Aokigahara and Aku-Aoi Manto

It's called the sea of trees, but to everyone else, it's known by another, more sinister name; the Suicide Forest.

Officially by the Japanese, the forest below Mt. Fuji, the sea of trees is called Aokigahara, and it's a vast, almost otherworldly place. Filled with thick trees, crowding the earth and causing the air, itself, to become heavy. Many travelers have entered out of curiosity or, as you've probably guessed, to end their own life. Sometimes, there's a ray of hope. Not everyone who goes inside decides to take such a tragic path...sometimes, they decide to return to their family.

Still, should you brave the maze that is Aokigahara, you'll find miles upon miles of rope or string. This is so visitors and officials, alike, can find their way out again. I've had my fair share of journeys into heavy air, and Aokigahara is no different. Combined with a semi-dark and unfamiliar forest, one can easily become lost, disoriented.

Many of the locals believe that true evil resides in the Suicide Forest and others...they believe the evil has escaped.

I was meeting a friend of mine for dinner, on this particular day. She was a teacher at the local school, and had called me after her classes ended for the day. I had a moment to look around, as she needed to rush to the restroom and would be out to meet me, shortly. As crowds of students exited the school, my friend came running out, looking scared and glancing behind, occasionally.

'Are you all right?' I asked, wondering what could've possibly happened that scared her so bad.

'I saw him! T-the Aku-Aoi Manto!' exclaimed my friend (who I'll now refer to as "Michi".) I nearly gave a laugh, but seeing how distraught Michi was...she wasn't the type to pull pranks. She was serious.

Aku-Aoi Manto, or the Red-Blue Cloak ghost was...or is...an urban legend. It appears as a masked figure in bathrooms, looking for victims. Usually, this ghost prefers its victims to be alone, and frightfully out of that precious toilet paper. As Michi tells me, she found herself in such a situation. While she did consider calling me, she heard the door to the bathroom creak open.

'Akai kami ka aoi kami ga hoshidesu ka?' came a spine-chilling voice. My teacher friend knew what it was asking; "do you want red paper or blue paper?"

It was no student or member of faculty. It was...unearthly. Michi's blood froze and she began to desperately look for paper. The footsteps came closer, the question repeated, until the ghost was right in front of her stall.

'Aku-Aoi Manto.' Michi was resigned to the realization. She is, after all, Japanese and they take their urban legends unbelievably serious. According to said legend, should this paper-offering ghost appear, you're given two options; red or blue paper. Accepting red, or aka, triggers this fiend to slice your throat open. The freshly spilled blood appears like a cloak, draping your body, while blue...well, I'm positive you can figure that much out. The only way a human turns blue below the mountains, is to be suffocated.

"Is there no way to escape? And how did Michi survive?" I can hear you ask. Fear not, my brave listeners, for this a way, but only one, and you must remain calm in order to do so. Michi is clever, too, and fortune favored her. She checked the usually empty box where females can dispose of their products and, as an admittedly strange prank pulled by high school girls, found an extra roll of paper. After doing what she needed to, Michi stood in front of the door, hand on the lock.

'Watashi wa kiiroi kami ga sukidesu.' she said, while trying to keep her voice steady.

'Jikai made...' replied the voice. Until next time?

'You told him you preferred yellow paper, and it worked?' I ask, still not believing such a silly answer saved her life. Michi nodded in response. I suppose, refusing paper or choosing a different color would throw anyone, or anything, off, regardless of how silly it sounds. Unfortunately, as I've come to discover for myself, these tricks and tips don't always work. I'm just glad it did, this time.