(Note: This story is based on real folklore, combined with a scientific perspective to provide a well-rounded experience!)
đ PART 1: THE RETURN OF THE DEAD
đȘ A Death in the Sweltering Summer
The village of An HĂČa had never witnessed anything strangeâuntil the day Mr. BĂŹnh died.
On a scorching June afternoon, he fell into a high fever, gradually weakened, and eventually stopped breathing. His family wailed in grief as neighbors gathered around. They laid his body on a bamboo bed in the middle of the house, rushing to prepare for the funeral. The summer heat was relentless; they couldnât keep the corpse for long.
Whispers spread through the crowd. Some said he had succumbed to an old illness, while others murmured that his karma was too heavyâhis soul might not be able to leave just yet.
Standing by the gate, Ngaâa 17-year-old neighborâfrowned slightly.
đ The Strange Return
That evening, as the family prepared to seal the coffin, a black cat suddenly leapt over Mr. BĂŹnhâs body, letting out a sharp, eerie cry before vanishing.
In that chilling moment of silenceâŠ
Mr. BĂŹnh opened his eyes.
No one had time to react. He slowly sat up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. His eyesâonce familiarâwere now hollow, as deep and lifeless as an abyss.
“Heâs alive! Heâs alive again!” someone shouted in joy.
The family rushed to support him back to bed, overwhelmed with a mix of fear and relief. No one questioned what had happened. They simply believed in a miracle.
Standing outside, Nga watched quietly before whispering to herself:
âThis⊠isnât normal.â
đ”ïžââïž Ngaâs Warning
Nga had read a lot about science, but she also had a deep curiosity about the supernatural. When she heard that Mr. BĂŹnh had come back to life, something didnât sit right with her.
According to folklore, if a black cat jumped over a corpse, the soul would not leave but instead become trapped within the bodyâa phenomenon known as “quá»· nháșp trĂ ng” (corpse reanimation by a vengeful spirit). Science, however, had a different explanation. It was possible that Mr. BĂŹnh had experienced a state of suspended animation or near-death. The catâs sudden movement and its cry might have triggered his nervous system, causing his heart to restartâa phenomenon known as the Lazarus effect.
Either way⊠something wasnât right.
The villagers brushed off her concerns, caring only about one thing: Mr. BĂŹnh was alive.
Nga said nothing more. But as she watched the family guide him back inside, she noticed his pale skin, sunken eyes, and eerily slow breathing.
âHas he really come back to life⊠or is something else inside his body?â
đ„© PART 2: THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS
At first, everyone thought Mr. BĂŹnh just needed time to recover. But then, strange things started happening.
He barely spoke. Whenever someone asked him a question, he would only answer with a curt “Yes” or “No.”
His eyesâonce cloudyâgradually turned a sickly yellow, glistening like those of a wild beast.
He didnât eat rice. He didnât drink water.
At night, he would wake up, sitting stiffly on his bed, staring out the window for hours.
Then one day, his wife, Mrs. Lan, discovered dry bloodstains on his clothes. Thinking he had an injury, she hastily checked his body. But there was nothing. No wound. No scratch.
That night, the village was thrown into chaos.
The chickens in the yard had been torn apart, their blood splattered across the ground. At first, people assumed it was the work of a wild animalâperhaps a weasel or a fox.
UntilâŠ
A neighbor saw a hunched figure in the yard, clawing at the dirt, gnawing on something red and raw.
The moonlight revealed its face.
It was Mr. BĂŹnh.
đŻïž PART 3: THE TRUTH UNVEILED
đ§âđ« A Reminder of Ngaâs Words
Only then did people recall Ngaâs warning.
There was a condition known as Cotardâs Syndromeâa rare disorder where a person believes they are dead. Sufferers often refuse to eat, thinking they no longer need sustenance, and behave like living corpses.
But this was different. Mr. BĂŹnh wasnât just refusing foodâhe was consuming raw, bloody meat.
Perhaps his heart had stopped for too long, cutting off oxygen to his brain and damaging the parts responsible for self-control. In his confused state, he had reverted to primal instinctsâlike a starving beast.
Science had documented similar cases, though extremely rare.
But Nga wasnât convinced.
Even if it was brain damage⊠why did he choose raw chicken over anything else?
The family didnât wait for another scientific explanation. They immediately summoned a Buddhist monk.
đ§ââïž The Exorcist Arrives
The moment the monk laid eyes on Mr. BĂŹnh, he pulled out a red talisman and said gravely:
âThis is no longer a man. This is quá»· nháșp trĂ ng.â
The family froze in horror.
As the monk began chanting, Mr. BĂŹnh let out a guttural snarl, his hands flailing as if resisting some unseen force.
But when the talisman was pressed against his forehead, his entire body convulsed violently before collapsing onto the floor.
A thick, foul-smelling black liquid oozed from his mouth.
And when they approachedâŠ
His body had already begun to decay.
đ FINAL EXPLANATION â SCIENCE OR SUPERNATURAL?
After everything, Nga sat in silence, lost in thought.
She didnât believe in ghosts. But what she had witnessed couldnât be fully explained by science either.
There were a few possible scientific explanations:
đč Lazarus Syndrome: The heart can sometimes restart hours after stopping, making people mistakenly believe the dead have come back to life.
đč Cotardâs Syndrome: A rare mental disorder where a person believes they are dead and behaves accordingly.
đč Post-Mortem Muscle Reflexes: Even after death, nerve activity can trigger unexpected movementsâsometimes even causing a corpse to sit up.
But regardless of the scienceâŠ
If you saw a dead man rise, stare at you with hollow eyes, and walk again⊠would you still be calm enough to search for logical explanations?
Corpse reanimation could be a real spiritual phenomenon or merely a medical misdiagnosis.
But for those who have witnessed it firsthand, the horror never fades.
AndâŠ
After everything, Nga chuckled, uploaded her story, and wondered:
“Would anyone actually believe this fictional tale?”
