I was visiting a close relative somewhere in South East Asia. Look, I understand that the location is vague, but I don’t wish it to be tied to me, and I simply just feel uncomfortable saying it.
So, this relative is my cousin. She’s a year older than me. We used to stay together in this one big family house in the village, my family and I moved out to the city in another country when I was 10. I can’t remember the reason though, but I’m certainly not complaining.
Upon reaching, the smell of oil palm trees, cow and chicken dung made fertilizer filled my nose. It’s a sense of familiarity, I used to run around there bare footed as a kid. Fishing in the river and get bitten by mosquitoes none stop.
The road is just red mud road, oil palms filled the right side of the road, wooden houses on the left. The houses are build on tall wooden beams, in that particular area the beams are about 6 feet tall because flood occasionally happens and that saves a lot problems. You can just duck slightly and walk underneath the house as an adult. Like most farm villages, the houses are quite far apart from each other. About 10-15 minutes travel on foot.
Cows roam freely and chicken pecks whatever they find, got to try and avoid any goose, they are crazy. But I was in no fear of goose anymore as an adult, and in my car of course. I drove slowly and carefully to not hit any chickens, it can be problematic if someone runs over someone else’s animal.
My cousin’s house was easy enough to find just like in my memory, straight down the main mud road, turn left after passing a bunch of banana trees. It took me about 20 minutes to reach the old house.
My cousin Beth greeted me warmly. She took me on a ride on a old motorcycle, without helmet and wearing slippers. Crazy I know. But that’s what all the villagers do. There isn’t even a police station or mall 50 kilometers away.
We brought drinks along the way, iced milk tea in a plastic bag, nylon strings tied on one of the edges so that you can hook your finger in and dangle the drink as you ride on the motorcycle.
Beth rides fast even on the uneven muddy road. I instinctively grab her waist hard and let out a small cry as we skid a little during a corner. “You’re too much of a city boy now.” She laughed. “Hey that’s crazy even fo-“ I tried to retort but the next bump on the road had me bit my own tongue.
Beth took me to many places that we played when we were kids, endless fond memories pour back to me. And soon without realizing it the sun was setting. We head back and had a hearty meal. Nothing beats fresh food right out of the farm. I was lead back into my old room, where lots of stuff were replaced but still looks comfortable enough.”Remember not to sneak out at night and goodnight.” Beth tells me. I laughed and said replied goodnight and went into my bed.
The bed had a mosquito net hung on it, and of course I smartly lay it on, covering the bed like a giant upsidedown bowl and went in it. Sleep was harder than I imagined. Crickets, frogs and cicada made noises in such places. And it’s a lot louder than I remembered. Tossing and turning all night despite being really tired, I failed to get into sleep.
It was then I heard something shuffling. At first I thought maybe Beth went to get water or something, but the sound keep on repeating. And it seems that the sound from the animals faded. It’s hard to tell, it sounded like someone dragging something on the ground. Something stirred in my memory but I can’t recall what.
As I lay on my bed, the sound continue to shuffle around. Soon I realized that the sound was coming from below. As I mentioned, the house in build on top of beams, there’s plenty spaces to move around underneath. I peer down from my bed, the floor are just wooden planks and there are some tiny gaps in between. Unfortunately the gaps are too small to see anything, light does go through if it was in the day, but at night I can’t see anything at all.
Maybe it’s a cow or something, I thought to myself and try to sleep again. But the sound isn’t stopping at all. I grab my phone and turn it on. 2.31 A.M. Wondering if that sound was going to keep me up all night, I decided to turn on the flash light and point it towards the wooden planks. That did nothing. I still can’t see anything. So I shoo it. Still nothing.
I was getting very irritated and decide to go and check it out. The wooden planks bends slight under my feet as I tried to keep it quite as not to disturb Beth. I move towards the living room and towards the door. Opening it, the door creaks slightly but otherwise it didn’t made much noise.
There’s a stairs that lead down to the ground, so I wore the slipper that is left outside and headed down. Everything is pitch black except for the light from the moon that gives almost no help. I used my phone’s light to navigate around and started my search for whatever it is.
It took me less than a few seconds. I saw something olddly shaped. As my light flashed on it, I saw it clearly. It is a body, a human body. Warped in white shroud from head to toe. A knot tied on the top, neck and bottom. The shroud look dirty like it has dug itself out of the grave. It gave out a low moan and keep shuffling towards me. Warped in that thing. Its movements awkward, jerky and bended in unexplainable way. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t scream. I just stood there frozen.
A hand grab and dragged me back into the house and shutted the door tight. “You okay?” Ask Beth. I couldn’t reply and just stare at her. Realizing she saved me from whatever that was.
She told me to wait for her in the living room and went to make some warm tea for me. I panicked when she left but she swiftly returns and told me that it is safe.
I wasn’t sure what happened. But by the time I gotten a grip of myself it was already morning, and the sun shining in from the windows. “What was that?” I asked Beth. “Pocong.”
Something stirred in my mind again. “You’ve seen it before you know? That’s why your family moved out. That’s why I told you not to go out.”
I didn’t wanted to remember. I hugged Beth tightly and thanked her for saving me. But I didn’t wanted to stay another night. So I left.
Beth and I still keep in touch. I take her around if she ever comes. But never again I’ll return.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocong