Strange Lady

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while but thank you for all your lovely messages. It's always a great pleasure to hear from you.

I thought I ought to update something today because it's Christmas after all...

Well, anyway my dears, HAPPY CHRISTMAS, and take care!

Love, Saya

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This story has been carefully translated from Japanese into English by me. Please do not copy/distribute it without permission. Thanks.


I heard this from my aunt.


My aunt one day received a letter from her son, who was living by himself at the time.
Below is roughly what was written in the letter:

"Come, come, I have toys and many sweets for you too."

When I was a child, a lady*1 often called out to me from upstairs.
I went upstairs and drew pictures with her.
Most of the pictures she drew were very creepy -- like pictures of a severed head or a hanged man.

When we had a dinner, the lady never ate with us but just stood there laughing.

One day when I was playing outside, the lady was looking out the square-shaped ventilator underneath the floor of the house,*2 and she was laughing.
I wonder what she was doing there.

Once when I went to see her upstairs and opened the door, she was changing clothes.
Her skin was festering and covered in boils and she looked as though she was suffering from some kind of disease.

Mother, who was that lady?

My aunt and uncle laughed saying their son had already gone senile although he was still a college student.
My aunt then made a phone call to him saying,
"Sweetheart, I'm the only female in the family, you remember?"

The son said,
"Huh?....fzzzz....What?..zzz.... Sorry, I didn't catch your words.
So did you remember then? The lady is actually here with me right now."

Beep.

The phone went dead.

My aunt, now scared, quickly went over to her son's house.
But by that time he had already committed suicide by setting himself on fire in the nearby park.

My aunt, making a scary face, said to me, "even if someone calls you while you're in this house, you must ignore it, OK?"
Since then I avoid going over to her house as much as I can.



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*1 a lady : お姉ちゃん (oneh-chan) in Japanese, literally meaning "older sister." Mostly kids use it to address any young lady they encounter even if she's not blood-related to them.

*2 a square-shaped ventilator underneath the floor of the house: perhaps he's talking about a ventilator like the one in the picture on the right.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I always adore your update Saya-san and its on Christmas so this story like a gift to me :) Thank you and Merry Christmas (/^o^)/
@Anon Thanks a lot, dear! Sorry the story isn't very Chrismassy! I'm hoping to update a story which involves snow sometime soon. Merry Christmas too you! :D
Tia said…
Firstly, welcome back Saya chan and Merry Christmas to you!! :D So happy that you have shown some vitals around, i was starting to worry! :P That is one creepy story, Could that lady be a former tennant in the aunt's house? Or maybe a forner tennant in there had been dabbling with forces he/she shouldn't have messed with and the she demon is the repercussions... Nonetheless it is quite the spooky spook, so thanks again!! Hope to hear from you soon, take care dear!
@Tia It's so wonderful to hear from you! Merry Christmas! :D (sorry I still haven't replied to your older messages...)

Yes the lady could have been a former tenant and my guess is that she died of fire?? It looks like she wanted the boy to suffer the same fate as she...

I always enjoy reading your theories! Thanks a lot! :D Take care!
Unknown said…
Nice update Saya, I really enjoyed it and looking forward to your "a story which involves snow" :D
Merry christmas :D
@Ryan Merry Christmas! I hope I can update the aforementioned story at least during the next month. I've got too many things I have to do this month :( But I'll be on holiday from around the middle of January. Thanks a lot for your comment!
Rays said…
Merry Xmas Saya and everybody.
toybox said…
Hi there,

Thanks for this Christmas gift Saya, i have a hunch that you going to publish something today... and i am correct! Pretty scary for all his/her years "somebody" keep lingering... just pray everyday and keep faithful HOHH!

Great to know you alright, may you blessed with lots of energy to fulfill all your to-do list hohoho
KAYYYY said…
Yay! Saya-chan is back! I was getting worried about you. By the way, hope you had a merry christmas!
Unknown said…
Perhaps she was an earlier inhabitant of the house that only the boy could see? And, as you said, she died in a fire. Maybe she took a fancy to the boy and decided to take him with her once he was old enough? But the picture you posted is very creepy! Who is that lady in red?
Oh, and a Merry Christmas to you, and season's greetings, if you do not celebrate! It isn't my festival either, but no reason to miss out on a chance to have a good time!
Eni Shehu said…
Merry Christmas Saya,I adore your blog,I was looking forward for a new update,and I don't know why but I knew you were going to update with a story today.I can hardly wait for the next story.
sunflowerbloom said…
Ah, Another update! Thank you for your hard work~
This story is creepy (as usual) , and Merry (belated) Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Anonymous said…
Thank you for posting a new story Saya! Everyday is a wonderful day to hear scary stories even during Christmas.I was thinking the same thing about the lady wanting the boy to feel the same pain because the boils but if I was the boy telling the story I would probably avoid the aunt's house too. I'd also be spooked of someone calling my name making want to avoid the house even more.
blackrealm said…
Thats why i play a lot of games, im too busy to go hen they call me, maybe it svd me from death a lot of times xD
@Rays Thanks, Rays!

@toybox Hi! Thanks for your blessing, I need it. LOL
I'm living alone at the moment, away from friends and family, and it's kinda tough. I just want to finish what I'm doing as soon as possible and go home!

@Yuna Hi, sorry I made you worry! I had a nice X'mas thank you! I hope you did too :D

@Tani The picture is from a Japanese horror flick, it seems! I thought it'd just be perfect for the story!

I live in Taiwan at the moment and unfortunately we don't get to have holidays until Chinese new year! They do still celebrate the normal new year though. I wonder what you people do at new year in your country. It's interesting to know how different cultures celebrate new year! Anyway take care and hope you have a happy new year too!


@Milkychan Merry very late Christmas, dear! Thanks a lot. It seems we have lots of people with psychic ability here! lol


@sunflowerbloom Thanks dear! Hope you have a happy new year too! I hope I can update something around new year too, but I can't promise you anything. I have to concentrate on my term paper (I'm a postgraduate student). Anyway take care!


@Anon (26 Dec 09:23) Thanks a bunch for your comment! :D It's curious that the aunt still dares to live in the house after all that happened O_o I guess it's alright if you aren't sensitive. I mean the university I go to apparently has many haunted places but I've never experienced anything ghostly! So disappointing! lol
@HN3 Well it's good that you're cautious! You should avoid playing with a creepy stranger!
Unknown said…
Wow xD good picture, its a good story actually, hey, nice to meet you Saya san, i ve been this blog's fans for one year now xD expect more story
DonAbad said…
What's pretty creepy is that he made it all the way to college without realizing that he was seeing something really WRONG. Which I guess means that he did go completely bonkers. Sometimes it's scarier if the ghosts and monsters were never really there to begin with. D=

But anyway, welcome back, Saya! I missed reading your stories. Hope you had a Merry Christmas. And Happy New Year in advance, too! ^_^
nunu said…
Happy Holidays, Saya-san!!!!! Hope you had a great Christmas :D

I am so glad to see you posting again, and I hope you are well.

So, this story. I wonder if anyone else actually saw the lady ghost but ignored it. And if the ghost killed him because he finally told his parents about her.
@Ariya Wow you've been following my blog for a year? It's a pleasure to meet you too, dear. Thank you for popping in to leave a message. Take care! :D


@DonAbad haha that's true. Why didn't he question what he was seeing before? Maybe the lady put some kind of curse on him so that he wouldn't question it until he became an adult.

Thanks for your kind words! I hope I can update another story before the new year's day but I'll have to do two presentations this week so I can't promise anything :(

Anyway, I wish you a happy new year too, dear! :D
@nunu Hi, how are you? Unfortunately, it's not holiday where I live :( But never mind! lol

I'm quite well, although busy!

Hmm I wonder. As you say perhaps the letter was what triggered the ghost to kill him!

Thanks for your comment! :D
blackrealm said…
Btw, why you dont anwser the mails anymore? :c
Mimikim1234 said…
Yay! Saya is back. :)
Thanks for all your hard work. I was told by a friend that translation is much more than simply translating individual words. There's context, nuance, and cultural differences that must be accounted for. One person's translation may come out much different than another's.
Anonymous said…
Yay!! Saya! I've missed your posts soo much! Glad to see a new one! Thank you for your time and effort in each one! They truly are a treat to read! :-)
@HN3 As a rule I don't answer private messages... I'm sorry. But you can still post message here.


@Mimikim1234 Hi, what's up? :D

Your friend is absolutely right, dear. That's why it makes me sad that people can so easily steal my works, disregarding how much effort I put in them. It makes me not want to update *sigh*

Well, at least some of my readers understand :) Thanks a lot for your comment!


@oneplainjane Hi, I'm happy to hear from you :D Thanks a lot for support, it means so much to me. Take care!
Kelly said…
Ahhh Saya you remind me of when I was a little girl and would talk to my "ghost" imaginary friend.

I hope your Christmas was wonderful! :) have a lovely new year.
@Kelly I'm sure your imaginary friend was lovely and not like the horrible one in the story! lol
I wish you a wonderful new year too, dear. Thank you! :D