On a rainy day
During the cool evening breeze, with the scent of rain in the air, this might be the late rainy season transitioning into early winter. It can make some people feel uncomfortable, but for those who enjoy this kind of weather, it can be quite pleasant. The wind blowing through reminds us that something is whispering to us.
"We are like the wind."
"We are travelers like the wind."
"The wind that passes through someone."
"Like life that drifts like the wind."
As the car drove by, a momentary scent of exhaust and the slow hum of the car engine passing by caught my attention. I gazed out at the front windshield, and it made me wonder who I am. I saw a young barista and a barista girl inside a coffee shop, brewing coffee.
Right now, I am at a coffee shop, and the evening has signaled to me that my time of savoring my coffee is over, and I must hurry back to work...
Back to that evening time, as the rain was freshly falling and the cold was creeping in, it made me think of the front of my house. It wasn't just cars passing by; there were herds of cows and buffaloes making their way back to their pens, along with our loyal dog who often helped to usher them in. The scent of car exhaust mixed with the smell of cattle, filling the air with the aroma of smoke and earth. The sounds of these creatures, following their instincts, often stopped to nibble on leaves and flowers in front of the house.
"Hey kids, what are you up to?"
We still didn't answer. The voice of the elder passing by the front of the house would often inquire about our activities each day, asking if we had eaten, or why we were so diligent. This was because my brother and I enjoyed planting trees during those cool evenings.
The changing of seasons, from the biting cold to the late rainy season transitioning into early winter, often brings with it something that comes out along with the rain. It's not just humans or animals that emerge; there are also other peculiar and often encountered entities that are interpreted differently by different local legends and traditions.
On a rainy day
TAN : Hey, it's been raining a lot lately. How about we go fishing?
MAX: Sure, that sounds like fun.
MAX: Hurry up and come out, don't let your mom find out.
TAN: Okay.
TAN: Where should we go fishing?
Max : How about the end of the village?
TAN: Is that a good spot? I heard it's off-limits for fishing.
MAX: Why should we be afraid? Nobody's watching.
TAN : Well, it's just a bit far, but there are plenty of fish there.
MAX : Alright, let's meet on the road in front of the temple then.
During their teenage years, around the ages of 13-15, teenagers enjoyed going out to fish, catch frogs, and find crawfish. They would leave home around dusk and set traps in the rice paddies. This involved putting bait on a fishing line, inserting it into the ground, and leaving it overnight. Many others in the area did the same.
While riding their bicycles
TAN : Where are you heading on your bike?
MAX : Going fishing.
TAN: Hey, be careful, it's dangerous around there. Haha!
MAX : Okay.
TAN: Look at these old eyes; I just came from that side.
MAX : We're not scared.
TAN: We've never seen you in the village before.
MAX: Maybe the old man got lost.
TAN: Don't worry about it. They were carrying both guns and knives. Shotguns, slingshots, and folding knives.
MAX : Why should we be afraid?
TAN: Exactly.
During their teenage years, typically around ages 13-15, the teenagers liked to go out fishing, catching frogs, and finding crawfish. They would leave their homes in the late afternoon, set traps in the rice paddies, and venture into a region near the old forest, adjacent to the field bordering the ancient temple cemetery. This area was known to have an abundance of fish, but the adults had forbidden it because it was considered an eerie place. Few dared to enter this area due to the strange things people used to encounter there, and they often returned unsettled. As a result, the land there remained fertile, and very few people dared to go near it.
Of course, my brother didn't tell our mother. Instead, he told me to convey the message to her that he was going fishing and would be back late.
At 6:00 PM, as the sun was setting, my brother had finished his dinner and was ready with his weapons in hand. He carried an amulet and a folding knife, which he believed would protect him.
In this eerie atmosphere of the rice field, which was especially unsettling at night, my brother and three of his friends, including me, ventured into the area out of curiosity. We had flashlights that could be attached to our heads, and we were armed for protection.
