"In a world where legends intertwine with reality, there lies a forbidden forest that holds secrets beyond our wildest imaginations. Delve into a tale of mystery, ancient rituals, and a vengeful spirit that has haunted generations. What you're about to read is not just a story, but an encounter with the unknown. Journey with us as we unravel the truth behind the enigmatic spirit of the shrine maiden."
During my elementary and middle school days, I was a naive country boy. My close friends, A and B, and I acted like idiots every day and lived wild lives.
A and I were completely abandoned by our families, but B's mother always took care of him. She was strict, but she did a lot for B behind the scenes.
One day in our third year of middle school, B and his mother had a severe argument. B didn't say what it was about, but it seemed he deeply hurt her mentally.
As his mother was lying on the floor, looking devastated with her hair and clothes in disarray and her eyes vacant as if she was dead, B's father came home.
Without a word and without looking at B, he went straight to his wife. He then spoke to B while holding her.
B's father: "You've become the kind of person who can trample over someone like this. Can't you see how much your mother cares about you?"
B: "Shut up. Do you want me to kill you or what?"
B had no intention of listening. However, his father continued speaking without showing any reaction.
B's father: "Do you think there's nothing in this world that can scare you?"
B: "If there is, I'd like to see it."
After a brief silence, the father replied.
B's father: "You're my son. I know very well how much your mother worries about you. But if all you can do is trample on her feelings like this, I have something to say. I'm telling you this not as your father, but as a person, a stranger. Let me be clear the fact that I'm saying this means I'm prepared for the possibility that you might die. If you're okay with that, then listen."
B, sensing an intense aura from his father's words, taunted, "Just say it!"
B's father: "You know that place in the forest that's off-limits, right? Go in there and head deep inside. You'll understand once you get there. If you can, try to lash out there like you do here."
My old man said that the "forest" is a place at the foot of a small mountain where we live, kind of like a sea of trees.
The mountain itself is accessible, and while the forest as a whole is normal, there's an area that's off-limits once you go inside.
Imagine drawing a small circle inside a square and saying not to enter that circle; it's very specific.
The restricted area is fenced off with a nearly two-meter-high fence, adorned with thick ropes, barbed wire, and white papers strung all over it (like unique streamers). Countless bells of various sizes hang from it.
Because of its oddly specific nature, the alignment of the fence is skewed, and in a word, it's just bizarre.
Additionally, on certain days, I've seen a few shrine maidens gather at the entrance. But since the entire area is off-limits on those days, what they're doing remains a mystery.
Many rumors flew around, but the most widespread one was that there was a cult indoctrination facility there.
Reaching that point was a hassle, so there were hardly any stories about going deeper inside.
Without waiting for B's response, my father took my mother and went upstairs.
B left the house and met up with A and me, and then he told us the story.
A said, "It's serious if your father is saying all that."
I remarked, "I heard it's some cult hideout, right? Are they saying we might get captured and brainwashed? It's scary… but what do we do? Are we going?"
B replied, "Of course we're going. It's probably just my old man bluffing."
A and I decided to join B for the thrill of it, and the three of us headed there.
We prepared various tools and arrived at the scene a little past midnight. Using the flashlights we brought, we entered the forest.
The path was walkable even with light equipment, and since we always wore traditional Japanese "jika-tabi" shoes, it was easy for us. But to reach the problem area, you had to walk for almost 40 minutes.
However, just five minutes in, something strange happened.
Around the same time we began walking, we started hearing a sound from a distance.
The stillness of the night exaggerated that sound. B was the first to notice.
B asked, "Hey, do you hear that?"
When we strained our ears, sure enough, there was a sound.
The rustling of fallen leaves and the snapping of branches.
It sounded like it was coming from far away, so we weren't too alarmed.
Before thinking too much about it, we assumed there might be some animals around, and we continued on without much concern.
Yet, after walking for about 20 minutes, B noticed something and stopped A and me.
B said to A, "You, walk ahead a bit alone."
A responded, "Why?"
B insisted, "Just do it quickly."
A reluctantly walked ahead and then returned, and after watching him, B seemed lost in thought.
