Folklore Chronicles (Six)

**Story One**

I have a friend who is particularly fond of fishing. One day, he heard that there were many big fish in a nearby lake and excitedly packed his fishing gear to go there. It was a sunny day, and the lake glistened with ripples. My friend found a suitable spot and prepared to start fishing.

As soon as he cast his fishing rod into the water, he felt an unusual tug. He pulled hard, feeling a tremendous force struggling beneath the surface. My friend thought he had hooked a big fish. He exerted all his strength to reel it in, and gradually, the mysterious force came closer.

However, when he pulled whatever it was out of the water, he was horrified and almost screamed. Because on his hook, there was a human hand. The hand was pale, the nails slightly blackened, and it seemed to have decayed for some time. My friend felt a rush of nausea and fear. He quickly let go of the fishing rod, stepping back a few paces.

He looked around, but there was no one else to be seen. His heart raced, and terrifying images filled his mind. He felt an indescribable chill, as if some evil force lurked beneath the lake's surface, waiting for him.

My friend hastily gathered his fishing equipment and left the lake. When he returned to the village, he began seeking help from the villagers and brought them back to the lake.

However, when the villagers searched the lake, they found nothing unusual. The water was calm as a mirror, showing no signs of disturbance. My friend tried to explain his experience, but the villagers found it hard to believe. They thought he might have been tired or had an illusion.

Feeling helpless, my friend couldn't prove his story or make others believe him. He knew that something strange and supernatural seemed to be hidden in that lake. From that day on, he never went back to that lake, and he never touched his fishing rod again.

**Story Two**

My aunt lived in a small village when she was a child, and she told me a story from her own experience.

One day, the village needed to harvest its wheat fields, and everyone went to the fields to work. My aunt joined in and went to a wheat field, ready to start her work.

Under the early autumn sunshine, the golden wheat swayed gracefully in the breeze. My aunt picked up a sickle and began cutting the wheat. However, when she cut a bundle of wheat, she was so startled that she almost screamed. Among the wheat, she saw a pair of human eyes. They were moist and full of life.

My aunt's heart raced, and she wiped her eyes with her hand. When she looked again, there were only bundles of wheat, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She thought it might have been her imagination and continued working.

However, when she cut another bundle of wheat, she saw the eyes again. This time, they were no longer hidden but staring at her clearly, as if something was gazing at her from within the wheat. My aunt felt a shiver down her spine; she couldn't believe her eyes.

She tried to tell the people around her, but they laughed it off, thinking she was just tired and having hallucinations. My aunt had no choice but to continue working despite her unease. However, every time she cut a bundle of wheat, those eyes would reappear, making her increasingly uneasy.

It wasn't until evening, with the warm glow of the setting sun, that my aunt finally finished her work. She returned home with a heavy heart, as everyone still believed she was being overly imaginative.

She lay in bed, closed her eyes, and recalled the events of the day, unable to calm her racing thoughts. The next day, she went back to the field to work. However, she couldn't help glancing at the wheat field where the strange incident occurred. The wheat seemed to have changed somehow.

When she started cutting wheat again, she soon realized that she didn't see those eyes this time. She sighed with relief, thinking that perhaps she had indeed imagined everything. However, as she cut another bundle of wheat, she suddenly felt a powerful force coming from the ground, firmly holding her ankle.

Startled, she looked down and saw a pale hand emerging from the ground, grabbing her ankle tightly. She struggled to free herself but found she couldn't move. An invisible force was slowly pulling her into the ground.

My aunt screamed, and the villagers heard her cries, rushing to her aid. They were shocked to see her ankle entangled in wild grass, but my aunt had been trembling in fear. She realized that her earlier experience had not been an illusion, and something eerie lurked beneath the wheat field.

From that day on, she never went to the fields alone, and she never dared to harvest wheat again.