Discover more from The E-JSD

We publish periodic fiction short stories of many genres, among other posts dealing with literature news and topics. We are a nano-publisher, so don’t expect seeing a drop in your email each week. Typically, we shoot for one or two a month.

Rūfukurōrā (the Roof Crawler)

A short-short story by Amy Bexley

Joseph Street Digest

Mar 21, 2023

In the chilly morning twilight, I waited for my child’s bus. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the Rūfukurōrā or the Roof Crawler. A dark, humanoid figure walking on all fours along the roofline of my neighbor’s roof.

When I directly looked in its direction, it was not there, but I know what I saw.

Maybe it had ducked behind the roofline, lying flat against the roof itself?

Or was this a trick of the imagination?

I had been binge watching a lot of anime featuring characters on roof tops.

I asked my daughter if she saw anything, and she had not since she was too busy playing some game on her smartphone.

Uncle Shuzo said he used to see spirits and yokai. The family said he was insane since he lived in a shed.

Was I going insane like Uncle Shuzo? I don’t own a shed, but will I see things as well and maybe live outside somewhere? Is this how it all starts? Maybe I should go to the hospital after the bus picks up my daughter and have some tests run? On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t go to the hospital because they will automatically think I’m insane, like Uncle Shuzo.

I looked again at the roofline and saw nothing but the shadows of tree branches.

It was nothing but a trick of my imagination. Early morning shadows dancing and projecting something that wasn’t there.

I saw the headlights of the school bus coming down the narrow street and told my daughter to get ready by putting away her phone.

The bus came to a stop; its door opened. As my daughter was midway to the bus door, there it was again- the Rūfukurōrā squatting on the roof across the street. An evil grin of white pointed teeth appeared on its otherwise featureless face. Then, in an instance, it pounced upon my daughter; the two were gone in a cloud of black smoke.

I ran to where she was, and there was nothing. I ran to the bus and with panic in my voice demanded if the bus driver had just seen my daughter eaten alive by the Roof Crawler.

“Your daughter is sitting right behind me.” The driver said, pointing behind him.

I pulled away from the bus. The doors closed, and it drove away.

I heard above me from across the street laughter. I looked up. There was the Rūfukurōrā pointing at me, laughing with its gaping smile.

This can’t be real, I told myself. There is no such thing as the Roof Crawler. I walked home. I then stopped, looked back, and there was nothing on top of the roof.

I was going mad, like Uncle Shuzo. Seeing things that were not there. I couldn’t tell my wife and family about this, or they would have the authorities lock me away.

If I was going mad, then maybe there’s something positive about this madness. Maybe there is something to the Rūfukurōrā after all. Something that lurks in the shadows of rooflines and prefers not to be seen right away. Something that can leap into action without warning or beckon a person at a moment’s notice.

I shivered and felt the chill of fear in my heart.

The Roof Crawler was real, at least to me. I had to do something before it took me or someone else away.

But what? What could I possibly do against a Rūfukurōrā? Where did it come from and why was it here?

I couldn’t let this thing take others away. I had to think of something, anything. I had to look it up online. See if others had seen it. Thus, confirming that I’m not crazy like Uncle Shuzo. But all I could do was watch and wait for it to appear again.

Until then, I would have to be vigilant and keep my eyes open for the roof crawler...whatever that may be.

Also calm my nerves by going to the nearest izakaya for a good drink.

#story