-pg105-

Tale #51

Mountain Tunnel

-pg107-

Alpha

It's hoooooot.
No wind...
I wonder if there's anywhere it isn't...

-pg108-

Ayase

Freezing...
On the road from Niigata to Gunma county.
The highlight of the trip is the mountain crossing.
Near Yuzawa I'd been tricked by an old man.
Shit...

-pg109-

Old man

"Listen up sonny; if you're gonna be hoofin' it, there's this big tunnel."
"Take it and you can cross right under Mikuni peak!"

Ayase

"Ah...good, I was, uh...planning on walking, yes."

Old man

"Use this here light!"
"It's cheap, you see!"

Ayase

"......."

-pg110-

Ayase

Hasn't anyone ever been through this thing?
The tunnel is more than 10km long!
Still, I've come to far to turn back.
Ahead of me the darkness seems to stretch forever.
A row of flourescent lights seems to stretch forever too.

-pg111-

Ayase

The Kamas has been asleep in my bag since we left the sea.
Why didn't I just grab a bus?
Seems like it's
getting darker.

-pg112-

Ayase

?
My light's going out!
Aah!?
Hey!?
C'mon!!
......
Jesus...
That old fart...

-pg113-

Ayase

At least the row lights haven't gone out.
It's not much, but I can see enough to walk.
Gradually, I'm starting to feel weird.
(Not a good sign...)

-pg114-

Ayase

?

-pg115-

Man

How's it goin', buddy?

Ayase

God, that felt SO long!

Man

Mm.
Well, you don't look dead yet.
Lot of people, their eyes start playing tricks on them and they get turned
around. Get stuck.
(What'll ya have?)

Ayase

(Beans and tea)
I know the feeling.

-pg116-

Ayase

Anyone else around?

Man

You're the first in a while.
At any rate, the first one alive...

Ayase

.......

Man

Here! I replaced the batteries.

Ayase

Oh, thanks a lot.

-pg117-

Ayase

Bye!

Man

Mm.
You're half-way there.

Ayase

The shop was little...
Just a part of the universe.
But it made the road much more interesting.
As I walked, the lights above vanished.
The man at Yuzawa was right.

-pg118-

Ayase

!

-pg119-

Ayase

My body could feel the difference in the air. The smell of the Pacific.
We're not at the sea yet.

-pg120-

Alpha

Ah, the wind came back.

Tale #51: Closing