A asked, "What's the deal?"
I added, "Explain!"
B told us to be quiet and listen closely, then walked ahead by himself, returned, and repeated this a few times. Eventually, A and I realized something.
The faint sound from the distance seemed to be synced with our movements.
When we walked, the sound would move, and when we stopped, the sound stopped. It felt like whatever it was knew our every move, and it gave us an eerie feeling.
Apart from our flashlights, there was no other light source. Even though the moon was up, it was mostly blocked by the trees.
We were using flashlights, so it wasn't surprising that whatever it was knew our location, but even among ourselves, we had to strain our eyes to see each other in the darkness.
In such darkness, without any light, what was it doing? Why was it moving just like us?
B exclaimed, "This is ridiculous! Is someone tailing us?"
A noted, "I don't feel like we're being approached. It's been at the same distance from the start."
Indeed, from the moment we entered the forest, the distance between us and the sound had remained constant. It neither approached nor retreated.
I pondered, "Are we being watched?"
A speculated, "Feels like it… If it's some cult, they might have some weird devices or something."
From the sound, it seemed like it wasn't a group, but rather one person or thing constantly following us. After some thought, we decided it would be too risky to try and find out what it was. We chose to cautiously move forward, ever mindful of our surroundings.
We kept being followed by the sound, but when we finally saw the fence, we stopped caring about it. The fence itself was more baffling than the sound.
It was our first time seeing it, and it was beyond our imagination.
For the first time since entering the forest, we began to think that maybe we were in a dangerous place.
A: "Hey, are we really supposed to break through this? Anyone can see this isn't normal!"
B: "Shut up, don't get scared by something like this!"
Upon seeing the peculiar state of the fence, A and I hesitated. Ignoring our fears, B began to break the fence with various tools he had brought along.
The sound of the destruction was loud, but the echoing sound of countless bells was even louder.
However, the fence was unexpectedly sturdy, way more than we had anticipated. It didn't budge at all, as if it was made of some special material.
In the end, we had no choice but to climb over it. Thanks to the rope, climbing was relatively easy.
But the moment we crossed the fence, we felt an intense sense of unease. It was as if we were trapped in a cage, making it hard to breathe.
It seemed A and B felt the same, but since we had already crossed the fence, there was no choice but to move forward.
Soon after we began walking, all three of us noticed something. The sound that had been following us stopped abruptly after we crossed the fence.
Honestly, with the overwhelming ominous atmosphere, we almost didn’t care about the sound anymore. But A's words made the atmosphere even tenser.
A: "Do you think… it's been here the whole time? From what I can see, there's no entrance or exit in this fence. Maybe it couldn’t get close to us because of that."
B: "That's ridiculous. We can't even see the place where we first noticed the sound from here. How could it have observed us from the moment we entered?"
Logically, B was right. The prohibited area and the entrance to the forest were quite far apart. Even though it took us about forty minutes, we weren't dawdling. The distance must have been significant.
However, considering that it might not be something from this world, I couldn’t completely dismiss A’s suggestion.
Only B remained defiant as A and I grew increasingly wary.
B: "I don’t know if it’s a ghost or something else, but if it can't get out of this fence, then it's not a big deal."
With that, he continued on.
After walking for about twenty to thirty minutes, we found something peculiar. Six specific trees were connected with sacred ropes, forming a hexagonal space. The trees had traditional paper streamers, different from those on the fence.
In the center of the hexagon, there was an offering box.
The moment we saw it, we were all lost for words. A and I realized that we had ventured too deep into dangerous territory.
Even idiots like us vaguely understood the significance of the sacred ropes. It was clear that the place was off-limits because of this very site.
We had truly reached a forbidden place.
I: "This must be what your dad was talking about."
A: "We shouldn’t mess with this. It's obviously dangerous."
But B didn't waver.
B: "It's not necessarily something bad. Let’s check out that box! Maybe there’s treasure inside!"
B went inside the hexagonal space formed by the ropes and approached the box. A and I hesitated but eventually followed B. The box was rusty, likely due to being exposed to the elements. The top was covered, with a mesh that made it hard to see inside. The box also had unique symbols or crests drawn on each side, and all of them were different.
