Jiang Shi (Vampires)

Jiang Shi, or stiffen corpse in direct translation, is actuall the Chinese version of the vampire. Jiang Shi are believed to rise when the dead bodies are not buried deep enough. Exposed to the mercy of weather elements, these corpses will rise and disturb the people until someone can rebury them.

In ancient China, this job falls to the vampure herder, whose duty is to herd these vampires to the final resting place where he can bury them. While not common to the South East Asian region, some people naturally assumed that Jiang Shi can only be found in China, or so they thought.

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It was an unlucky year for Madam Chen. She had left an unhappy marriage, and her aged father was diagnosed with cancer. One of her friends had told her that a doctor in a rural village in Malaysia had performed many mircals, including curing cancer patients.

With nothing to lose, Madam Chen decided to pay a visit to his miracle healer. On reaching Perak, she proceeded on to look for a guide. Strangely, no guides would take her there. All of them turned pale, and rejected her immediately. ON walking away, she noticed that most of them were praying, some carrying things in their hands and chanting.

Finally, she found a guide willing to bring her there, but for an exorbitant fee. However, he would only take her there; she had to find her way back alone. Left with no other choice, Madam Chen agreed to his conditions.

By the time they reached the village, her tour guide had already told her that the villagers were strange people. Also, people who stayed out after dark would be found dead the next morning. No one could explain the cause of death, but every corpse had markings on his neck.

Madam Chen looked at the village. The huts were built with coconut leaves and bamboo sticks. It was late afternoon then, and the village was bustling with activity. Peddlers were peddling their wares, a wide variety of goods. On a closer look, she noticed a boy exchanging a basket of durians for some rice, and an old woman using fish to buy cloth. The village was throwback to the colonial days of Malaysia!

Stepping into the village, she noticed that everyone was looking at her queerly. It was no wonder. There she was, dressed in a body hugging tank top, shorts, and boots, but everyone else were in traditional Malay wear.

Asking directions from one of the peddlers in rusty Malay, Madam Chen realised that the doctor stayed deep in the rubber plantation. They told her to walk towards the north of the village, but none offered to bring her to the doctor's hut.

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Following the given instructions, Madam Chen soon reached the outskirts of the village. True enough, there was a rubber plantation across a dusty dirt track. Crossing it, Madam Chen was soon deep in the midst of the plantation.

It was chilly inside the compounds of the plantation, despite the scorching heat outside. The leaves shaded Madam Chen from the hot sun above, letting little light through. She had to remove her sunglasses to see clearly. Apart from the occasional smokehouse along the way, all she could see was rubber trees spreading out around her.

Keeping her fingers crossed, she opened the door of the hut and walked in, noticing an octagonal shaped mirror hanging above the door as she entered.

The hut was empty. An altar filled with figurines of Taoist deities stood at the back of the hut. On the table, a thick shack of yellow talisman laid besides a yellow stachel. There was a tall shelf on the right wall, lined with many small bottles. Pretty sure that this was the doctor's hut, she sat down and wait.

*   *   *   

Two hours later, a man entered the hut. Looking at Madam Chen with an almost hostile expression on his face, the man asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, I'm looking for the village doctor. Can you help me?" Madam Chen had begun to regret not waiting outside for the doctor. She did not want him to think that she was rude, not especially when he could save her father's live.

"I am the village doctor. What do you want?" If Madam Chen thought the villagers' dressing were strange, the man facing her was dressed in a long yellow robe, inscribed with Chinese words down the front and back, and a funny-looking hat with a black and white sign on it. Manner-wise, the man was as unfriendly as the villagers.

'At least he speaks to me.' Madam Chen thought. She ignored his cold tone, and decided to push on. "I've heard that you are a very good doctor, and known for treating incurable illness like cancer. Please help my father."

"Go home. You're wasting your time." The man replied curtly. With that, he snatch a yellow satchel and walked out of the ut, leaving the bewildered Madam Chen behind.

Not one to give up easily, Madam Chen followed the man. "Why can't you helpe me? I am willing to pay any price. Please, just take a look at him."

