HACHISHAKUSAMA (Patreon)

"Hey, Larry! Long time no see. How's it going?" I greeted my old friend as I walked into his family's store. I hadn't been here in years and still remembered when his parents ran it. I was in town visiting after finishing my last semester of school. I'd come here a lot when I was a child, but ever since starting college my visits had been fewer and farther between. Still, after the hectic life of a college student, the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of this town is exactly what I needed.

"Pat! What's going on in this ole country town to bring a city dweller like you back here?" he said with a smile and shook my hand.

"Honestly just needed a change of pace for a while. City life is great, but it gets pretty busy. Figured this was the perfect spot. I was thinking of getting a tour guide to take me out into the woods, but don't seem to be able to find anyone."

Larry leaned on the hardwood counter. This place really hadn't changed much at all in the years since I'd been here. There were a few more scratches in that old countertop, but then again, we all had more scratches in our armor. "Well, that's probably because no one really goes into those woods anymore."

"How come?” I asked.

"I'd tell you, but you'd just laugh," Larry said as he wiped down the window near the register. "Most city dwellers think we are just superstitious and gullible."

"Try me!” I said.

Larry looked at me for a while and then lowered his voice to tell me. “Well alright," he said and leaned over the counter to speak in a hushed tone. "Supposedly there's a ghost in those woods. At least if you believe the rumors. I heard someone mention something about a Ha...Hachika, though I'm not entirely sure what that is."

I stared at him somewhat dumbfounded. “You mean Hasshaku-sama? The ghost of the 8-foot-tall woman?”

“Yes, that was it… that name was mentioned by the younger boys. Apparently, there's been several sightings."

"But that's practically a Japanese creepypasta! It doesn't make any sense," I said.

"Hey, I'm just telling you what I've heard," Larry said and held up his hands.

When I left Larry's store, I couldn't stop thinking about what he had told me. It was ridiculous, a fictional Japanese ghost from another continent inhabiting the forest of a town in the middle of nowhere like this. I found this completely unlikely but given that I'd already wanted to go exploring the woods anyway, I decided to check it out. So, the next morning I readied my pack with water and snacks and a local map I'd picked up at Larry's store and headed out into the trees.

The town I was visiting may have been small, but the forest that bordered it was not. It was big, easily twice the size of the town. The trees were tall and grew close together, and the thick canopy blocked out a good portion of the sunlight. The autumn leaves crunched beneath my feet as I crept further in, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of a "ghost".

I lost track of the time as I wandered down one of the few trails the forest had. Getting lost in nature was just what I needed after months of crazy college life. I didn't even notice when I ran out of trail and was just stepping over low lying brush and a few fallen trees until I'd gone far enough in that I couldn't even find the trail anymore. I pulled out my cell thinking to  use my GPS to help find my way back, but the signal was as elusive as the supposed ghost I was hunting. That is to say, there was no sign of either.

"Shit, I should have at least brought a compass," I told myself as I tried to orient myself in this maze of trees. I tried to remain silent to see if I could hear anything helpful. All I heard was the peaceful song of birds and other typical forest noises. I sighed and slumped my shoulders, dejected. Then behind there was a snap, like someone had stepped on a twig and broke it. I spun around to see a tall figure rising out of nearby bushes. At first, I saw a wide brimmed hat, then a long white dress. I shivered. There's no way Hasshaku-sama was really here, right? I ducked behind a large tree.

I peeked through some brush to watch the giant. She came over to where I had been moments before, her long dress sweeping along the forest floor as she moved. Her hat kept her face covered in shadow, but even from my crouched position I could tell she was much taller than the 8ft the rumors claimed she was. She had to be at least 12 ft tall. She stood there for a moment just looking around as if looking for something. Had she actually seen me? I remained crouched in my position until she finally continued on. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and tried to creep as quietly as I could in the opposite directions he'd gone.

Somehow, I escaped undetected and a few moments later found myself in a clearing. On the far side was a cabin with smoke rising out of the chimney. The door was slightly ajar when I crept over to it, so I peeked inside. Didn't look like anyone was home so I went further in. There was a giant bed in one corner, and in the opposite as a giant desk with an equally giant chair. On the desk sat a typewriter and a messy pile of papers. "T-this must be her house," I mumbled to myself. I turned when I heard the door opening and screamed in surprise as I saw the ghost duck through and enter her house.

"AAAH!" she yelled and fell backwards, equally surprised by my presence.

“What… ouch…. What are you doing here?” she said annoyed while she was kneeling on the floor rubbing her head.

“You… you screamed? Did it hurt?” I said surprised.

"OF COURSE, IT HURT! I HIT MY HEAD!" The woman rubbed her head a bit then stood up, towering over me. She sighed heavily. "Well, someone had to find out sometime I guess..."

"So, you are not a ghost… you are just a very tall girl," I said.

She nodded and sat on the edge of her bed, removing her hat and boots. It was the first time I could see her face. "Yeah, I'm just a mutant who was taking advantage of the solitude of the forest so that no one would interrupt me."

"I'm just a mutant girl who was taking advantage of the loneliness so that no one would interrupt me," she said as she sat on the bed, putting aside her booties and hat. It was the first time she could see her face and it was unrealistically beautiful.

