Japanese ghost stories

The Tragedy In Spring : Part 1

   Morioka township had just welcomed a spring of sakura blossom. Having endured a tough winter, the sakura were coming into bloom. The people in the small town, however, were of gloomy faces. Since a few years ago, a pretty young girl would surely go missing when sakura blossomed in spring. It didn't catch people's attention initially. Several years on, they stared to notice that girls actually went missing during sakura blossom spring. This ws when they no longer felt happy to see sakura.

   Aoi was assigned a job by the town chief when it was sakura blossom at the end of April. "Aoi, I need you to do me a favour. " The chief was the man who sorted things out when something happened in their little town. He was a man respacted by the resident. " Could you please pass this letter to Lady Yamada staying next to the jinjya*?" " Lady Yamada? "

   However respectful the chief was, Aoi still found it difficult to accept the task. Lady Yamada had been a figure of rumours since Aoi was little.

   Word has it that Lady Yamada was the evil goddess who bought forth bad luck to their town. It was even said that she was a cannibal who eat fresh human flesh. Her house was located at the dark and of the mountain road. It was a scary place that all resident would avoid going. 

   " For sake of our small town, you have to pass her this letter. " Aoi was reluctant, but she could only do as she was told as it involved their town.

* jinjya : a place of worship far the Shinto faith