The Slender Woman by Maanha Amin

Overall Kids Category Winner

I was watering the gorgeous roses and sunflowers in the garden in the late afternoon sun. It was my first week in Japan, and my family insisted that I took a break from my job and visited them. Even though it was hard to leave my beautiful office for a month, I can now say it was definitely worth it. Everyone was so happy and I could actually say I was relaxed. Anyway, as the setting sun was blinding me, I noticed something peculiar. Over on the other side of the 3-metre high hedge surrounding my family’s house, was a straw hat bobbing up and down. It seemed like a woman was on the other side, but who on earth would be 3 metres tall? Suddenly two pale white hands reached on top of the hedge, and the straw hat went higher until I could finally see the mysterious face. I screamed. A lady with a pale face, slit mouth, and two huge black eyes were staring straight at me. She took her straw hat off revealing her long, black greasy hair. I let out another piercing shriek, dropped the watering can on my foot, yelped in pain and ran inside the house, locking the door behind me. When my parents came home I told them everything. Once I was finished, they looked at me in horror. “ We need to go to your grandmother,” They said. I was so confused. Why did we need to tell an 89 year old woman? When we told HER the story she gasped. All she uttered was “ The slender woman is back”. That night was something I wouldn’t forget. Grandma told me the legend of the slender woman, and how she has been around for centuries , and whoever saw her would be her next target. Just listening to her gave me chills. She strictly said to stay in my room the entire night, lock all the windows and NEVER open the door.( Even if I needed to go to the bathroom, which is why she gave me a bucket.) She did some type of ritual, and placed four bowls of salt in the corners of my room. Then she left. I locked the door shut and went to bed. I think it was around 3am when I woke up to hear tapping on my window. All the salt in the room was mysteriously black. I sank into my bed listening to the tapping. My breathing got faster. I couldn’t look. After ten minutes it stopped. But then something even more terrifying happened. I heard loud footsteps from the corridor. My grandma’s voice was at the door. “Sweetheart, you're safe now, open up”. I excitedly ran to the door but something told me I shouldn’t open it. My grandma never called me sweetheart and it wasn’t morning yet. Finallyit was morning. I went straight home because everyone told me I couldn’t return to Japan or the slender woman would come for me again. 5 years passed. I got a call saying my grandma was sick and I told my parents I was coming but they refused because of the legend. I had to see her though. I wasn’t afraid of this slender lady. I was going back to Japan…