Farewell Video

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A coworker of mine passed away.

His name was K, and he was really into free climbing. We were very close—so close that I even hung out with his family.

K was deeply passionate about free climbing. Whenever he had time off, he’d head off to this mountain or that cliff.

About six months before he died, he suddenly came to me with a request.

“Hey,” he said. “Can you film a video for me in case I die?”

Given how dangerous his hobby was, he wanted to record a message in advance so that his family could watch it if the worst were to happen.

I told him if it was that dangerous, he should quit for his family’s sake. But K said firmly that giving up climbing was absolutely unthinkable.

It was such a K thing to say that I agreed to help him record the video.

We couldn’t do it at his house, or his family might find out, so we decided to shoot it at my place.

With a plain white wall as a backdrop, K sat on the couch and began to speak.

“Uh, hi. It’s K. If you’re watching this video, it means I’ve died.

○○ (his wife’s name), ×× (his daughter’s name), thank you so much for everything. I know my selfish hobby has caused you trouble, and I truly apologize.

To my parents who raised me, and all my friends—I know you’re probably mourning, but please don’t be sad. I’m doing just fine in heaven.

It’s a shame I won’t be able to see you all anymore, but I’ll be watching over you from above.

×× (his daughter’s name), Daddy will always be watching from the sky. So please don’t cry. Please smile and send me off.

Well then, Sayonara (Goodbye).”

Of course, he was still alive when we recorded it.

But half a year later, K really did die.

He fell during a climb. According to his climbing buddies, usually there’s a safety mat placed underneath in case of a fall.

But that day, he fell way off the expected path, and the mat couldn’t prevent the accident.

Both the wake and the funeral were filled with sorrow.

K’s wife and daughter were wailing. I couldn’t believe it either. That K, dead?

About a week later, I decided to show K’s family the video.

By then, they had calmed down a bit. When I told them I had a message from K, they said they definitely wanted to see it.

So we played it during the shonanoka (Note: the traditional memorial held on the seventh day after death), in front of the whole family.

As I took out the DVD, some of the relatives were already starting to cry.

“This will serve as a memorial, too. Please, watch it,” I said as I inserted the disc and hit play.

A loud Vrrrrrrr sound played as the screen stayed pitch black for about 10 seconds.

Huh? Did I mess up the recording? I thought—but then suddenly, K’s figure appeared out of the darkness and he began to speak.

Wait, I filmed this in my room—was it really this dark?

“Uh, it’s K. If you’re watching this vid—means I’ve… died…

○○(his wife’s name), ××(his daughter’s name)… thank y… so m—”

K’s voice was hard to make out over the constant Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrr noise, which kept blaring in the background.

“To my parents, my friends… you might be sad that I’m dead, but please don’t be sad. I’m—ZVVVAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

××(his daughter’s name), Daddy’s dead—ZVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH I don’t wanna die! I don’t wanna ZVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DieeeAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—”

I felt a chill run down my spine.

Near the end, the static became so loud that his words were barely understandable, but one thing was clear:

His calm message had turned into a desperate scream—like the final cries of someone in agony.

And just as K finished speaking, something dark crept in from the edge of the screen and grabbed his arm, pulling him away.

The family erupted.

K’s wife lunged at me, shouting, “How could you show us something like this?!”

K’s father punched me.

Thankfully, K’s brother-in-law calmed everyone down, saying, “K would never do something like this as a joke.”

I got down on my knees and apologized, saying I would dispose of the DVD immediately.

The next day, I took the DVD to a nearby temple.

Before I could even explain, the Jūshoku (Note: the chief priest) saw the paper bag I was holding and said,

“Ah… We can’t deal with that here.”

Instead, he referred me to a place that handled spiritual cleansing.

I went there, and met a Kannushi (Note: Shinto Priest) — or maybe a medium? —  who said,

“My, you have brought me something really vile.”

According to him, K had already been dragged halfway into the hell at the moment the video was recorded.

He didn’t know how K managed to live another six months.

Apparently, K should’ve met an accident and died right after that video.