While A and I were cautious not to touch anything, B began inspecting the box more closely. We discovered that one side could be removed, revealing its contents.
B: "Hey, this side comes off! We can see inside!"
B removed one side of the box, and A and I peeked inside from behind him. Inside the box were four jars resembling PET bottles, each filled with some liquid. In the center, there was a stick with a red tip, laid out in a peculiar manner.
／＼／＼＞
There were six of them, painted red only at the four points where they met.
Me: "What's this? Toothpicks?"
A: "Hey, there's something inside that looks like a PET bottle. It's kinda gross."
B: "We came all this way for a PET bottle and toothpicks? I don't get it."
Me and A had only lightly touched the bottle-like vessel, but B picked it up and sniffed it. When he set it back down, he reached out to touch the //\ >. But, maybe because he was sweaty, it stuck to his fingertips for a second, and when he let go, its shape shifted.
In that instant,
Chirinchirin! Chirinchirin!
From the opposite direction where we had come from, even deeper beyond the hexagonal point, a vigorous bell sound rang out from the faintly visible fence. All three of us exclaimed in surprise, looking at each other.
B: "Who the hell did that! Stop messing around!"
B started running in that direction.
Me: "Idiot, don't go!"
A: "Hey B! It's dangerous!"
As we braced ourselves to follow him, B suddenly stopped, shining his flashlight ahead and not moving. "Is he joking?" Me and A thought as we rushed to him. B's body started shaking slightly.
"Hey, what's wrong…?"
Without thinking, I looked where the flashlight was pointing.
The light was on the base of one of the trees in the line. From the shadows emerged a woman's face, peeking out at us. Her face emerged halfway, her teeth bared wide open, staring at us without blinking.
"Uwaaaaaa!!!"
Without knowing whose scream it was, we all turned around and ran. My mind went blank, as if my body took over and did what it thought was best.
We didn't have the luxury of looking at each other, just desperately heading for the fence. When the fence came into view, we jumped and hurriedly climbed over. When we reached the top, we jumped down again, immediately trying to head back to the entrance. But in the confusion, A was struggling to climb the fence.
Me: "A! Hurry up!!"
B: "Hey! Hurry up!!"
Even though we knew our words were making A even more panicked, we couldn't help but urge him. As he finally seemed to be making his way up, neither B nor I were looking at him anymore.
We were trembling, sweating all over, unable to speak. Noticing this, A, still on the fence, looked in the direction we were staring.
Following the fence that led towards the mountain, on our side, was "it." Not just a face as we had thought, but an upper body with six arms in total. Using them to skillfully grasp the ropes and barbed wires, its mouth wide open, it moved towards us like a spider.
An unimaginable horror.
"Uwaaaaa!!"
A jumped down from the fence, collapsing onto us. We snapped back to reality, lifting A up and running straight to the entrance.
We didn't dare look back. Keeping our eyes forward, we ran desperately. Although the run might have taken only thirty minutes at full speed, it felt like hours.
When we finally saw the entrance, we noticed figures of people. "Who are they?" We stopped suddenly, catching our breath and confirming the figures. We didn't recognize them, but they weren't "it." Relieved, we ran again and dived into the group of people.
"Hey! They're out!"
"Did they really go beyond that fence?"
"Hey, let someone know quickly!"
The gathered people were buzzing as they approached us. We were so dazed that we couldn't immediately understand what they were saying to us.
Eventually, we were driven to a community center used for events, despite it being past 3 in the morning.
Inside, our families were waiting: my mother and older sister for me, A's father for him, and B's mother. B's mother was crying, and so was mine, which was surprising. A said he had never seen his father look like that before.
B's Mom: "I'm so glad you're all safe…"
While B's mother was gentle, my mother and A's father slapped us. But they also said kind words we'd never heard before.
Mother: "Don't you dare put us through that kind of worry again. You promise?"
A's Father: "Listen to your mother. Don't ever do that again."
We nodded tearfully.
I felt no atmosphere for conversation, so I hung up and headed to B's house.
