MEMOIR OF MA.N

Chapter 6. DRi Waterfall, Sneaking a Glimpse of a Female Ghost

Long ago, when the rain soaked through their bodies, making them shiver in their wet raincoats and their legs tremble, a distant light appeared ahead. Without much thought, the two men moved towards the light. The closer they got, the farther it seemed to recede. Suddenly, laughter, shrill as if someone were teasing them, echoed in the chilly air, causing both of them to soften and collapse. A shadowy figure suddenly appeared, accompanied by a shrill voice.

'Do you dare to urinate on my head? Well, today you'll stay right here.'

At this moment, AN and his cousin could hardly open their mouths; their breaths were intermittent, and it felt like an invisible force was tightening around their necks. AN was startled, and, instinctively, he reached for his throat, as if trying to release whatever was choking him. Then came a guttural sound and a horrific scream from the ghostly figure.

"Ah, ah, ah..."

Both AN and his cousin fell to the ground, and AN's hand, right where the scar formed in TS, had a trickle of blood flowing from it. AN, as if drained of life, could hardly sense anything and sank into confusion.

The morning arrived, the rain had stopped, and the birds were singing softly. AN stirred, feeling a damp ache, slowly opening his eyes to see the cold, misty morning sky. Before he could fully regain his senses, his cousin, Tr, exclaimed:

'What the hell happened, man? Why were we lying here?'

It took both of them a while to remember everything that had happened the previous night. As they contemplated, Tr spoke up:

"Hey, I remember last night we went quite far from here. Why are we still close to where we stopped?"

AN, still groggy, looked around and realized that they were indeed still near the empty plot of land, not far from where they had parked. There was also a small shrine nearby. AN remained silent, unable to say anything. He walked back to the motorcycle and attempted to start the engine. Strangely, the motorbike started without any issues. Both of them quickly got on the bike and left in silence. As they descended from the mountain passes, AN finally asked:

"Did you relieve yourself outside last night?"

Tr thought for a moment and replied somewhat absentmindedly:

"When we stopped, I really had to pee, so I just relieved myself on that big rock near the bike."

Hearing this, AN didn't say anything more but immediately started the engine and drove straight back to L N.

The Lam Vien plateau in July had a chilly atmosphere, with alternating days of rain and sunshine. The muddy red dirt covered the roads, making AN reluctant to go outside. At Tr's house, they rested for two days before Tr's brother took his girlfriend over. Tr's brother, T, was currently serving in the military and had returned on leave. That night, AN and his cousins decided to have a boisterous drinking session and planned to visit ĐRi Waterfall the next morning.

The group consisted of six people: AN, Tr, T's girlfriend, T, Tg and T's younger sister, T. AN was unfamiliar with the latter two as they were from Tr's mother's side of the family. The next morning, the weather was nice, with the early sunshine making everyone feel cheerful. After preparing themselves, they set off at mid-morning, heading up to the BL city and passing through Tu village. ĐRi Waterfall, with fewer tourists during this season, felt rather desolate. They spent their time eating and drinking and decided to stay overnight as Tg and Tr had gotten quite drunk and were unable to leave.

After renting two hotel rooms, they divided them into two groups: one room for two girls and the other for four men. Late at night, the wind became even colder, as if it carried the chill of the mountains into every nook of the hotel. AN tossed and turned but couldn't fall asleep. After a while, he got out of bed, put on a windbreaker, and quietly stepped outside.

After wandering for a while, AN suddenly had the idea to see how ĐRi Waterfall looked at night. Thinking so, he proceeded in the direction of the distant waterfall. At night, the magnificent view of ĐRi Waterfall contrasted with the daytime, with the sound of rushing water mixed with the cold mist, creating a thick, oppressive atmosphere. AN was lost in the lonely, cold forest, enjoying the solitude, when suddenly he jumped back in shock. In the distance, amidst the waterfall's mist, there was a figure, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden.

