This happened when I was an elementary school student. One of our favorite places to play was a spot we called the Shrine Park—literally just a park right next to a shrine. There were other places to play, but we'd go to the Shrine Park every once in a while.
One day, we were playing there as usual. The only difference was that, even though it was daytime and hardly anyone was ever around, this time there was a middle-aged woman sitting on the stone steps, watching us play. We felt a little uneasy, so while we played, we kept glancing over at her.
Eventually, we got tired and sat down on the stone pavement, chattering away. The woman walked over to us and said, "I'm not with them right now, but I used to have kids around your age, too."
After chatting for a bit, she smiled and said, "Do you want me to teach you a fun game?" To be honest, we weren't really interested, but it felt rude to refuse, so we agreed.
"A way to go to another world," the woman said.
We were just kids, but even we couldn't believe that. We listened to her instructions with a mocking, half-scornful attitude. "All you have to do is hold hands, close your eyes, and keep repeating a certain chant."
I remember thinking, *What is this lady going to do when we actually try it and find out it's a lie?*
"So, what's the chant?" someone asked.
"Sushi ro koi shiro no iku shi ni," she replied.
Suddenly, her voice dropped into a low, threatening tone. "Let me tell you, that other world isn't a fun place."
That was when I realized she was just trying to scare us. She went on to explain about that other world.
"In that world, you will be chased by terrifying entities." "The terrifying entities grow stronger the more frightened you are, and weaker if you act tough." "Pain feels entirely real, and you can't escape like you would in a dream." "To return, everyone must gather together and chant." "Hold hands and keep chanting 'Shionuke.'"
At first, we were skeptical, but as she spoke, we started to wonder if maybe her story was true. Part of us didn't want to go anywhere that scary, but at the same time, we had a strong curiosity and wanted to try it out.
After discussing it for a while, we decided to actually do it.
The woman added one more warning: "You must keep your eyes closed. If even one of you opens your eyes, something terrible will happen to you."
*What kind of terrible thing?* I wondered.
The six of us lined up in a straight row, held hands, closed our eyes, and began to chant over and over: *"Sushi ro koi shiro no iku shi ni."*
...And yet, we kept chanting, but nothing happened. *Figures, it was a lie after all,* we laughed and opened our eyes.
The woman was already gone.
"Ah, she chickened out and ran away!" we laughed. We'd been tricked, but we had fun, so we were satisfied.
Except for one person, who had a dark look on his face.
"A-kun, what's wrong?" someone asked.
A answered, "Actually, I peeked through my eyes for a second, and the woman's face was terrifying..."
When we asked for details, he told us that the woman had walked up close to each and every one of us, glaring at us in turn. When it reached A's turn, he got too scared and squeezed his eyes shut, so he didn't see her leave.
"...Silent..."
An uncomfortable, lingering dread settled over us. The sun was beginning to set, and the shrine grounds were growing dim.
"Should we head home?"
Right at that moment— *Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle*—someone came running from the direction of the woods.
"They're coming this way!"
We hopped on our bicycles and fled as fast as we could. Nothing happened after that, but we never played in that park again.
However, I did go back there once. It was when I was in high school.
A friend and I were skipping school and heading back after seeing a movie. The hottest part of the afternoon had passed, but it was still humid. As we happened to pass by that park, my friend and I bought some juice from a nearby vending machine and sat on a bench in the shade, talking about the movie.
That's when I remembered what had happened there and told my friend the story. My friend was trying to make an independent film, and since the theme was horror, he was hooked. He said the Shrine Park might be useful as a location and started walking around to check it out.
My friend headed into the woods, so I stood up and followed him. It was cool inside the woods out of the sun, which felt nice. That was when I noticed, for the first time, a row of about three Jizo statues standing there.
I stood staring at the statues for a while.
Then my friend said, "Hey, what is this shrine anyway? This is creeping me out."
*Huh?* I followed my friend's gaze. Standing there was a tree noticeably larger than the surrounding ones. Nailed to that tree were six straw dolls, lined up in a row.
"Let's get out of here," my friend said.
We left the shrine immediately and headed back to a crowded place.
It’s a bit long, but that’s the end of my story. Still, what on earth was that woman trying to accomplish?