A, who seemed to have received the same call, was also there, and together we listened to B's mother.
According to her, after B came home last night, he suddenly began to scream that both his arms and legs hurt.
Whether it was due to pain or something else, he had fallen with his arms and legs fully extended, writhing in that position while yelling out in pain.
His mother tried to help, but he just kept shouting, "It hurts!" and she couldn't make sense of the situation.
She managed to carry him to his room, but because he kept yelling in pain, she called us to see what was going on.
We immediately went to B's room, and we could hear him screaming even from the stairs.
"All it hurts! It hurts so much!" he kept repeating.
Upon entering the room, just as described, B was writhing with his arms and legs fully extended.
I shouted, "Hey! What happened?"
A exclaimed, "Pull yourself together! What's going on?"
Despite our efforts to reach out, B kept crying out in pain, not even meeting our eyes.
We were utterly perplexed.
Returning to B's mother, her tone was now more somber as she asked, "Please tell me what you did there. I think that will explain everything. What did you do there last night?"
We obviously knew what she was asking about, but recalling the event was painful, and it was hard to explain.
Moreover, the fact that we had seen "it" overshadowed the reason behind it.
By asking "what you did" rather than "what you saw", it seemed that B's mother was pointing this out.
Prompted by B's mother, A and I tried to remember the events of the previous night and identify the cause.
If it was about "what we saw", then we would've been in the same state as B.
But in terms of "what we did", our actions seemed almost identical.
We both touched the box, and even the bottle-like thing.
Then we remembered the toothpick…
It was only B who had touched that toothpick, altering its original position and not resetting it.
We conveyed this to B's mother.
Upon hearing this, her expression rapidly changed, and she started shaking.
She immediately took a piece of paper from a drawer and made a phone call while looking at it.
A and I could only watch and wait.
After a long conversation, B's mother, with a trembling voice, said to us, "They'll meet with us if we visit them, so please go home and prepare immediately. I will talk to your parents. Just come back to our house the day after tomorrow."
We were utterly confused.
Who were we supposed to meet and where?
Even when we pressed for details, we were evaded and sent home.
Upon reaching home, without being asked anything, we were just told to "make sure to go".
Still clueless, two days later, A and I, accompanied by B's mother, headed to a certain place.
B had already been taken there the previous day.
We thought the destination was nearby, but it turned out to be in a different prefecture altogether.
After hours on the bullet train and then a car ride, we were led to a remote village nestled deep in the mountains.
On the outskirts of this village stood a grand old mansion, complete with outbuildings and storehouses.
When B's mother rang the bell, an old man and a young girl greeted us.
The old man wore a sharp-looking suit, while the girl, who seemed a bit older than us, was dressed as a shrine maiden.
During introductions, while the old man shared a common surname, the shrine maiden introduced herself with a name that sounded like "Aoi Kanjo?" to me.
It wasn't a typical introduction, and it seemed we weren't supposed to know about her family's background at all.
Although we knew nothing about her or her house, for simplicity, I'll refer to her as "Aoi".
The old man, who seemed to be Aoi's grandfather, guided us inside.
The interior was as old-fashioned as the exterior, but strangely there was an air of warmth.
I felt relaxed and the tension I had carried with me gradually subsided.
However, there was no sign of B anywhere.
When asked about his whereabouts, we were told he was being treated in another building.
It was strange to think of B being "treated", but as there was no further explanation, we could only imagine.
The conversation started with the old man.
He began by saying that they have been keeping a close watch on our actions and whereabouts.
Although it sounded creepy, he explained that it was for our protection.
The box we touched, and the bottle-like object, both held deep spiritual significance and were not to be handled casually.
Moreover, the toothpick B had moved, was a shintai (a sacred object in which a deity resides).
By moving it, B had upset the balance, causing a spiritual backlash.
Listening to the old man's story, I recalled the sensation I had felt when we discovered the box.
It was a weighty silence, almost as if we were being closely watched.
In truth, that silence wasn't just a feeling, it was real, and they were the ones watching.
The old man explained that to help B, we had to undergo a purification ritual.
The ritual, conducted by Aoi, involved various offerings and chants.
