novel translations

Zazazaza

Author: Ukari (translated with author’s permission, please visit their website to see the original Japanese works!)

To say here is far, and to call yonder nearby. Stories on the edge of the every day, strange tales you may or may not be moved by. Strange, curious, fantastic stories told by me, you, him and her. There are many stories but they’re all concluded within a single page, each story around 200 to 1200 characters in length, a short story collection you can easily read. Please enjoy them. Updated every Saturday at 6pm.

***

As I walked down an unfamiliar path at night, I passed by some bamboo.

The bamboo was dense and as tall as a person’s shoulder, and it felt like somebody was looking down at me through it.

Za, zaza, za.

The bamboo rustled as I walked, even though there was no wind.

A feeling of dread washed over me.

Alongside that sound, I could sense something, like countless creatures crawling, wriggling, and breathing.

Za, zazazaza, zaza.

The sound followed my movements precisely. But as soon as I passed the bamboo, it instantly stopped.

Nervously, I turned around, but the bamboo wasn’t moving in the slightest. It simply stood like like it had no idea what was going on. But there was no mistaking that utterly strange atmosphere.

The next day, I discovered that the bamboo surrounded a cemetery to keep it from plain view.

So, the sounds and presences I felt must have come from there, you know?

 

Original Japanese

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