"How strange! Who would be bathing here at this hour? It's so cold, even a ghost couldn't bear it," AN muttered to himself, then, curiously, he approached to get a better look. As he got closer, his view of the figure became clearer, revealing a beautiful young woman luxuriating in the water. Her graceful figure, the curves of her body, and her seductive backside were AN's first glimpse of a woman's body. It was his first time seeing a female body. AN swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, his mind racing at the current situation. It was midnight, and someone was bathing there; there must be something eerie about this. A chilling sensation crept over AN, seemingly out of nowhere, causing shivers down his spine. He lifted his foot, intending to run, but inexplicably, a mixture of curiosity and regret held him back, as if an invisible force anchored his feet. After a moment, AN regained his composure, took a few steps back, then settled onto a nearby rock, lit a cigarette, and muttered to himself, "Well, if a beautiful ghost like that wants to show herself, who am I to resist?" Time passed slowly, and the deepening night grew eerier, filled with the cacophony of insects and the mournful howling of the wind. AN remained seated, observing the girl who appeared and disappeared beneath the water's surface, caught in a cycle of concealment and revelation.

AN intended to wait until the female ghost no longer graced the scene with her presence, but exhaustion and weariness eventually overcame him. He decided to disregard the situation and began to stand up to leave. Just as he turned, a voice, half teasing and half amusing, rang out coldly: "So, after staring at someone's body for so long, you want to run away now?"

Like a naughty child caught in the act, AN was startled and swiftly turned his head to look back at the girl, but his legs instinctively took a few steps back, ready to flee. The laughter resumed, and a voice as pure as the waters of an autumn lake continued:

"Get the clothes for me instead of leaving me freezing like this on the shore."

AN stood rooted in place as the nude girl approached, his inner turmoil evident. He stammered like a chicken caught in the act.

"C-Clothes? Where are they?"

"Just look where you were standing a moment ago," the girl replied.

As she spoke, she pointed toward the nearby rock. AN, still in a daze, cautiously moved closer. There, a white dress was clearly laid out. It was strange—he had been standing there the whole time, so how had he not seen it before? He mumbled to himself and reluctantly picked it up.

"Here, take it?"

AN bowed his head, unable to look the girl in the eye. A mixture of fear and embarrassment made him feel foolish. The girl, noticing AN's hesitation, burst into eerie laughter:

'You've already seen it all, so what's there to be embarrassed about? Give it to me quickly; it's getting cold.'

The girl, seemingly amused by AN's reaction, let out a mischievous laugh. 'You've already seen everything, so why be shy? Hand it over quickly; it's cold.'

AN, as if a machine, approached the girl hesitantly. A feeling of icy dread, like a freezing river, coursed through his body, causing every hair to stand on end. As the girl reached for the white dress from his hand, AN, taken aback, summoned all his willpower to turn and sprint away. But in that split second, the girl appeared right in front of him, fully dressed in her attire. AN, now in a state of extreme fear and panic, blurted out, 'This is getting complicated! I'm done for! Why do I keep running into ghosts lately? How can I escape from this?'

"Enough of running; I won't harm you," the girl suddenly said again, as if she had heard all of AN's mumbling.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to spy on you," AN stammered, his inner turmoil evident.

The girl showed no reaction, maintaining her cold demeanor.

"Whether you mean it or not, looking like this, who would believe you?" she asked.

'So, what do you want?' AN inquired.

'I need a drop of your blood,' she answered.

"What does 'a drop of blood' mean?" AN asked in surprise.

"I've deliberately waited here for you for more than ten decades," the girl explained, "waiting for someone who can see me, waiting for salvation."

"I don't understand," AN replied, bewildered.

"Are you a ghost or a demon?"

A heavy silence descended, silencing all sounds. The girl's once-beautiful appearance transformed before AN's eyes, now reduced to a tattered, ghastly figure with red, hollow eye sockets and the sound of bones creaking as she moved closer to him.