Chapter 63: The Snow Woman

The Good Hills High School in Kyoto was covered in snow. During winter, the school was a beautiful sight with snow-covered trees and hills. However, there was one incident that made the winter of that year, a terrifying memory for a boy named Taro.

Taro was a senior student in the school and was well-known for his helpful nature. One winter day, while walking to school, he noticed a woman standing by the side of the road. She was wearing a sleeveless frock despite the freezing temperature, and Taro was concerned about her well-being. He offered her his jacket and asked if she needed any help. She smiled at him and said, "Thank you, young man. But I'm just waiting for someone."

The boy was puzzled and concerned, but he continued on his way to school. However, to his surprise, he saw the same woman every day, standing in the same spot, wearing the same sleeveless frock. He tried to talk to her, but she always replied with the same answer, "I'm just waiting for someone."

Taro's curiosity grew each day, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the woman. On one particularly cold and windy day, Taro approached the woman and asked if she needed his help again. This time, she accepted his offer, and Taro took her to his home. He brewed some hot tea for her and tried to make her feel comfortable.

As they were talking, Taro accidentally touched the woman's arm, and he felt an icy coldness. He recoiled in shock, and as he looked at the woman, he noticed her pale skin and her hair that was pure white, almost like snow. The woman looked at him and said, "Thank you for your kindness, young man. But it's time for me to go."

Taro felt a shiver down his spine as the woman stood up and walked towards the door. As she opened it, a gust of wind blew in, and Taro saw that the snow outside had turned red. He rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was hallucinating, but when he looked again, he saw the woman walking away from his house, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in the snow.

Taro was horrified and didn't know what to do. He decided to confide in his friend, Ken, who was a scholar of the supernatural. Ken listened to Taro's story and told him about the legend of the Yuki Onna, the snow woman. According to the legend, the Yuki Onna was a spirit of the snow who appeared to travelers during winter. She would seduce them with her beauty and then kill them, leaving no trace behind.

Taro was convinced that the woman he saw was the Yuki Onna, and he was terrified for his life. He knew that he had to find a way to protect himself. Ken advised him to seek the help of a monk who was known to have experience dealing with supernatural entities.

Taro did as Ken suggested, and he visited the monk at his temple. The monk listened to Taro's story and confirmed that he had encountered the Yuki Onna. He told Taro that he needed to perform a purification ritual to cleanse himself of the spirit's influence.

The ritual was long and arduous, but Taro followed the monk's instructions to the letter. He burned incense, chanted prayers, and drank holy water. Finally, after hours of purification, Taro felt a sense of relief, and he knew that he had rid himself of the Yuki Onna's curse.

From that day on, Taro was careful never to venture out during winter alone, and he warned his friends and classmates of the dangers of encountering the Yuki Onna. However, the incident continued to haunt him, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that the spirit was still watching him.

One night, a few weeks after the incident, Taro was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep when he heard a soft tapping sound at his window. He got up to investigate, and as he opened the window, a gust of cold wind blew in, carrying with it the scent of snow and ice.

Taro looked out into the darkness and saw a figure standing outside his window. He gasped in shock as he recognized the woman he had encountered before, the Yuki Onna. She was looking at him with her pale, haunting eyes, and Taro felt a chill run down his spine.

The Yuki Onna spoke to him, her voice cold and whispery, "Thank you for your kindness, young man. You have shown me compassion when no one else did. I will spare you, but remember that I am always watching."

Taro shuddered as the Yuki Onna disappeared into the night, and he knew that he would never forget her terrifying presence. He also knew that he would always be careful during winter and would never forget the lessons he had learned.

From that day on, Taro continued his studies at Good Hills High School, but he was never quite the same again. He had seen the face of a supernatural entity, and it had left an indelible mark on his psyche. He continued to warn his friends and classmates about the dangers of the Yuki Onna, and he never forgot the terror he had experienced.

As for the Yuki Onna, she continued to appear to travelers during winter, luring them with her beauty and killing them with her icy touch. She remained a legend, a spirit of the snow, haunting the forests and mountains of Japan, waiting for her next victim to appear. And Taro knew that he would always remember her, as the woman in the sleeveless frock, who had come to his house one winter's day, bringing with her a terror that he would never forget.