Don't Sleep with Your Legs Uncovered

(Translated by Saya)

*WARNING* THIS STORY IS SAID TO BE CURSED

This is a story that really happened to my mother's friend.

"Finally, today is the last day! Why do I have to sleep all covered from head to toe in such a hot weather? "
A man grumbled to himself as he lay on the bed. I will call the man as Yoshioka (pseudonym) for convenience.
Why did he have to do such a thing?
He had a very good reason for doing so.

About a week ago, his friends called Kawahara (pseudonym) and Sasaki (pseudonym) came to visit him in his apartment.
They were having a random conversation about their school, when Kawahara suddenly said,
"Shall I tell you a creepy story?"
It was at the height of summer, so the other two agreed to it saying "I hope it will make us feel a little cooler." **

Then Kawahara started telling them the following story.
"Once upon a time, there lived an old couple.
The wife had bad legs and she was confined to bed most of the time.
The husband was the one who mostly looked after her.



One day, the husband went out, saying he had some urgent affairs to attend to.
But he took a long time and the wife began to worry.
She decided to check on him by calling the number of the place he said he would go.
That was, however, a bad decision.
The telephone was downstairs, and so to reach it she needed to lean heavily on the stair railing to go down the stairs because of her bad legs.
And while going down, her foot slipped and she ended up tumbling down the stairs.
When the husband finally returned home he found her prostrate by the stairs, in a dire condition.
The husband called the ambulance straight away, but because of her leg disease and of being left in that condition for hours, the wife died."

"This is the end of the story, for now" he said.
"But what happened to the husband?" Sasaki asked Kawahara.
"Who knows? I can't possibly tell you."
Yoshioka said, "Why not? It's not scary at all. And what do you mean by 'for now'?"

Kawahara replied, "listen, after hearing this story, you must sleep with your feet completely covered for a week. If you break the rule, you will be struck by a disaster."
However, Yoshioka couldn't believe the story at all, and they decided to meet a week from that day at a near-by cafe.

One week later, Yoshioka woke up to the sounds of knocking on the door.
It was Kawahara.
"What is it?"
Kawahara said, "Sasaki is dead."
"You must be joking."
"No."

Kawahara told me that Sasaki apparently didn't follow the rule and slept with his legs out of the blanket for the whole week.
But what disturbed me most was the picture we had taken of ourselves a week ago with our school building in the background.
In the picture, an old woman stood behind Sasaki, and she was looking into the camera with a sinister smile....

If you have read this story, you'd better be careful too.
Because I too have suffered an injury to my legs.


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** It is customary for people in Japan to tell ghost stories to one another in summer, to feel cooler in the hot weather and also because it's the time for the Bon Festival (a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors).

Comments

Don't read it if you live in a warm country! XD
ForthKun said…
just wtf. i don't know if i should cover my legs and feet now.
Mon said…
Uh Oh... I live in Australia and the weather is getting warmer - I hope I can keep my blankets over my feet for the next week!!! Also - I wonder if socks would work?! :D
CreanJinSung said…
I usually sleep without a blanket because of the hot weather even during typhoons. I will now update you guys about my legs until the week is over.
Yukari said…
Oooh. I´ll make sure my feet are well tucked in for the next days ... perhaps I should get one of those mummy sleeping bags :D
George V said…
Now I need to make sure that I don't sleep with one leg outside the blanket. I liked stories like this, reminds me of the Uba-Yo-Sare story.
allucinator said…
I sleep with only my shorts and I don't use a blanket. LOL
Magicaloid 44 said…
I sleep with an air conditioner and no blanket cause I like the cold....gonna have to bundle up now lest I get into a completely coincidental fatal accident
Gabriel said…
I got strangely hyped when seeing the cursed warning, I quite like those for some reason! (Weird, I know)
But it's definitely quite the chilling tale. I wonder why Sasaki died, maybe the curse gets stronger the more days you sleep with your legs uncovered? My favorite detail is definitely the picture though, I wish the narrator had attached one to the story.