Her name was Whitney and she explained everything to me. She is an emerging writer, who had had a bit of success with some YA stories but had run out of inspiration for her next book. She looked for a place where she would have absolute peace to write and had found this forest. Her family owned the cabin and she had been certain no one would come this far into the woods. It was perfect.

“Unfortunately, during the summer there are a lot of nature hikes and plant identification classes that bring people out into the woods. You wouldn’t think those things would be that noisy, but it was distracting enough that it prevented me from writing. One day I happen to be outside dressed in this white dress when they came by, and several people started screaming about a ghost. I saw an opportunity and took it. Every so often I put on this outfit and go out for a hike of my own. Gets me some exercise while keeping the place isolated and quiet. It’s win/win. Though I suppose now my cover has been blown.”

“Well, sometimes cryptids and ghost stories attract people. Maybe not as many as a plant identification class, but there are a few of us that like to go ghost hunting,” I couldn’t help winking at her. She may not be an actual ghost, but I wouldn’t die that I enjoyed a good ghost hunt from time to time.

“I know, but this town is kind of… innocent…in that regard,” she said.

"Did you say innocent instead of old-fashioned and superstitious?" I replied. She laughed a little and relaxed more. “And hey… don't worry, I have no intention of disturbing you, and I'll keep your secret.”

“Thanks! I’d be most appreciative if you did. I’m almost done with my book, but still have a few more chapters to go,” she said and went over to her desk.

"What is it about?"

“Romance, though a bit more adult this time,” she told me. “I want to get away from YA stories a bit. I don't mind them… they sell very well, but I want to try something new.”

We spent hours talking about books and writing and how nice solitude to can be sometimes. I didn’t realize how late it was until I looked out her window and saw the sun had gone down. I took out my phone to check the actual time, and though I had recovered a bit of signal my battery was almost dead. “Crap, it’s late and my phone is dead.”

“You can charge it here. I think I have a cord that’ll fit your phone. Though it will take some time to get a full charge. Why don't you stay here for the night?”

Judging by the time and how dark it already was, she was right. I accepted her invitation to stay over and she made us a lovely dinner. When it came time to go to sleep, we agreed to share the bed. She was going to sleep on the floor and let me have the bed to myself, but I told her there was no need for one of us to be uncomfortable. So, she put on some soft pajamas and climbed in beside me.

“Thank you again for hosting me,” I said. Though her bed was quite spacious and comfortable we both were having trouble falling asleep.

She turned over to face me and smiled. “No worries. Honestly, although solitude helps to write it does get quite lonely and I miss human contact. Among other things,” her smile faded to a small frown.

“What?”

“Also, although it sounds silly… the nights are cold, and you get to missing the warmth of another person’s body.” We lay in silence for a second, both looking in each other’s eyes. We’d just met, but it also felt like we’d been friends for a while. “I’m happy you came here," she said after a while.

I relaxed a little knowing I wasn’t an inconvenience, and she was enjoying my company. "So, exactly how tall are you?" I asked. I was glad it was dark, and she couldn’t see the way my cheeks turned red. "Just out of curiosity."

"I'm about 13 feet tall," she said with a smile.

"Wow. That’s an interesting mutation."

"Well, I also have six breasts, but since my upper pair is very large it allows me to hide my middle and lower pairs. Especially since I mostly wear really baggy shirts," she said and giggled a little. Maybe it was just from the joy of having a conversation with someone.

"Wow, that sounds interesting," I said, intrigued. I strangely found myself attracted to my bed partner.

"Hey Pat," she said. “Are you asleep?”

“No.”

“I have a…strange question. I’m sorry to be so forward, but…well the truth is I find myself a little attracted to you and was wondering if maybe you felt the same.” I couldn’t help noticing how shy she sounded.

It actually took a moment before I realized what she was asking, and when I did my eyes flew open. “Wait really? I mean, I am attracted to you, but I don’t know if I can…you know…satisfy you.” Once again, I was thankful for the darkness that hid my blush.

She giggled and sat up in bed as she removed her pajamas. Even in the dark I could see the beautiful six breasts she had mentioned. Just as she said each row was smaller than the one above it. I swallowed hard as I watched her stand up and shimmy off her pants. She reached out and brought my hand between her legs. She had two vaginas there and both were already dripping. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

I swallowed again and stood up to remove my own clothes quickly. She stretched out on the bed, legs spread, and breasts exposed. She was fiddling with one of her own nipples as I climbed up her lean body. Her hands slid up my back in small caresses and it didn’t take long before I was sliding my penis into one of her wet vaginas. For the next while we were nothing but sweaty bodies thrusting against each other and moans filling the entire cabin.

"That was amazing," I told her as I tried to catch my breath. We were laying side by side, both satiated and exhausted.

"I really missed that," she told me wrapped her arms around me from behind. “I think we should do it again after some sleep.”

"But what about writing?”

“I’m writing erotica. I need a little inspiration," she said and laughed. "Besides, you don't want to challenge this terrible ghost."

I turned around and snuggled closer to her. “Of course, I would not challenge her. She already has me at her mercy."

This relaxing vacation had started in the best way possible.