Monday, April 11, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE 2016 -- ITTAN MOMEN, ISO OONA

The whir of the sewing machine is a pleasant sound as the final blocks are coming together.

A cool breeze drifts in from the open window, refreshing the room.

You lift your foot off the peddle and cut the thread and sigh with accomplishment.

Without warning, a shadow blocks the light above you.  A startled gasp escapes. You begin to turn but cry out as a cloth wraps around your face and neck.

You fight.  You struggle.  The cloth tightens even more.  Your lungs burn.  Then nothing.


And that, my friends, is the Ittan-Momen.  It's the quilter's worst nightmare.  It literally is a piece of cloth (it's name translates basically to one tan (kind of a like a bolt) of cotton.  Only this baby has been possessed.

This tsukumogami likes to fly around at night and attack random strangers by strangling them and/or suffocating them by wrapping themselves around the person's face.

This guys are out and out evil.

They originated in Kagoshima Prefecture.

So beware quilters.  You never know when those rolls of fabric might be staring back at you.
gh
Walking along the rocky beach, you see a beautiful woman gazing upon the sea.  Concerned because she is dripping wet, you approach.

When you open your mouth to speak, a sound so terrible nearly blinds and deafens you.  Unable to move, your blurry vision only sees strings of black.

Then the horrendous pain begins.  Thousands of sharp stabs all over your body are like needles.  It's so overwhelming you are barely aware of being dragged into the ocean.


This devilish creature from the deep is the Iso Onna.  She is similar to Sirens and Nure Onna.  They are creatures that use their hair to suck a victim's blood.

Iso Onna translates to something like coast woman.  (its tough to find a reliable online translator.) They are Japanese in origin from Western coastline and favor the Kyushu region.

They sometimes attack from the water to drag helpless victims from boats, and they even call their prey from cliff sides.  These poor souls are so mesmerized by The Iso Onna's voice that don't realize that they are even in danger of falling.

They are the vampires of the sea, and we are their tasty treats.


15 comments:

  1. I should warn my boss about this! She likes to quilt. =O

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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    1. i know. it's like boroboroton. blanket death or death by cloth. we are all in danger.

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  2. I am so fascinated by how you write about these creatures. Definitely spooky and creepy! Enjoyed this one too!
    Many Blessings,
    Lori

    My A2Zs @ As the Fates Would Have It & Promptly Written
    Follow Me (Ravyne) Twitter|Facebook

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    1. thank you. i didn't mean to start writing second person present tense for them. it just sort of happened.

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  3. The Japanese conjure up some of the most evil creatures. Although, I have to admit that a possessed piece of quilting material made me smile.

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    1. makes me smile to unless i get attacked by a random piece of flying cloth. then . . . i'll be a believer.

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  4. Gosh, there's an evil manifestation of just about everything...

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  5. Crumbs! I'll have to warn my quilter friend about this! :)

    Susan A Eames from
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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  6. They certainly give a lot of thought to these pieces of folklore.

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  7. Holy cats! I love Japanese folklore. The Ittan-Momen is a new one to me. What a nightmare! Thank you so much for giving me new material (ha ha) for my stories. Happy A to Z!

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  8. Oh dear, and I was just about to take up quilting. LOL How frightening! But love the idea for a cozy mystery among quilters. LOL
    I recognize the Siren / Iso Onna. Could they also be known as a succubus?
    Very informative. Need to know more.

    Very nice to meet you via the A to Z, thanks for stopping by my blog.

    Happy Monday of A to Z-ing :)
    Ninga Minion @YolandaRenee from
    Defending The Pen
    Parallels
    Murderous Imaginings

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  9. I'm really enjoying this series! It's a great reference for anyone writing supernatural/horror.
    Carol @ My Writing Journal

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  10. Sea vampires - I've never heard of them - awesome, or possibly not if you're the victim. :D
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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  11. I don't do sewing, so I think I'm fairly safe from the first one! The second one made me shudder, I'm not a fan of deep water at the best of times
    Debbie

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