never did. I couldn’t fathom what made a puppy “cute” or a spider “gross.” Most people had that primal unease; I didn’t. To an Old God trying to use the uncanny valley to instill fear in humanity’s heart, I must have been an abomination. An ultimate defiance. Was I really doomed to be hunted by human-faced animals for the rest of my life because of this? That seemed like a truly miserable fate. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was Mike, the property manager, tagging everyone in the main community chat: [Forwarding latest police update: The Man-Faced Ape that entered our complex was apprehended ten minutes ago with a tranquilizer gun. It will be humanely euthanized.] A flood of likes and celebratory emojis followed. Mr. Evans from 403: “Justice served!” Mrs. Jenkins from 604: “Finally, a good night’s sleep. Rest in peace, Brenda.” I wanted to tell Alex the news, but he was still in the bathroom. I walked to the door, my hand raised to knock. Just then, he pulled it open. When I told him, a flicker of something dark, a shadow, crossed his eyes. “That’s good,” he said, his voice flat. He rubbed his hair with a towel, walking into the bedroom. My heart ached watching him. Alex was deeply empathetic; he’d tear up just reading about sick kids in the news. Daisy had lost her mom, and Brenda had been a regular presence in our lives. He must be devastated. I figured I’d hurry and shower, then go talk to him, try to offer some comfort. I stepped into the bathroom, which was thick with steam, like a sauna. I flicked the switch for the exhaust fan, but nothing happened. I looked up. The spot where the fan should have been was empty, just a gaping ventilation shaft. I went back to the bedroom. “Alex,” I asked, “what happened to the bathroom exhaust fan?” He frowned, running a hand through his damp hair. “Really? I’ll call maintenance tomorrow.” So Alex didn’t know either. Had it been ripped out by that massive storm last week? I murmured to myself, heading back into the bathroom. I turned on the shower, letting the warm water cascade over my head, washing away some of the tension, my thoughts finally beginning to untangle. Suddenly, a chilling realization hit me. I had overlooked a crucial detail. If the delivery driver was innocent, why had he brought Brenda’s package to my door first? Even if he’d misread the address, how could a seasoned driver not notice that a box full of tissues had been swapped for a Man-Faced Ape? It made no sense. Unless… the delivery driver had already been dead at that point. Which would mean… there were two Man-Faced Apes.
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