A Hanged Body

While on a mountain rumoured to be haunted I caught a glimpse of something shaped like a human body floating in the bushes.

A ghost!? I thought, and fearfully went closer to it to make certain of what I was seeing; it turned out to be not a ghost but a body of a man who had hanged himself.
I felt sorry for the unfortunate man and thought I couldn't just leave him as he was and I could at least take his body off the rope.

It was then I heard something drop with a thud. I was startled but it seemed his shoe just fell off.
I thought anyway I had to do this and tried to reach the rope but it was difficult. I then went round to the front of his body to work at the knot. I tried to undo it again and again but without success.

A while later I heard something drop with a thud again. I thought that was strange and looked down but there was nothing on the ground and when I looked at the body it was still wearing shoes.

That creeped me out, and I decided to leave it and started walking away. But then I realized something; I got round to the front of the body so many times but I couldn't remember the man's face at all, and I always saw only his back.

Comments

Unknown said…
dead bodies are creepy on their own!
i wonder what it meant that he couldn't remember/see the man's face.
Anonymous said…
Interesting. There are echoes of understanding here that parallel the truth.

I will investigate further. Your contribution is most appreciated.
Unknown said…
Ms. Saya... isn't that one forest located somewhere in Japan? I believe it's called Aokigahara? A lot of people travel there to die each year. I've heard it's gotten so bad that there are semi-annual body hunts. Have you heard of this? Do you know any stories about it? You are truly a teller of tales, Ms. Saya. You are a gift to the world! Thanks again
Anonymous said…
The only thing I can think happened is that the optic nerves weakened and his eyes just fell out of his sockets, though I have no idea if something like that could/would happen. Perhaps the lack of eyes would make the face less memorable?
Ribbon Black said…
So the body was moving on the rope as the man walked around it, maybe? Maybe this is a Japanese thing I don't know about, but I don't get it :^O
Anonymous said…
Seems contradictory, with his shoes falling off and then he said he was wearing them... and of course with only seeing the back. So we are to assume he is somehow not dead and is moving?
美B said…
William, I've heard of that place too!! I recall that someone posted pictures of the location awhile ago on the internet; have you ever seen them?

This story really spooked me! It was great! :]
Hello!
Thank you for your comments!
I know this story is confusing. I had some hesitations about publishing it!

My guess is that the hanged body looked like a real body but it was actually a GHOST! I don't know what the dropping noise meant though.
So Jeremy, Sookan and Bryan - I hope that made it clear for you!

Seite - that is a most interesting explanation, dear!

Mr.Sleep - looks like you have your won unique explanation!

William - yes Aokigahara is a famous forest that surrounds the mount Fuji. It's full of dead bodies.

美B - I'm surprised you know it too! I might write an article about it on this site.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!:D
Adorably Dead said…
Ohhh spooky! I liked this one.

I've heard of that forest too. I heard that the Japanese government has hung lots of signs with suicide hotlines on them to try and deter people.
Anonymous said…
Nice one!I also heard of that forest!
Adorably Dead - They indeed hung such signs at the entrances of the forest, dear.

Sugar - oh! It seems to be a very popular place! Everyone knows it!

Thank you both for your comments!!:)x
Unknown said…
Let's go sometime! :)
美B said…
I agree with William. :3 ...but not to go kill ourselves lol I have a happy life. :P
Ribbon Black said…
I wouldn't want to go there D: if there really is such a thing as a cursed place that forest would be one, haha.
Anonymous said…
It's called Aokigahara

Here's an article on it:

http://www.seekjapan.jp/article-1/767/The+Suicide+Woods+of+Mt.+Fuji
Anonymous said…
scary!
id think that not remembering the face would possibly mean the hung man represented more than one person, a different face each time?
and the thudding? not too sure just makes it more obscene to me..
Anonymous said…
I just got it. The 'thuds' were the dead guy's footsteps!
Xelaaredn said…
Actually I'm fairly certain that the guy who found the body is actually the dead man. Think about it, if a ghost found his dead body, and thought he was alive he would repress seeing the face as otherwise he would go mad. (In theory and in following paranormal reasoning)
Anonymous said…
The noise was probably the sound of the body swinging against the trunk, assuming it was a ghost after all. This story is just really confusing.
Anonymous said…
i think the thuds were the person who found the bodies's eyes falling out behind the body so all he saw was its back.
Alaina said…
My theory about the story is that someone was walking up behind him and the noises were the speaker being hit over the head, therefore his memory was hazy. And he was probably dreaming after he go hit! what do you think about my theory Ms. Saya?
Kitsune said…
I'm going to 美B and William! Hey, Saya, would you come with us? :)
Subaiii said…
I guess the thud sound was meant to scare the person away. But he/she didn't. The person couldn't reach the rope because the body/ghost didn't want to, thus moving around it's body? Crap, i'm explaining this to myself and got scared. hahahahahah!
I think that it's multiple bodies, and the reason why he couldn't untie it was because it was a different body each time. And after every thump would be a new body to untie. A body with the faces of many that had hanged themselves.
Kevin said…
Hello Miss.Saya. I love reading your stories and while reading this I remembered reading something similar to this in a manga called "Mimi No Kaidan" with the chapter called Sound of Grass, but it was about a woman and the characters saw her face and it appeared to follow them. And by follow, I mean the body turned in their general direction when they moved around. Either way, I like reading your stories, even though I scare myself to not sleep lol
Anonymous said…
There's a short manga of this legend, if I could find it I'd show you it. I'm sure it's in one of the "Fuan no Tane" anthologies.
Nikili said…
There's a short manga of this legend, if I could find it I'd show you it. I'm sure it's in one of the "Fuan no Tane" anthologies.
HIKARI said…
good story, but i still can understand why he cant remember that man face?????
Katy said…
For those of those talking about the manga adaptation of this story, it's not in Fuan no Tane, but rather from Mimi no Kaidan by Junji Ito. It's really creepy!
Anonymous said…
Ha! I get it. First "thud" one of his shoe felt. but after the second "thud" he saw the man wore both shoes! that what make him scared