THE NIGHTMARE

THE NIGHTMARE

In the evening sky, the sun was about to set, and an
occasional eerie wind was blowing. which is an unfamiliar
atmosphere I saw a woman walking towards me.

“Who are you and where am I?” I asked.

I went to an unknown place. The atmosphere was
unfamiliar and quiet, seeing strange orange lights and that
strange light floated on the woman. I saw her more
clearly. She had a terrifying look, unkempt hair, a basket-
neck sweater, a sarong, and walked towards me as if
floating in.

"help!! Please help me.” She said to me.

I was so shocked that I couldn't act, couldn't move, my
body stiffened as if time had stopped in fear.

“Mei Mei wake up. It's late now, hurry up and cook.

You have to take the cows out to feed the fields.” My
mother's voice called, waking me up.

Usually, it's a word I don't want to hear. because it's a

holiday I wanted to lie down, but my mother's call took

me out of this nightmare, and felt inexplicably relieved.

I live in a village My family worked as farmers, growing
rice, raising animals, and cutting wood for charcoal. I have
3 siblings, a brother, a younger brother, and me who are
the only daughters. Our parents were raising three cows,
Khaw, Kheiw, and Kraging. Krading was a near-calving cow.
Therefore, my parents had to take extra care, including
reminding me.

“Why didn't mom let elder Mai go out to feed the
cows?”

“Your brother has worked hard.”

“What are you doing All day, just sleeping and waking
up to eat?”

Mother began to look at me with angry eyes.

“Hurry back. Today is Buddhist Holy day.”

After having finished the preparation As I always did, I
drove the cows out to raise them. I met other villagers
who went out to raise cows as well. Some people are
preparing to go farming and gardening. It's a bright
morning. with a familiar atmosphere, I met a friend of
yours who also came out to feed the cows. Chompoo is
my school friend. We both tend to bring cows to feed
near each other. because they will have time to play
together When it's time to eat lunch, there will be uncles
and aunts calling to eat together.

“Mei Chompoo, come to have lunch together at noon.”
A voice called from Uncle Chai.

Uncle Chai is the person who has my favorite food every
day, whether it's fried pork, fried big fish. As for me, I have
a Jeaw Bong that I take with me every day to have lunch
together.

After having a full lunch, the skin of the stomach
tightened, the eyelids began to sag. So, we both slept at

the villagers' huts in the fields. There was a pond next to
it, the water was clear and flowing, I saw fishes swimming
in groups, the cool wind blowing, the atmosphere was
very inviting for a nap. As I was sleeping peacefully, I
could hear people playing in the water very loudly. In my
head, I thought it was Chompoo who had fun and wanted
to go in for a swim. So, I thought I'd go for a swim with my
friends. But when I opened my eyes, my friend was still
asleep next to me. And the sound of people playing in
the water that I heard was silence. I looked around the
area and saw no one. My eyes glanced into the forest. I
feel like I've been here. I met a man He was tall, stalwart,
dark-skinned. He looked at me.

“You broke your promise to me”

“what? Do we know each other?”

“you broke the promise”

“Mei, wake up, let's take the cow home.”

The sun was about to set, a golden light hit the surface
of the water. people go home, there was hardly anyone
left. Chompoo invited me home because by now my
parents must be worried about us both. So Chompoo and
I went to herd the cows to go home. Along the way, there
will be a mango tree in the middle of the rice field. It has
a tall tree with full ripening fruit. Chompoo invited me to
stop by to pick mangoes first. Let the cows graze in the
grass waiting in the area. We both picked mangoes until
we enjoyed ourselves. not able to see the time It's getting
dark now When I came down from the mango tree

“Krading disappeared!” I shouted.

“It won't be far,” Chompoo told me.

“If Krading disappears, Mom and Dad won't forgive me. I
must be punished.”

“I'm sorry Mei I have to go home early or my parents will
complain.”

Chompoo decided to rush home to tell her parents. But
I wasn't brave enough to tell my parents that I lost my
cow. So, try to walk around the area. but I couldn't find
my cow. I decided to go into the forest with the feeling
that someone was calling. Suddenly I heard the chime
of the bell.

“It must have been Krading's voice.”

I followed the sound and eventually found it.

“Let's hurry home, your friend is waiting outside.”

As I was walking for a while, I heard the footsteps of
someone walking towards me. I tried to look for the
source of the sound, but I couldn't find anyone. I was
shocked, thinking this must be a bad hunch. So, I hurriedly
led Krading back home, and as soon as I came out of the
forest, I found Khaw and Kheiw are gone. But the time
had already passed. So I decided to go home first.

On the way home, on both sides of the road were tall
bamboo thickets lined up in rows. When the wind blows

past the bamboo clumps, there is a creaking sound all
over the place, an eerie atmosphere. There was enough
light from the moon to be seen in a dimly lit space.
Looking into the distance at eye level I saw the same
woman I had been dreaming of her walking towards me.
As if escaping, I was trembling, numb as the woman
approached and found that he had no legs. It looked like
she was floating slightly above the ground. I closed my
eyes and held Krading's rope tightly. Dare not even take
a look. I followed as Krading led me until I could no

longer see the woman. But suddenly, in front of me, a

light flickered as I had seen in a dream. I stood still,
terrified that I couldn't move my legs, my whole body
froze, but looked at the ball of fire getting closer and
closer.

“Mei, where did you wander? The cows have returned to
their own homes.”

“Mommy!” I cried tears of joy to see my mother.

“How are you? I told you to hurry home.”

I was so glad that I came home safely and ran over to hug
my parents and cry. Along with saying that next time
there will be no more skidding like this. but still
wondering

“Was that girl I met on my way home, was it the girl I
was dreaming about?”

I told my mother everything about what happened today.

“Oh, the story of the legless woman?”

“What's wrong mom, I want to know too.” The younger
brother became curious.

“Alright, let's listen.”

After that, my mother told the story of the legless woman
as she had told me and my brother. It's about a girl who
goes out to herd cattle and gets lost in the forest and
meets a man who takes good care of her and they fall in
love. Until one day the woman began to want to go

home and asked him to take her out of the forest and
promised to come back to him for sure. So, he agreed
and made a caveat when she left. You must not marry
another man. I will wait for you and will always be
watching over you. When she came out and returned
home Her father and mother were very happy and asked
where she had been. We have been looking for you for
three days. but didn't see you. The woman became afraid
of the man she met in the forest and did not return to
him and married the man her mother had chosen. After
the wedding ceremony, the groom and the bride rode a
wagon to the groom's house through a familiar forest. So,
she told him to hurry out of the forest. Suddenly, the cart
had an accident causing the knife on the cart to fall and
chop both of her legs. She couldn't stand the poisonous
wounds until she eventually died. From then on, people
tend to see her often.

“If you don't want to see the legless woman, don't go
out alone.”

“So scary.” The younger brother said while trembling.

“Again, why do you like telling stories like this to your
children and they're all scared? It's something you made
up, isn't it?” Said, dad.
“Take it easy, your children will hear you. It's still good.
The children will be afraid and obey me.” Said, mom.

The end