Although unfamiliar, there was a sense of security knowing that there were measures in place to rectify our mistakes.
However, the seriousness of the matter was palpable, and the atmosphere during the ritual was thick with tension.
After the ritual, the old man solemnly said, "You've been forgiven, but do remember the weight of your actions."
Aoi added with a smile, "Stay away from places that are not meant for you, and if you ever feel an unsettling silence again, remember today and walk away."
We left the mansion with B, who seemed to have recovered, albeit looking exhausted.
The journey back was filled with an air of remorse and contemplation.
Our adventure, which began with childish curiosity, ended with a profound realization of the unseen forces that surround us and the importance of respecting boundaries.
To this day, I remember Aoi's words and the weight they carry.
Whenever I stumble upon something that seems out of place, I take a step back, remembering the consequences of crossing boundaries that should remain untouched.
Depending on the age and family background of those who know it, it is called various names such as Nari-Jara, Nari-Dara, Kan-Kan-Jara, and Kan-Kan-Dara.
Nowadays, the most common name is simply "Dara." In special families like old men, it seems to be called "Kan-Kan-Dara."
It's almost a thing of legend now.
In a village troubled by a man-eating serpent, the villagers sought the help of a shrine maiden's family that had inherited various powers from gods for generations.
Upon their request, the family sent their most powerful shrine maiden to exterminate the serpent.
While the villagers watched from the shadows, the maiden bravely confronted the serpent. But she was caught off-guard and had her lower half devoured by the serpent.
Nevertheless, she used various techniques to protect the villagers and fought desperately.
However, the villagers, believing she had no chance without her lower half, shockingly offered her as a sacrifice to the serpent in exchange for the safety of the village.
The serpent, resenting the powerful maiden, agreed to the offer. To make her easier to consume, the villagers cut off her arms, and the serpent ate her, who was left in a state of a limbless body.
Thus, the villagers gained temporary peace.
Later, it was revealed that this was a plan devised by the maiden's family, consisting of six members.
Soon after, strange events occurred.
The serpent disappeared one day, and people started dying in the village that should've been safe. In the village, in the mountains, in the woods.
All the deceased had one arm missing, either right or left.
Eighteen people died, including the six members of the maiden's family.
Only four survived.
The uncle and Aoi explained alternately.
Uncle: "I don't know when and where this story started, but that box has been consecrated and moved periodically.
Each time, a different family took care of it. Do you remember the family crest on the box? Those represent the families that have hosted the box in the past.
There's a meeting of folks from families like ours that evaluate and decide. Some fools even volunteer.
Except for the keeper, no one knows about the Kan-Kan-Dara. Only the nearby residents are told by the keeper that it's cursed and whom to consult in emergencies.
When informing, a representative from families like ours will be present, so they'd understand the meaning of the curse.
The current representative isn't from our family, but due to the urgency, they contacted us yesterday."
It seems that the person B's mother called the day before yesterday was different, and after hearing the story, they brought B to this house.
After discussing, they decided to leave it to this family.
B's mother already called here while we were at that place and seemed to have heard some details.
Aoi: "Usually, it is transferred to a mountain or a forest. As you might have noticed, the six trees and ropes represent the villagers, the six rods represent the maiden's family, and the pots at the corners represent the four survivors.
The configuration made by the six rods represents the maiden herself.
Why this format was adopted, and when the box became like this, no one, including my family, knows any more than what's passed down."
Uncle: "We've had a few in our family who've exorcised the Kan-Kan-Dara, but all died suddenly within two or three years. Most of those involved in the incident didn't survive either. That's how challenging it is."
Even after hearing all this, the three of us were still lost and confused.
However, the situation took another turn.
Uncle: "You understand how dangerous it is now. If you hadn't moved the rods, it would have been manageable, but not this time."
B's mother: "Please, can you do something? It's my responsibility. Please."
B's mother insisted without backing down, taking all the responsibility on herself, even though it wasn't her fault. But she wasn't crying; she looked resolved.
Uncle: "We want to help too. But if you moved the rod and saw that, you should've seen her lower half too."
