The Wrath of Hachishakusama

The Legend of Hachishakusama (Based on Real Events)

(This will be in the point of view of the child)

(This is the legend of Hachishakusama which means, eight-feet-tall)

My grandparents lived in a small village in Japan. Every summer, my parents would take me there on holidays to visit them.

The last time I saw them was in the summer when I was eight years old.

My grandparents were in the house and I was playing by myself outside in the backyard. I heard a strange sound. It was the repeated sound of thumping. I didn't know what it was and it was hard to figure out where it was coming from, I was looking around, searching for the source of the noise when I noticed something from on top of the tall hedges that enclosed the yard.

It was a straw hat, it wasn't resting on the hedge, it was behind it. That's where the sound was coming from. Then, the hat began to move. It stopped at a small gap in the hedge and I could see a face peering through. It was a woman! But, the hedges were high, almost eight feet tall... I was surprised at how tall the woman was, I wondered if she was wearing stilts or some sort of huge high-heeled shoes. Then, a split second later, she walked off. And the strange noise disappeared with her, fading into the distance.

Confused, I got up and ran back into the house. My grandparents were in the kitchen drinking tea. I sat down at the table and told my grandparents what I had seen. They weren't really paying attention to me until I mentioned that distinct sound.

They both froze. Grandma's eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. Grandpa's face became very serious and he grabbed me by the arm, "This is very important," he said, very intensely. "How tall was she?" "As tall as the garden hedge," I replied. He then began to ask me many questions such as, "Where was she standing?" "When did this happen?" "What did you do?" and, "Did she see you?"

I tried to answer all of his questions as best as I could. He rushed out to the hallway and made a phone call. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but after he hung up, he walked out the door.

"Grandma, what's going on?"

"There's something dangerous abducting children in this area," she said. "We call it, Hachishakusama. It takes on the appearance of an extremely tall woman and says, "Thump, Thump, Thump," in a deep voice.

A long time ago, it was captured by monks and they managed to confine it in a ruined building on the outskirts of the village. They tracked it using four jizo, small, religious statues that they placed at the north, south, east, and west of the ruins so that it could not escape. But somehow, it did... The last time it appeared was fifteen years ago.

My grandmother said that anyone who saw it was destined to die within a few days. It all sounded so crazy, I wasn't sure what to believe. Just then, my Grandpa came back but with an old woman who called herself, Kasan.

They took me upstairs to my bedroom and began covering the windows with newspaper, with ancient runes written all over them.

Kasan placed small bowls of salt in all four corners of my room and a small Buddha figure in the center. "Soon the sun will be setting, so listen carefully. You must stay in this room until 7:30 tomorrow morning. Do not open this door for any reason." She placed a bucket in my hands, "Not even to use the restroom."

My grandparents and Kasan left the room and I locked the door after them. I couldn't believe what was happening. Was I really gonna die in a few days..?

I turned on the TV to try to take my mind off everything and eventually fell asleep.

I was awakened around 1 a.m. by a tapping sound on the window. "It's probably just a tree or something," I told myself. Then, came a knock on the door and I heard my Grandpa's voice,

"Are you okay in there? If you're scared I can come to keep you company," hearing his voice was such a relief that without thinking, I rushed over to the door. But something didn't feel right. I looked at the bowls of salt in the room. All four of them had turned black. And then I heard the sound again, "Thump, thump, thump." 

The tapping on the window continued. I knelt in front of the Buddha and began to pray. I was so terrified and caught up in my chanting that I didn't realise the sounds had stopped. I checked my watch, it was 7:30 a.m.

Carefully, I opened the door and ran to my grandparents. We all got into a van and headed for the airport. Apparently, there were others who had escaped the grasp of Hachishakusama, as long as they never stepped foot in Japan again.

So, two years ago, when my Grandpa got sick, he refused to let me visit him. He even left strict instructions in his will to not let me attend his funeral. I couldn't believe that this creature prevented me from saying goodbye to him.

So, when my Grandma called a few days ago, to tell me she had been diagnosed with Cancer, I wasn't gonna let her stop me from visiting.

"It's been ten years, Grandma, and nothing has happened to me. We don't even know if this thing is real. I'm not gonna let it stop me from seeing you."

"If you say so, dear."

"I love you Grandma, I'll see you soon."

And then, I heard that thumping noise again.



-END-