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The Gumiho of the Gotjawal Forest

A Korean Urban Legend

By Rodulfo TodioPublished about a year ago 16 min read
3
Gumiho is a nine-tailed fox that can take the shape of both a fox and a human. It’s a mythical creature, and legend says that it’s a fox that has lived for 1000 years.

The Gumiho of the Gotjawal Forest

Introduction

The broken window showed a reflection of Ha-eun crouching next to the toilet bowl. She had tangled black hair that was drenched in tears. There was blood on her face. Her flesh might have been injured by the broken mirror. There was a mess of toiletries on the floor. She was examining her wrist while holding a razor-sharp blade. She's been disregarding me. She looked at me outside the lone bathroom window as I was pleading with her to stop what she was thinking of doing. My pleading fell on deaf ears as she proceeded to slice her wrist. Blood spilled out like a hose and gushed to the floor.

Her husband arrived and forced the door open. He carried his unconscious wife out of the bathroom. I called the ambulance, and after a few minutes, we arrived at the nearest hospital.

Hyun-Woo and I waited at the entrance of the emergency room.

I was working as a yeoja ileum, or a nanny, in South Korea when I witnessed a bloody suicide scene. My boss, Ha-eun locked herself in the restroom for hours after having a miscarriage and finding out that she couldn't have a baby anymore. I called her husband, Hyun-Woo who was at work, to ask him to go home immediately. I could hear Ha-eun crying until she became silent inside the hwajangshil. I kept knocking at the door to no avail. I looked at the lone high window and took a stainless ladder and peered through the changmun.

Ha-eun passed out after losing too much blood. The toilet was covered in blood. It looked like red paint on a canvas. Hyun-Woo arrived and rescued his wife. He applied direct pressure and bandages to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, the ambulance arrived on time.

Hyun-Woo has treated me like a family member. I took care of his father until the old man was murdered. It was a tragedy that I have had difficulty coping with since I don’t know anyone in my life except for Hyun-Woo’s father. Then, Hyun-Woo took me to take care of his wife, who was having a difficult pregnancy. Hyun-Woo told me that he had premonitions of bad things that would happen to his wife. He had nightmares of himself holding a shovel and burying his wife in the forest.

Act 1: Ha-eun Depression

The physicians managed to save Ha-eun. She was diagnosed with postpartum depression because of her miscarried pregnancy. She was also told by her doctors that she was incapable of getting pregnant ever again. Her depression deepened to the point that she feared everyone and everything, even me. During her usual panic attack, she usually cries that a nine-tailed fox is chasing after her. She was always sweating from head to toe and her knees were trembling during these episodes.

She was adamant that I should not go near her; she only wanted her husband to be with her and rejected me. Whenever I strayed near her, Ha-eun would glare at me, her eyes tense and worried, saying, "Stay away from me."

Hyun-Woo would come near and comfort her. I left them and went to the hospital’s canteen to buy some food. Hyun-Woo has not eaten anything since taking his wife to the hospital.

The doctor informed us that Ha-eun was out of danger. However, she suffered from depression since she had no chance of giving birth. Her state of mind is unstable. In most cases, she would mention the uncanny figure of a nine-tailed fox running after her. Soon, her husband was told of her possible insanity.

We went back to their house near the Gotjawal forest on Jeju Island to avoid people. The land was purchased by his father, who also lived here when he suffered from cerebral infarction. The father died there with his internal organs, particularly the liver, missing. The autopsy speculated that a savage animal did that to him. I have no recollection of what happened. They found me passed out and bloodied near the forest. Some said that I was dragged there by whatever killed Hyun-woo’s father. I was destined to be its next meal, but I was spared for some unknown reason.

Their hanok is a typical Korean house with a mountain in the background and a river in front. It was a beautiful L-shaped house that was designed to withstand extreme temperatures during the summer and winter seasons. It has an ondol made of stone, which is an underfloor heating system, and a maru, which is a cooling system made of clay. I felt at home in this place since I took care of his father here for several years. His father found me in the forest and took me home, treating me as his own.

Hyun-Woo had been having nightmares since our arrival at the house on Jeju Island. It was disturbing him, so he told me about his bad dreams. He was alone in the forest, digging the ground with a shovel. An outdoor lamp placed on the ground was the only source of light. Hyun-Woo was digging for the tomb of his wife. He put the soil back in the hole to cover the corpse of his wife. Her eyes opened as the soil covered her chest. Hyun-Woo kept putting the soil back, covering the face of his wife.

Act 2: An Answered Prayer

Ha-eun's situation worsened. She mentioned to her husband that she had been having visions. According to her story, she saw a beautiful bride who had accidentally stripped off her clothes at a wedding. Her true appearance was revealed. She had a foxy face with upright ears and nine tails. She attacked and devoured all the guests. I just smiled upon hearing it and gave a bowl of kimchi soup to Hyun-Woo. I asked him to feed his wife since she would not allow me to do so.

