Mind's Eye - Inspiration

Hi all,

I decided to do a short write up on where I find inspiration for the creepy things I write. What makes my mind see darkness in regular places, what is it that makes me pen stories of the unusual and oft macabre?

Now for the most part, I find inspiration by reading other stories and looking at weird things on the internet and occasionally, when time permits, going on a bit of an exploration trip around my town.

Honestly, the town I work at has a dark and sordid history and that is why I find it so interesting. It has it origins in mining way back when, but even before that the very start of this town is rotted in death and misery. See, in December of 1880 around 6000 men got together to fight for independence of the Transvaal. No fight for independence ever is pretty.

After that there was a lot of mining on the various farms and the gold rush brought with it more people, more death. The town also was used as a concentration camp during the Anglo Boer war. It has a rich history of various christian denominations vying for the attention of the populace and some reports of satanism every few years. Honestly, I am pretty sure that for every church, regardless of denomination, there is at least one reported haunting in this town.

I love this town with all its stories. The most recent being a colleague at work claiming he is haunted by a suicide victim who took his life on a hill behind my colleagues house. There is the story about a man involved in satanism who murdered his parents and allegedly stuff his father's brains into the bullet casings he fired at the cops. There is another of a school which used to be the site of public executions and to this day people claim seeing the ghosts of those hanged there back when. There are stories of one haunted house where a girl committed suicide by lighting herself on fire. One of my friends from primary schooled lived in that exact house and honestly, I do recall some really creepy things happening there when I went to visit as a kid.

So many creepy places to see and stories to hear and that is why I am working on an entire horror anthology set in this creepy ass town. 

Here follows some photos of my most recent adventure to what is surely a haunted as balls abandoned mining hostel.

So yes, inspiration is plentiful in a town that has a dark history. Creepiness is right around the corner.

If you have any creepy places you would like to share with me, please do so. Maybe we can explore some together one day?

-Vengi

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See no Evil - Kuroi Jukai

Hi there peoples,

So this week I'm actually doing something I'm not entirely comfortable with but is that not the point of creepy things? The thrill of experiencing something that makes us uncomfortable? The constant discovering of fears and overcoming them when we realise that they are just the wind and not a crazy ass axe-murderer? And if it is the latter, we are dead in any event so then there's no more fear.

So everybody is familiar with the iconic Mount Fuji. Some of you might already be aware where this is heading. There is a forest at the base of the mountain that has some incredibly negative connotations to it. Aokigahara Forest, commonly known as the Suicide Forest.

This forest is so dense in some places that even midday there are places that the sun does not reach. Much has been said about the suicides and the Yurei and other demons claimed to inhabit it, but I'd like to focus on the less supernatural beauty of this forest. It is honestly a breathtakingly stunning place. I mean, unless you go off the beaten path and even then it has a kind of macabre beauty to it.

The trails of tape that hikers use to prevent themselves from getting lost intertwine with the ropes and tapes left behind to find the bodies of suicide victims, forming a colourful sort of spider web all throughout this darkened sea of trees.

Here follows one of two paintings I did of the forest at the base of Mount Fuji, along with one of my favourite poems about one of the most intriguing places I have ever heard of, Aokigahara Forest.

Spirit of the Forest

Walk the trails, and don't you dare stray

the labyrinth of trees soon all around

drowning out all but the Spirit's sound

heed its call and your soul shall stay.

This black sea of trees is deadly unkind

walking upon only ashes and bone

a voice whispers, whispers to you alone

and darkness again consumes your mind.

Tread lightly, find your way back to where there is light

as the spirit calls out your name

calls out your name, thus the reason you came

or alone in your darkness, should end your life.

The means are plenty throughout Kuroi Jukai

the Spirit of the Forest gives again its command

your life is forfeit, and by your own hand

the darkness did not dissipate as, in agony, you die.

So walks another spirit in this serene hell

calling to those who may enter

a relentless, wicked mentor

another dead man's tale to tell.

-Vengi

If there are any other creepy places you would to share with me please do so. Creepy suicide forests and such are meant to be shared... The Spirit of the Forest commands it.

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Stories From My Mind - The Library 1. It Saw Me

There’s an old library in my town that I’ve loved since a young age. This library has inspired a series of stories from me because it has an uncomfortable feel to it, like there’s something wrong with it. It’s subtle but it’s there.

1. It Saw Me

KDP Library Investigation

911 Call Transcript

Total call time – 12 Minutes 0 Seconds

911: “You’ve reached Krugersdorp 9-1-1, what is the location of your emergency?”

Richard: (Panicked whispers) “Uhm… Hello? I think it saw me…”

911: “I need your address, sir?”

Richard: (troubled breathing, panicked whispers) “I-I’m at the library, the big one near the town hall. It saw me… I know it did. You have to help.”

911: “That would be the old library on Von Brandis Street? Sir, are you sure this is your location? Who is looking for you?”

[Low rumbling noises]

Richard: “Yes, yes I am. In the back on the third floor. It… it's looking for me.”

911: “Sir, I am sending out a patrol car to your location. Stay on the line -”

[Distant crashing]

Richard: “It's coming back. You have to help me!”

911: “What is your name, sir?”

Richard: “My na-? My name is Richard. I’m at the library and it's coming back… Oh God! It is coming back.” (Crying)

911: “Alright, Richard. Calm down. The patrol car is on its way. Just stay on the line with me. What number are you phoning from?”

[Scraping sound – like steel on cement or tar]

911: “Sir, your number? I need to know what number you are phoning from, please?”

Richard: (Hushed whispers) “I-I can see it now… It's maybe, three rows over. I'm hiding under a desk now. (Panicked) Please don’t let it get me.”

911: “You’ll be fine, Richard. Can you describe what you are seeing to me?”

Richard: “No. (Unintelligible mumbling)”

911: “No? Sir, you are saying you can’t describe -?”

Richard: “(Trembling, shaking voice) I-I can’t. I won’t… It knows. It's looking for me.”

[Sound of books crashing to the ground]

911: “What is happening? Sir, are you alright?”

Richard: “(unintelligible) ---ming for me. It's so close.”

911: “Richard, stay calm. Stay hidden. The patrol car should be there soon.”

(Roar/Howl, low, guttural sound with screeching undertones)

Richard: (Screaming) “GOD! No, it saw me.”

[Scurrying sounds, papers aflutter, books falling]

911: “Sir, sir are you alright? What is your situation?”

Richard: “It has me! No, no, noooo-gaaaaahhhhharg!!”

[Ripping sounds, sticky, wet, warm sounds]

911: “Richard? Richard are you there?”

[Gnawing sounds, like metal sawing through bone]

-Call Disconnected-

Patrol Car: “Dispatch, we are at the site where the library used to be but the field is as empty as it was when they tore down the building 5 years ago.”

911: “No sign of anybody? Anything?”

Patrol Car: “Nothing, just the field. Returning to HQ.”

911: “Alright.” “Shit… Richard… not again.”

I hope you all enjoyed that little story and be sure to check back for more creepy things sson.

-Vengi

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