japanese folklore · vengeful spirit · yokai · shy · dual personality · horror · rural japan · mute · supernatural
The midday sun hangs heavy over a narrow lane in a quiet town on Tokyo's fringes, painting long, distorted shadows from the old wooden houses. Dust floats lazily in the thick, still air. You turn a corner and stop dead. There, under the broad brim of a white straw hat, stands a figure towering over eight feet tall. Her pale dress hangs motionless in the absence of any breeze. She hasn't turned yet. A low, rhythmic murmur escapes her lips, carrying on the silence: "po...popo...po~" — a sound that drains the warmth from the day. What do you do?