In the front field with sparse vegetation, we noticed scarecrows wearing black hats, looking old and weathered. The wind made them seem animated, and they appeared eerie. Gazing to the right, we saw an old wooden shrine that was left unattended and falling into disrepair, adding to the eerie atmosphere. The sounds of birds coming to feed on rice grains and the calls of bats as they returned to their roosts made it seem like a choir of ghosts howling.
MAX: Hey, why is this place so scary?
TAN: Are you sure it's a good idea?
MOEW : My mom said this place is dangerous, just as she said. It's really creepy. But I don't think it's that scary.
TAN: Well, since we're here, what should we do?
MAX : Going back is not an option.
MOEW : My mom will be really mad.
Suddenly, the sound of a rat or a snake scurrying out of the rice field caught their attention while they were talking. It seemed like something was quietly listening and watching from the bushes in the nearby forest.
They peered into the forest, which was surrounded by rice fields. This forest used to be the site of unattended burials for those without relatives, and it was considered haunted. People generally avoided it, and only those who practiced supernatural rituals came to deal with the spirits of the deceased.
As the atmosphere darkened, the friends began to use their headlamps. Today, they had charged their batteries to the fullest, and there was no way they would go out. It was certain that everyone expected the lights to go out for sure tonight, but they wanted to see how it happened.
The darkness crept in slowly, and then, a loud voice came from the forest.
"Get out."
TAN: Hey, I think we should leave this place.
MAX: Yeah, I have the same feeling.
MOEW : I'm thinking the same.
At that moment, my brother and his friends decided to move away from that spot because it was truly eerie, but they couldn't move too far to see something unusual.
Around 10:30 PM, they began setting up their fishing lines, using almost all the bait they had prepared. However, the atmosphere was quite chilling, and besides the occasional sound of frogs, crawfish, or fish nibbling on the bait, which was unusual considering it was raining, the silence was almost deafening.
As everyone was putting the bait into the rice paddies filled with water, my brother noticed that it was getting dark around them. This was because their friends had turned off the lights!
TAN : Hey, guys, why did you turn off the lights?
MAX : What's going on?
MOEW: Shhh!
TAN : There's something out there.
TAN : Turn the lights back on.
MAX: Quickly, turn them on!
MOEW : It's not funny.
They all tried to turn on their headlamps, but the forest around them was now pitch black.
TAN : Seriously, why did you do that?
MAX: Is there a problem with the lights?
MOEW : Let's turn them on quickly.
Suddenly, they heard a voice from the darkness.
"Hey, turn them off."
TAN : Who's there?
MAX : Why should we turn them off?
MOEW : What's going on?
TAN: Wait a minute, did you see that?
MAX : See what?
TAN : It's really far away.
MOEW : What did you see?
TAN : The light, it's flickering.
MAX : I see it too.
MOEW : What is it?
TAN : It's getting closer.
At first, it looked like a normal light, but now it's not.
The friends encountered a red light floating and pulsating like a heartbeat. They felt an urgent need to return home immediately, and they all ran through the silent rice fields, separating without saying a word, each too afraid to report what they had seen.
The next morning, they checked their bait and discovered that not only had they not caught any fish, but some of the fish they had previously caught were now missing, disappearing mysteriously during the night. They tried to convince themselves that it might have been some animal, like a dog, but deep down, they didn't want to discuss it further. The people in the village had warned them not to talk about it, as such things could lead to strange dreams, death, or madness.
From that night on, my brother and his friends stopped going to that particular rice field to fish. They preferred to fish in the more populated and well-lit areas within the village, not far from the temple.
A few days later, a boy who lived by the rice field experienced a similar incident. He had stayed alone in the middle of the field during the night, and when the villagers found him the next morning, he was running a high fever. The villagers rushed him to the hospital, but he died within a few days.
*Never attempt to visit places with a dark history or current sinister reputation. These places are often frequented by those who practice dark arts, and their outcomes vary from not dying well to going mad or even becoming...
The lush green fields, along with the harvest during the bountiful autumn season, when the rice grains are turning golden in the fertile fields, hide some things that are to be feared, waiting for those who dare to venture and touch them.