TALES OF TERROR

The virgin ghost

Stories of virginal ghosts are everywhere. In Korea, they're called Cho-nyo-Gwishin (처녀귀신). They're found in abandoned buildings, especially in hospitals, schools, bathrooms, cemeteries, wooded areas... They almost always have long hair covering their faces, with sullen features, dressed in white garbs. You will supposedly know when you are in the presence of one when you feel a sudden change in temperature, the wind changes direction, and feel sudden chills.

One story that stuck out to me was of a man that lived on the top-most floor of an apartment building. (In Korea, there aren't any elevators in older apartment buildings, so you would have to walk all the way up, which usually meant that the top-most floor had the cheapest rent, and ones being closest to the ground being the most expensive. I think it's different now, but don't quote me on that.) The man woke up one night to someone knocking on the door. He asked who it was and a voice said that he should close his eyes and count to 100 and not make a sound else he will die. He opened the door and there was no one there. Being a superstitious man, he closed his eyes and started to count to 100 in his head. He remained still until he got to 49, and opened his eyes out of curiosity. In front of him was a Cho-nyo-Gwishin staring at him.