Master Series: Episode 2 "Apprenticeship"

* Read episode 1 here

It all started when I moved from a little provincial village to a large city to enter university. For want of anything better to do I joined a certain club where I found someone extraordinary. At the time my interest in occult was at its height, due to having experienced sleep paralysis and other nasty things while studying for university entrance exam. I told him my stories, to which he commented, "you are good. Very good," showing obvious enthusiasm.

He was a postgraduate student majoring in Buddhist Arts. We hit it off immediately and on the very day I met him he took me for a drive at night. He said lets have some late-night snack and drove for a considerable distance, until finally we arrived at Gusto (a popular restaurant chain) on the outskirts of the city. He must have seen the letters "why here?" written all over my face; he said, "We've come for ghost-spotting. My favourite place."

He couldn't be serious, I thought to myself.
Coming to such a modern place as Gusto was unnerving enough to a country-bumpkin like me, but on top of that, ghost-spotting?
"Look down when I tell you. If you are lucky you'll be able to see the legs at least."
After hearing these words,it was impossible to taste anything in my mouth.
I was just munching on food mechanically when suddenly a sharp ringing started in my ear... And cold sweat broke out all over my body. I froze.
"Hey, look down. Now." He said.
Quickly I did as he said, and stayed still - actually the truth was, I couldn't move an inch even if I had wanted to (*).

Out of the right corner of my eye, just by the side of our table, I saw two white legs walk by, noiselessly and with such a smooth movement that they seemed to float.

A tapping on the shoulder brought me back to the reality.
"Did you see them?"
It was before the film "The Ring" was released, but looking back it strongly reminded me of the scene where Takayama sees a woman's legs in the park.

When I nodded, he continued;
"That was the source of the rumour that in Gusto there is sometimes an extra pair of legs among waiters. Well for me, I can see not only the legs but the whole thing. It's good for you that you can't see her face."
What sort of a man is he? I thought.
"Eat up quickly! She doesn't like me."
I myself wasn't totally foreign to paranormal experiences, but this guy - I realised for the first time - was different.
After leaving Gusto he took me on a tour to places such as a mountain path with strange fog and his favourite temples, and it was already morning when he finally released me.

Since then I had come to call him Master; and my apprenticeship would continue until his mysterious disappearance.


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Notes:
*a ringing in one's ear and a temporary paralysis are said to be common symptons which appear when ghosts are near.

Comments

Ribbon Black said…
"It's good for you that you can't see her face."

That's a good creepy line. Even in public, you aren't safe from ghosts :^O
Yes, Jeremy dear. Watch out! I can see someone behind you !:D
Unknown said…
Thank you again, Ms. Saya. I appreciate your annotations of the stories. Always nice to learn about a different culture... I'm not sure we have those same symptoms in our ghost stories.
Thank you, William!
I'm glad to know my annotation has been helpful! While not all people get these symptons when near ghosts, but they are the common ones, as far as I know. I used to get scared when I was a kid and my ear was ringing, thinking there was a ghost near me!

But actually the temporary paralysis is more commmonly associated with ghostly experience than ringing in the ear.
Unknown said…
Ms. Saya, have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?
William - Yes, I have. And I think I saw a ghost during the paralysis too!
Anonymous said…
i used to see apparitions back in college frequently. my university's has a "colorful" history
I'd love to know your experiences you had at your college, anti-zombie!
Catty said…
You should post about your ghostly experiences. No transalating there!
RinoRie Gachi said…
This comment has been removed by the author.