Chapter 1: Prologue

Japan, 2021 December 24th, Friday.

 

Konnichiwa, my name is Kagiyama, Akari. It's nice to meet you!

Akari is my first name by the way...so...please don't call me Kagiyama-san. I hear that all day in school and it just sounds so formal, don't you agree? Just simple and plain Akari is fine.

Anyway, last month I celebrated my 18th birthday, which means that I will start my university life soon. Lucky for me I was accepted at a university near my hometown of Oirase in Aomori Prefecture. 

I live with my mom and big sister Hitomi in a cozy apartment near the city center. 
Our home is close to the sea, so that is a big boon. You really should join me for a fireworks show in the summer, it's just amazing!  

What else can I say...ah I like to go hiking whenever I can. There are plenty of trails nearby where you can relax without needing to pay entrance fees. I don't get why people travel all over the world to find a hotel near the beach, why don't they just find something fun near their home town? Sure, I'd love to visit a distant country one day, but I need a steady job for that first. But traveling around the world every year? Nah, that's just not for me.

We also live close to a major airport, Misawa Airport. You might not find that fact very interesting, but for me it means fun! And today just happens to be a special day, but I will get to that part in a minute.

Whenever I have some time, and that is not very often, I love to play flight simulator games on my computer. I would love to become a pilot, but you need to be good in math, and well...I suck at math.
But that doesn't mean I'm grounded, no, I just play at home. Maybe when they build a VR game one day, I can finally be that pilot, but for now being an armchair pilot in my room will have to suffice. 

Of course my passion for planes also includes reading about everything aircraft related and the military too. Did you know that Misawa Airport even has military fighters stationed there? Yep, they do! That is one of the reasons I have a rather....unusual hobby. 

It somehow became a yearly tradition for me to visit the airport in my December holidays and check departing and arriving aircraft. Trying to identify what kind of aircraft they are and follow their destinations on a map is part of the fun.
Did you know that I can even make use of the airline's lounges there? Yep! For an entrance fee of only 1100 yen, I can eat, drink and relax while pretending to be an international traveler. Sometimes I speak with people who are actually traveling abroad or tourists who arrive to visit my region of Japan. I feel like I'm a travel agent, telling them the best places in Aomori. 

 

Sometimes they just ask me what a Japanese word means, or how to buy a train ticket.
For some reason they always seem surprised to hear that staff is always there to help them. Well, except for those rural train stations where only one train an hour stops. And even then, people like you and me are usually kind enough to help. Isn't that the same everywhere? Anyway, I'm getting off topic. 

That brings me back to today. 

 

I'm now on my way back home, sitting in the train scrolling through today's pictures on my phone. It's about 5pm now and it's already dark, well mostly dark as an abundance of street lights and advertisements light up the place everywhere I go. The train is packed with fellow travelers, perhaps even transporting more than the maximum design capacity. It was already a minor miracle that I was able to obtain a seat. 

The sound of the train moving on the tracks always makes me feel a bit sleepy, and today is no exception. But I'm almost home, so just a bit further. The windows are a bit foggy due to the cold air outside and the very warm air inside. And here I'm sitting, wearing a fluffy white and very warm winter coat.

At least the view from the window in the lounge I visited was amazing...I could see some planes departing from here. But the weather today didn't play nice, it was foggy. So the number of flights was reduced for safety reasons. Just my luck, but that's life. Nobody can control the weather.

Let's see....I was able to spot these planes multiple times today: Airbus A350-900, Boeing 737-800 and an Embraer 170. Most planes were from Japan Airlines. More interesting were the aging F16s that were parked nearby. I'd love to see something a bit more recent, but alas, not today. Considering that it was foggy today, I guess I should still be happy about the results. Especially as I won't have much time next year, you know...university life and such.

Well, today was lots of fun, even though none of my friends joined me for "Akari's annual special airport day."  Yep, that's the official title I gave this day. 