One day, Hyun-Woo was looking at the mountain when I approached him. He mentioned that the only way for his wife to be healed was if she could bear a child. I told him that it was possible if he could appease the Sanshin, or mountain gods. I don’t know much about my parents or my upbringing because I was still a child when Hyn-Woo’s father found me lost in the forest. He never found my parents, despite his best efforts. I was surprised that I knew a lot of things about Sanshin. I believe my real family indoctrinated me about these things when I was a child.

"The mountain's beauty, its mystery, and its shape that soars toward the sky is your stairway to heaven,” I mentioned as I was wondering how I knew this. I also told him that the upper mountain slopes, cliffs, and summits are where one can speak with spirits, see visions, or experience enlightenment.

“A mountain connects the heavenly realm to the earth where humans reside?” he asked.

I answered, "Yes, it serves as a link between the two worlds,” not knowing that my answer would result in a tragedy.

Hyun-Woo did not tell us that he would embark on a journey to Mt. Yeongsan to pray to the mountain gods to have a child. He left in the morning after feeding his wife. He went back in the afternoon, just before sunset. He was carrying a bloodied young girl with abdominal cramps. The girl had spots of red-brown discharge. I later found out that it was her first menstruation and realized that she was around twelve to thirteen years old. I was about the same age when Hyun-Woo’s father found me.

She was a beautiful child that he saw in the Gotjawal forest on his way to the mountain peak. He came back home immediately as he felt that his prayers were instantly answered. The girl had the slender features of a forest wolf and long, brown hair that was tinged with white. She doesn't talk but shows her emotions by grinning when happy and grimacing when disgusted. I cleaned her and gave her chamomile tea to relieve her menstrual cramps.

Act 3: Almost Cured

The moment that Ha-eun saw the young girl, she smiled. That was her first smile after her attempted suicide. She looked at the child, touched her hands, and embraced her. The child smiled too, but I saw that her eyes hid an evil intention. I could tell that she was hiding something nasty in her eyes.

Ha-eun was happy and was virtually healed when her husband showed her what the “gods” gave them. The young girl acted strangely. She was not talking. She was awake the whole night and slept in the morning. Ha-eun would look at her, touch her hair, and even cuddle her.

But soon, strange things happen at the house. There was a chilling shriek at night. Then, our Maltese dog gave birth to a lone puppy, and the puppy died. The mother dog ate her puppy. The child and I witnessed it. After a few days, I smelled rotten meat and traced its source. I traced it under vintage furniture. Our Maltese dog was lifeless and covered in blood. The body was ripped open. The same happened with our kosher cat. She was just lying in our yard with her blood scattered all over. The next day, the chickens and goats were also slit open. Hyun-Woo and Ha-eun did not care at all. Hyun-Woo was more focused on the recovery of his wife, while Ha-eun was still ecstatic at the presence of her new child.

Act 4: The Gumiho

After a few days, some of our neighbors reported that their livestock was also killed; worse, their bodies were ripped open. Fear engulfed the village. There was a sighting of a fox-like creature strolling at night among the widely scattered houses. I felt a sharp pain in my temple upon hearing this. The pain gradually spread all over my head.

I realize that I have been lacking sleep in the last few days since the young girl arrived. She was awake all night and would doze off in the morning. I also noticed that she was seducing Hyun-Woo. Compared to the typical adolescent, she had accelerated physical development. She had larger breasts than the majority of young girls. Although she did not talk, I could see her holding Hyun-Woo's hands, enticing him maliciously.

I woke up one night in a cold sweat, despite the usual cold temperature outside. I was panting and agitated. I shook the feeling off and got a whiff of a familiar scent. I can’t describe it. I can’t even remember how it became familiar to me, but it prompted me to silently trace the scent.

The night was chilly and dark when I slowly crept out of our back door. Somehow, my instinct tells me not to fully expose my body but to slightly protrude my head from the opening of the door. That’s when I saw the young girl outside with only her sleeping clothes and barefoot. Like I was stalking her, she was stalking a man in his forties. The man was looking back and was walking at a hurried pace. He knew that someone was following him, but he didn’t know that someone was a child.

I slowly stepped out of the door and followed the two. My heart was racing and I felt that I was operating on heightened senses. Somehow, I know that the child was not only following the old man but was hunting him like a fox. My eyes followed her as she ran in a steady-pace trotting gait. She crept within range and, without any hesitation, she pounced on her target from above. She ripped him open with her razor-sharp claws.

I was so shocked at the scene that I held my breath for a long time, perhaps longer than I should have. I made a choking noise while gasping for air.

I hid for a while, waiting for any clue that would tell me my position was blown. But there were none. After a while, I finally got the courage to take another look.

The little girl was on top of the body as she devoured the old man’s heart and liver.

