This is my entry for [link] and [link] HALLOWEEN CONTEST

Kwaidan (ghost story): ONI no MOKUREN

Hundred years ago, there is magnolia tree that lived in a forest near Kyoto. Famous not just because of its beauty, but it’s also because the sound of the shinofue.

There was a man name Kiyoshi. He is a merchant from other village; he wants to go to Kyoto to sell a kimono fabric. After 2 days walking from his village to Kyoto, he comes to a two road that leads to Kyoto. The left one, he has to make a turn to a mountain path, but it needs at least 2 days more so that he can make it to Kyoto. The right one is through the forest path and it takes only 6 hours so that he can make it to Kyoto. Because he is so tired after a long walk, he chose the right path through the forest.
Few hours of walking through forest path, he never meet others traveler or a merchant. It’s really weird he thought. Night has come, and any minutes later he will arrive at Kyoto, at last he can take a proper night sleep and food in the inn. Suddenly he heard a very beautiful sound of fuezuka, it’s really soothing. He suddenly felt like he really wants to find out where does the sound came from. With light from his torch and a dim light from crescent moon, he goes off from the road and entering the dark forest. The sound is getting clearer and also he can hear a woman voice calling "kochi-kochi" (right here, right here). Strangely he didn’t feel afraid at all.

It’s getting closer and closer. The sound getting clearer and clearer. Then he found it. He found the source of that beautiful sound, but he still can’t find out who’s the player; it’s really dark in there and the crescent moon itself is hidden behind the clouds.
"Kiete kudasai" (listen please) said the woman voice. He then sits on a rock near the tree, when he sit the sound of shinofue suddenly disappear and he come to his sense again. He’s very confused and afraid, how could he be here. He didn’t remember anything before. When the cloud leaves and the crescent moon shine again, he saw very terrifying things.
At least 7 arms, as pale as a corpse, came out and waving slowly from the magnolia tree. He then screams as loud as he can.
“Urusai (silent)” said a man up in the tree; he is the one who plays the shinofue. Kiyoshi realize that the man had a red glowing eye and a horn like oni (demon), he’s really afraid, while he wants to run away from there, someone caught his neck kimono from behind.
“Anata wa doko ni iru no ka (where are you going)??” said a woman face that suddenly came out from the tree, then 3 or 4 again appear asking the same thing. He struggling to let go from that pale hand, but it’s too strong and many other hand keep on appearing and grab his kimono, his arms, leg, body, then at last strangle his neck. He keep on scream and struggling when all the hands dragging him into the tree, all the women faces just keep on laughing and laughing until all Kiyoshi bodies and loads of goods disappear into the tree. Everything become silent again, then the demon starts playing his shinofue again tries to lure other fools to be swallowed by the tree...
END