Also, reading it I can't help but remember the words of master Stephen King - “The thing under my bed waiting to grab my ankle isn't real. I know that, and I also know that if I'm careful to keep my foot under the covers, it will never be able to grab my ankle"
I just love this quote :p

Either way, I'm glad I almost always sleep completely covered and we're still in the last weeks of winter over here!
Glad to hear you're still safe even after reading this story :D thank you very much for translating it for us! Take care and I hope you have a great day.
brandalokajaya said…
what do i do now....i don't even have a blanket...
brandalokajaya, don't worry about it! I will pray for you safety! :D
How dare you swear in my presence! Didn't you know this is a respectable blog for respectable people?

XD haha It's fine I'm only joking!
Oh no! But yes, socks might work too! XD
Aww is everyone sleeping without a blanket?

Yes please, let us know what happens!
Mummy sleeping bags will be sure to come in handy! :D
Ah! Good old uba yo sare story! That was one of the stories I heard from someone myself and not a translated one. But do red pandas sleep with blankets?? That is the question indeed.
Oh! What's wrong with people these days? Does no one here sleep with a blanket? Disgraceful! XD
When I have an air conditioner on I need a blanket, otherwise I would freeze to death... But yes dear, at least you are willing to use a blanket, when all other blog readers of mine seem determined not to use one!
Haha XD You get excited when you see cursed stories? Are you serious?
Then I should translate more of these stuff for you!

I love that quote by Stephen King! :D I admit I never read any of his stories. Unforgivable for someone who blogs about horror! XD

Which country are you from Gabriel? I'm sorry if you told me about it before.

Take care, dear Gabriel, and be happy! I hope to see you soon too!:D
Once again, THANK YOU EVERYONE for leaving comments! As I always say, I really really appreciate and enjoy all of your comments!

Take care all of you and don't forget to cover your legs! XD
George V said…
LOL, this one does.
Gabriel said…
I do, no joke! Since I believe in curses those stories are extra scary, but maybe that's what I find charming about them XD. Aw, you're too kind, I'd be really happy but I also don't want you to risk getting yourself cursed!! I really appreciate it nonetheless, thanks!!

Glad you like it too! Oh no, it's quite ok, I haven't read too many either xD. But if you ever feel like reading something from him, I'll recommend Night Shift, it's a collection of great short stories :D

Don't worry, I don't recall if I ever told either! But I'm from Brazil. Despite it being mostly a tropical country, thankfully I live in the southmost region, where it's already a subtropical climate.

Thanks again, and until then!
Unknown said…
*reads it again and again*
I feel like a badass now. Hopefully, setting the room at a crisp 20'C will be enough to stop my unconscious self from testing the air with my feet at night :)

That said, thank you for sharing such a wonderful cur-- I mean story
It's always my pleasure to make people's lives more difficult with such a story! XD
ReignTracer said…
all ghosts and spirits at some point in their lives were humans, so in a sense, us living humans might have powers too, so either get a blanket or look deep in yourself and pray that your luck is stronger than their evil influence. (grabs a quilt and hides for a week)
@ReignTracer You are wise in your words and actions! XD
Angel said…
after i read this, the room temperature seems to drop (especially on my feet area)

seems like i have to cover myself from head to toe for a week :")
Violet said…
i'm not sure if i should read this but i'm curious ;a;
Thank God for my fuzzy blanket,then! [It's my favorite one to curl up under.]
Unknown said…
Brrr! now i know why that "feeling cooler" phrase exists! cursed stories are fun to read, but dangerous.

actually, when it's hot, sleeping under a light sheet is more comfortable than nothing, and also keeps you safe from injured grannys! no need to suffer under a futon comforter!

its very mild where i live, so even with seasonal weather it can sometimes change from hot to cold, so i always have a sheet, a comforter, and a blanket on my bed. i just unroll or roll up as many layers as i need.
Unknown said…
okay so if i read the story am i going to die now D:
Unknown said…
On my way to buy some freaking blanket
Lordshizu said…
Do i rlly have to sleep with my feet covered now....or can i maybe not
Unknown said…
Lol never replies
Vedanth Kamath said…
I always sleep without my blanket ,I use it on when I feel chill at cold early mornings,.I slept without blanket and it didn't worl for me,it's not a real story...
Vedanth Kamath said…
I never sleep with blanket ,I only use it during chilly cold Winters and rainy .I tried without blanket,it didn't work for me even after years.This is not a true story.