Fear is Always Lurking in Daily Life | True Stories: 3 Scary Tales

Hello.
I'm Yu, a woman with nothing but room to grow.

It's raining, isn't it? (In Tokyo, at least.)
It makes one feel a bit gloomy, doesn't it?

I thought I'd look for some cheerful topic...

I tried looking, but since there wasn't anything in particular, I'll share some truly terrifying true stories from my "aged drafts."
(Please be aware in advance that these are not horror stories.)

The Counterattack of the Japanese Beetle

That was back when I had just entered high school.
I was bringing in the laundry and folding it.

I discovered a Japanese beetle clinging to one of the items.

Flying insects are scary.

Even though I used to catch grasshoppers and the like with my bare hands until I was in elementary school, before I knew it, I had become afraid of insects.

Japanese beetles are scary.

Panicking, I committed a brutal act: I captured the beetle with a massive amount of tissue paper, wrapped it tightly in packing tape, and threw it in the trash.

This was, without a doubt, an insect-killing incident.

The Japanese beetle did nothing wrong.

A few days later, the moment I opened the window in my room,
a loud buzzing sound echoed throughout the room.

A Japanese beetle.

I remembered.
That brutal act from that day...

There was no doubt it had come to attack me to avenge its fallen comrade.
I was screaming at the Japanese beetle's counterattack.

Needless to say, I became even more afraid of insects after that.

And ever since, when bringing in the laundry, I've made it a habit to shake the clothes out vigorously to ensure no insects are clinging to them.

The Terror of Being Trapped

One day, shortly after getting my driver's license, I borrowed my brother's car.
I was heading to my part-time job.

I should have taken a slightly longer route, but I was feeling impatient due to the traffic jam caused by the morning commute.

For some reason, I chose the road with the railroad crossing that day.

There was a traffic light right after the crossing, and there was only enough space for two or three cars between them. Of course, it was congested there too.

Oh no, I'm going to be late.

Panicking and flustered, I had already pulled onto the tracks before the light changed.

It's okay, the light should change soon.

Even though I thought that, the crossing gate heartlessly began to lower.
Clang, clang, clang, clang.

Th... this is... not okay.

Sweat poured out of me.
Oh no, I'm done for.

I had to get off the tracks no matter what.
I decided to move the car forward.

When I looked ahead, the experienced drivers were moving their cars to make room for me. It was just enough space for one small light car to fit.

I don't know if they were actually experienced, but I am alive today because those four cars that happened to be stopped there made that split-second decision to move.

To those drivers from that time.
I'm so sorry I couldn't thank you properly...

If you happen to be someone who thinks, 'Oh, that was me,' I want to express my heartfelt gratitude.

Railroad tracks are scary.

Since then, I have avoided roads with railroad tracks as much as possible. And whenever I do cross them, I have become extremely cautious.

By the way, I have a gold license now.
That's because I almost never have the chance to drive anymore.
Cities are overflowing with transportation options.

Caught in a fire

I have been caught in a large-scale fire twice in my life.

The first time was when I was in elementary school.
The factory next door, separated by a fence, burned to the ground.

I could only watch as the factory burned with a loud roar.
Fortunately, because there was some distance, my home suffered no damage, but I felt terror at seeing such a catastrophe for the first time.

Thinking about it now, since it was a house where gas pipes were left outside, I'm sure some adult must have moved them. Otherwise, I wouldn't be alive.

Fire is scary.

The second time was after I became an adult.
My three children came to visit me at the company where I worked near my home.

As soon as I went outside,
the children desperately pleaded, 'There's a fire downstairs!!'

Looking closely, my son was wearing his pants over his underwear.
All three of them were clutching dirty rags.

I knew immediately that something serious was happening.
I told everyone at the company and immediately went back to check the situation.

The house below ours was burning.
It was making a tremendous roaring sound.

The pillar of fire was so large it was reaching our balcony.
It's no use, this time our house will definitely burn too.

Various things flashed through my mind.
My stomach started to hurt.

Apparently, I was pale as a sheet.
A paramedic was worried about me and told me to get into the ambulance.
I don't know why, but I refused.
Even so, they told me to just get in for now, so I went to the ambulance.

I couldn't calm down even after getting into the ambulance.

Thanks to the firefighters' desperate efforts, the fire was somehow extinguished.
The floor below was completely gutted.

It seems the house next door is uninhabitable due to the water used for firefighting.

This time, it's really over.
I won't be able to recover from this.
That's what I thought.

A firefighter said he would go check my home to confirm its condition.
I handed over my keys and asked him to do so.

In my imagination, the floor of my house had already collapsed.

However, the firefighter who returned said something unexpected.

'It's okay. Would you like to go inside?'

'Huh?'

Apparently, our home was safe.

But with that pillar of fire...
I was afraid the floor might have fallen through.

Even so, I am the head of the household.
I have no choice but to check.

Accompanied by the firefighter, I went to check my home.

A room filled with smoke and heat.
I was told to walk in with my shoes on.
It was because I might get burned by the heat.

While I thought, 'Hey, wait a minute,' as the firefighters walked in without hesitation in their boots, I also proceeded cautiously with my shoes on.

The snacks and plates that the children were likely about to eat before their nap were left just as they were. My son's discarded clothes were also left as they were...

I was suddenly brought back to reality and felt embarrassed.
The firefighters had seen the state of my home.
I wanted to get out quickly.

With only a cursory check of the situation, I grabbed only what the children needed for school and went outside immediately.

For a while after that, I lived in tension, worried that the floor might give way.

Although there was no damage to my home in either experience, I understand the terror of fire.
The life you take for granted can disappear in an instant.

Fire is truly terrifying.

By the way, the cleaning cloths the children were holding were taken out on the spur of the moment by my reliable eldest daughter to cover their mouths and avoid inhaling smoke.

Perhaps clean towels were in the same place.
That's just between us, though.

The knowledge from evacuation drills at school must have been useful.
I'm proud of my child; it was impressive.

That is all.
That was the terrifying experience I had.

In life, you never know what might happen.
We must live each day with care.

❤❤❤
▼ This is the kind of woman who wrote this note ▼