Aoi: "Was the maiden you saw missing her lower half? And how many arms did she have?"
"She had six arms, three on each side. But no lower half."
We didn't understand what the uncle meant by "lower half." We only saw the upper half.
A: "What do you mean by 'lower half'? We saw the upper half…"
Upon hearing this, the uncle and Aoi were shocked.
A and I confirmed with each other and answered that way.
Suddenly, the old man leaned forward and approached us closely.
Uncle: "Are you sure you didn't see the lower half of the shrine maiden?"
Me: "Yes, we are sure."
The old man turned to B's mother and said with a smile:
Uncle: "Ma'am, there might still be hope."
Upon hearing the old man's words, both B's mother and we were holding our breaths in anticipation.
Two of them explained the meaning of the words.
Aoi: "There are two actions that would expose you to the grudge of the shrine maiden. One is altering the shape representing the shrine maiden. The other is looking at the appearance that the shape represents."
Uncle: "In reality, once you move that stick, it's over. Because you'll inevitably end up seeing the shrine maiden. But for some reason, you guys didn't. Since the others should see the same appearance, if you guys didn't see it, that kid probably didn't either."
Me: "What do you mean we didn't see? What we saw was…"
Aoi: "It was indeed the shrine maiden. But it wasn't the malicious spirit. Perhaps she didn't have the intention of taking your lives. Instead of appearing as the malevolent spirit, she appeared as a shrine maiden. That night might have just been a game to her."
It seems that the shrine maiden and the malevolent spirit are the same entity, yet different at the same time.
Uncle: "If the malevolent spirit isn't the one attacking the kid now, what's happening to her is probably just play, as Aoi said. Leave it to us. It'll take some time, but we should be able to help."
For the first time, the tense atmosphere seemed to relax.
Knowing that B would be okay was enough. The expression on B's mother's face at that moment was truly incredible.
You could see how much she had been worried about B over the past few days. It was a smile as if all the stress and worry had suddenly been released.
Seeing that, the old man and Aoi also relaxed, suddenly looking like normal people again.
Uncle: "We'll officially take care of the kid. We'll explain everything to the mother later. You two should get purified by Aoi before going home. And in the future, try not to be too reckless."
After discussing B a bit more, her mother stayed while we got purified and left.
We weren't allowed to see B and weren't told what was done to her. Whether she was considered a transfer student or was still enrolled, I don't know. We haven't seen her since.
Apparently, she didn't die and is now living a reformed life somewhere.
By the way, B's father never showed his face throughout the entire ordeal. I have no idea why.
A and I settled down pretty quickly after that.
There were various reasons, but the biggest one was definitely seeing B's mother's demeanor.
There's a little more to the story, but she probably had the hardest time of all.
It made me think about the strength of mothers. After this, both our families started to engage with us a bit more, and we naturally stopped doing stupid things.
As for what else we found out: The shrine maidens who gathered on a specific day were consultants from the house.
The malevolent spirit, while being heavily recognized as dangerous, is considered a deity similar to a god. The deity was apparently the god of some mountain or forest. That's why, once a year, they perform dances and offer prayers in its honor.
The sounds we heard when we entered the forest were because the spirit is kept free inside the fenced area.
But, there seems to be some kind of seal involving the hexagonal shape and the box. If you don't disturb the stick or hexagonal shape, it rarely shows its form.
The place of worship is determined based on some rules, where they meticulously determine the specific areas within a mountain or forest.
It usually can't leave that area, but if it's surrounded by fences, it might cling to the outside, like we saw.
That's about all we know. It seems to have been moved away from where we live now.
We haven't verified since we never want to go back, but it seems that the fence was removed almost a year later, so it's probably somewhere else now.
"In the heart of every legend lies a grain of truth. As the mysteries of the forbidden forest unfold, we are reminded of the thin line between the known and the unknown. The spirit of the shrine maiden may have found its peace, but its tale will forever echo in the whispers of the trees. Dive deeper, explore further, and always remember: some stories are best left untold, but the ones we share shape our world."
References: https://xn--u9jv84l7ea468b.com/kaidan/150wa.html