At that time, panic sets in on me. I knew that I needed to get out and get back to the house as soon as possible. If not, I’ll be the child’s next meal. I took a deep breath as I thought of how I was going to get back without being noticed. I was shivering. It seemed that the temperature had dropped even more. I could see my breath as a small cloud was released when I exhaled.

I confirmed at that point that the young girl did not have a menstrual discharge when Hyun-Woo found her. The blood was the blood of her victim, and she acted in pain to entice him. Then, I heard this loud howling sound. I turned, and standing behind me was this fox-like figure. It had piercing orange eyes that just looked through me. I tried to hide, and the next thing I knew, it was so close to my face that I could smell its breath. It had a bloody, raw, meaty odor. I could not breathe because its hands were so chilly and wrapped themselves around me. I began to gasp for air as I struggled to get away from this situation. Its arms pressed harder, causing considerable discomfort for me. She grabbed my throat and pressed it hard. All of a sudden, she halted abruptly and vanished from my line of sight.

When she was gone, I understood everything. The child revealed herself to me as a Gumiho. She shapeshifted into a child, aiming to devour as many human livers as possible to become human. There is a common belief that if I don't tell anyone about her in ten years, she will become a human. For some reason, I decided not to tell anyone.

Act 5: The Enlightenment

I was standing next to the river in front of the hanok. It was a full moon. The moon’s reflection in the river gave me some enlightenment. I looked at the grassland and realized that the moon's light, despite its vastness and magnificence, was also mirrored in dewdrops on the grass. I touched the water in the river and shattered the reflection. Even the drops of water captured the light of the moon.

I started to have a clearer picture of my past. It was still hazy, but it sent shivers up my spine. It was a mix of emotions. I remembered how the young girl devoured the man’s heart and liver. She consumed the man in an epicurean sense. My memory deceived me as I saw myself replacing the girl. I was devouring the man. Blood was drooling from my mouth. My eyes were shining brightly with delight.

Suddenly, my recollection of my past was interrupted when I heard a loud, chilling shriek from inside the house. I ran as quickly as I could, and when I reached there, the Gumiho had already killed Hyun-Woo. I saw her on top of his back. Hyun-Woo was coated in blood. He was lying on the floor facing down. The Gumiho has broken his spine and back ribs. She had ripped him open and was consuming his liver. The sight was familiar and gave me some sort of satisfaction. I salivated as I remembered the sweet taste and soft texture of the meat. However, when I turned to my right, I was shocked to find out that Ha-eun was seeing it as well. She was just standing still in the corner of the room.

I was so confused. Ha-eun already knew that her child was a Gumiho. Could it be that she loves the child in such a way that she is determined to help her eat all the human livers she needs to become human? Even that of her husband?

When the Gumiho was satisfied, she went back to her room and locked herself in. Ha-eun asked me to clean up the mess nonchalantly. I buried Hyun-Woo in the backyard using a trenching shovel. I wrapped his body in a blanket and dropped it into a pit I dug. I was emotionless as I covered him with soil.

I recalled how the Gumiho devoured Hyun-Woo. He looked like his father, who died the same way. I also remembered Hyun-Woo's premonition that he would bury his wife with a shovel. Similar events also flashed in my mind. It was as if it was my first time burying a dead person.

The next day, some neighbors knocked on the door and asked for the whereabouts of Hyun-Woo. The two of them were bearded but balding, while the third one was nearly obese. Ha-eun became agitated and asked me to drive them away. The Gumiho peered out from her door.

The men wanted to discuss with me the series of killings in the village. The men left when Ha-eun shouted at them. That night, Ha-eun asked me to help the Gumiho hunt the three. The men placed a net trap that caught the young girl, but Ha-eun freed her. She attacked each one of them with her razor-sharp claws. She beheaded the two while Haeun hit the third one with a shovel. The Gumiho feasted on the livers of the three. However, in her rage and perhaps because she was still not satisfied. The Gumiho jumped on Ha-eun and slaughtered her. I have no time to react. I just realized what happened when Ha-eun was already sprawled on the ground while the little girl was feasting on her. Her demise confirmed her husband's foreboding that he would be responsible for his wife's death. Ha-eun’s death made me recall everything from my past.

The residents of the town will soon come. They knew I buried Hyun-Woo. They will come not only for the head of the Gumiho but also for mine. As a former Gumiho, I became a human after eating the liver of Hyun-Woo's father. I have to run and get back to the forest. But before that, I will kill the girl, cut her open and take the fox bead inside her. The fox beads, which are a source of life and energy, will sustain my mortal life and allow me to live eternally.

I will be lurking in the Gotjawal forest waiting for someone to ravage.

-The End-

urban legend
3

About the Creator

Rodulfo Todio

I'm a freelance writer and a team leader for Peloton fitness units.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

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  • Humble Smokeabout a year ago

    Nice

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