Terrifying Tales

The Pocong

The Pocong is an Indonesian ghost that appears wrapped in its death shroud and hopping through the countryside at night. In Malaysia, this ghost is known as Hantu Bungkus (The Wrapped Ghost).

In the Indonesian language "Pocong" is a cloth shroud that is used to wrap dead body before burial. In Muslim burials, the body is wrapped in the shroud and then it is tied in three places: over the head, around the neck and under the feet.

According to legend, the deceased person's soul stays on earth for 40 days after they die. After 40 days have passed, the ties have to be released to allow the soul to escape. If the ties aren't released, the dead body will turn into a ghost and jump out of the grave, becoming a pocong. Because its feet are tied together, the pocong can't walk and hops along the road instead.

If you encounter the pocong, it won't harm you, but it will follow you wherever you go. It will only attack someone who blocks its path. So, if you ever stumble across a pocong, don't stand in its way or you'll regret it.

There was a little girl who lived in a village. After school, she had to attend religious classes and each time she went, she had to pass through a small forest. The trees were closely packed and never let any light shine through. The place was always creepy and deserted and she hated having to pass through the area.

One night, she finished her religious classes and was passing through the forest as usual. As she walked, she was scared and kept saying prayers under her breath. All of a sudden, she heard some bumping sounds behind her. She kept saying her prayers, but the bumping sounds followed her. When she walked slowly, the bumping followed softly. When she walked fast, the bumping sound grew louder.

She stopped, and turned around. What she saw turned her blood to ice. A tall figure stood before her, staring at her. It was covered with a white sheet that was tied at the head, the neck and the feet. It was a Pocong.

Her throat dried, and she could not move. The pocong hopped towards her, and she saw a glimpse of its face, with stale, greying skin and hollow sockets for eyes. A sickly sweet stench wafted in the air.

She took a step back, and the pocong jumped forward. She took another step back, tripped on a branch, and twisted her ankle, falling to the floor. The pocong, in one leap, was looking over her. Tears poured from her eyes as she screaming and begged.

The next morning, her mother woke to her bed still not slept in. Worried, she contacted her brother. They gathered a small group to search for her, and followed down the same path the little girl did in the forest. There, in a corner resting under a tree, was the little girl's body.

She had been strangled to death, a piece of rope still wound around her neck. Her hands and feet were also bound, and she lay with her eyes open. Her face was blue, the skin almost grey. Almost exactly like the skin of the pocong.

~

Source: scaryforkids.com
I edited the story a little myself.