"Money cannot solve everything."

He stopped in his tracks so suddenly that Madam Chen, who was following closely behind almost ran right smack into his back.

Turning around, he said to her, "Look, madam, I am very busy now. Please don't bother me. It's getting dark soon, and I supposed none of the villagers told you to stay indoors after dark. You'd better find a place for the night, and leave first thing tomorrow morning." With that, he left Madam Chen standing there.

Madam Chen watched him walk off in a hurry. Looking up at her watch, she realised that it was almost seven in the evening. The rubber plantation around her was getting quite dark to see clearly, and the trees seemed to stretch forever. Doubting that she could make here way back to the village in time, she retraced her steps back to the doctor's hut.

By the time she reached the doctor's hut, it was already dark. Sitting down at the table, she realised that she had not eaten at all for the whole day. She ate some snacks from her bag. Weariness caught up with her, and soon she dozed off.

*   *   *   

A nosie woke her up later. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she looked around and realised that the doctor had not returned. Checking her watch, it was already past twelve.

"Thud" There went the noise again. Two seconds later, the noise repeated. It seemed to be coming from outside the hut. Looking out of the window, she saw no one there.

After awhile, her curiosity got the better of her, and she walked out of the hut. Around her, the village had gone to bed, and not a sound came from the streets, except for the sound of crickets calling.

"Thud." The sound seemed to be coming from the back of the hut.

Walking towards the back of the hut, Madam Chen caught a white of foul smell that made her feel like throwing up. As she approached, the smell go stronger and stronger. By the time she reached the back of the house, the smell was overwhelming and Madam Chen had to hold her breath.

Turning around the corner, what she saw made her hair stand. Dressed in traditional Malay costume, the thing was a corpse with a badly decompse face. The skin was peeling off the face, while worms were pouring out of the eyes, nose and mouth. The thing had its hands outstretched in front, and was hopping towards Madam Chen with incredible speed and agility.

Jiang Shi. thought Madam Chen as she turned quickly and made a run for her life. She recalled the distinctive way they move around. With their body stiffened, Jiang Shi cannot walk, and so had to hop around.

With the trees block the sky, and her compass left inside the hut, Madam Chen had a lot of difficulty trying to tell directions. After a while, she was lost inside the rubber plantation.

"Thud." The sound seemed to be getting louder, no matter how hard she ran. The Jiang Shi was catching up on her.

In the distance, she saw a bonfire. Thinking that it was the doctor, she ran towards it quickly. No matter how hard she ran, she never seemed to reach it. As she ran faster, the bonfire appeared to further and further away.

"Thud." The sound ws much louder now.

*   *   *   

After a while, she noticed a smokehouse coming up. To tired to run anymore, Madam Chen ran inside the smokehouse. There was a big wooden tub in there. Thinking quickly, she climed into the tub and pulled the lid after her.

Recalling that in Chinese horror movies, Jiang Shis seek out their victims by following the sound of their victims' breathing, she pinched her nose tight and held her breath.

The sound seemed to have stopped outside the smokehouse. Madam Chen froze. She could hear her heart beating rapidly against her chest.

Ater a while, the sound was heard again, but were getting softer and softer. Thinking that she was safe, Madam Chen were about to leave her hiding place when a rining sound ripped through the quiet night.

Suddenly, the lid she was holding on to was being lifted. The first thing she saw were a group of Malay people, dressed up like the Jiang Shi she saw earlier. With yellow talismans pasted on their forehead, the Jiang Shis in front of her were motionless. Among them stood the Jiang Shi that chased her earlier. He, too, had a piece of yellow talisman stuck on his forehead.

"I thought I told you to stay indoors? What are you doing, running about at this hours? Don't you realise how dangerous it is for you?" The doctor said. Madam Chen noticed then that he was carrying a bell.

After sending Madam Chen back to the hut, he told her to stay there and went off. He did not return until dawn the next day. Explaining that he was a vampire herder, he was invited by the village to keep the plantation safe at night, so that the people could harvest their rubber safely. «»

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