"Excuse me miss, would you.....ah, thank you. Sorry." 

An elderly gentleman asked me to let him pass, so he can leave at the next station. 

Where was I? Ah, right. 

My sister always teases me that my hobby is for boys, not for her younger sister, but I don't care. It really is the perfect thing to enjoy after studying. And let's be honest here, it's just one day a year, right? You get plenty of fresh air and it is not expensive at all. I have been looking forward to this day all year long. 

Oh, and I like the airport's Christmas decorations too, even though we celebrate Christmas a bit differently in Japan, compared to other countries. It isn't even a national holiday...but it should be!

Christmas eve is considered by many to be a romantic day. Except for me, because it is the day when my mom always starts bugging me about my lack of a boyfriend. "Look at your sister," she always says, and you immediately understand that she won't give up for at least the next half an hour. But she means well, I know. But I know for a fact that I will also be celebrating this particular Christmas alone with just my family.

Ah, just one more stop and I need to leave the train. 

Today is my turn to do the dishes, followed by a warm, relaxing bath and then maybe watch a movie together. I'm just too tired to play my game, but tomorrow.....tomorrow is flight sim day! I rotate my game time between three games, one of them is scheduled for tomorrow: StarWarrior Deluxe Edition!
Space Fighter Akari at your service. That alien ship is going down tomorrow, mark my words! 

 

Ah...no....I just remembered. Tomorrow morning I'm supposed to help mom and Hitomi in mom's flower shop. How would you picture a flower shop?
Nope, try again, bigger this time. Bigger...yep, that's right, it's huge. 

She's a wholesaler, buying in large quantities and selling to florists. But don't misunderstand please. It's still a modestly large flower shop in front, but the warehouse on the back is our main source of income. It doesn't make us rich, but it's enough to pay the bills.

Mom's time is mostly spent working there and she never fails to remind me that I should actually be helping her...but she still allows me to have some fun. I know that it's her childhood dream come true, but, well....studying takes time, right? I know what you are thinking! I'm still helping around the house, so I'm not lazy, okay?! Taste my chicken-rice curry and you will ask for seconds!

It's not that bad to help in the warehouse, but it's still unpaid labor. And boring too. It took some negotiating, but to my surprise she allowed me to help her by assisting in her actual flower shop instead. 

The lady usually taking care of the shop unexpectedly asked for a day off due to family issues. No idea what that is about, though. But it is the perfect excuse for me to work in the shop instead of the warehouse.

So... I will be selling flowers tomorrow. My big sister Hitomi will help mom in her warehouse. Mom says she's proud to have us girls both help her out. A nice compliment you say? Ha, no no no....it simply means: "I expect you to come work here during your holidays. At least part time." 

Whatever, things could be worse, right? Dad passed away three years ago and somehow mom took over the business and things seem to go on as they always have. Alright, I will do my best! 

As I already mentioned, it's almost Christmas, and people seem to be in the mood for flowers, so I know what I will be saying for a while......"Do you want a Christmas card with that, sir?"

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Oh god, talking about chicken-rice curry made me hungry! 

 

And here we are, Shimoda station, time to leave the train. "Excuse me...sorry, excuse me....sorry..." I push and beg my way through the people and finally arrive outside. I made it!

The doors close behind me and the train moves on to the next station. 

I take a deep breath and see the warmth of my breath leaving my mouth to form little clouds which disappear in the evening air. It's pretty cold....brrr....especially after sitting in a warm train for a while. 

I take the stairs down to street level and pass many shops on my way out. Most are closed though. 

I can smell the familiar fragrance of KFC while passing them by. Many people are standing in line to pick up their special Christmas Eve orders....I guess they are a bit late for dinner already.

Many people are walking here, most return from or go to their trains. Some barely manage to avoid walking into each other. It seems like they subconsciously calculate where someone will go, and then adjust their own course and speed to avoid collisions. Just like in a game.

I finally make it to street level and the number of people I see are gradually getting less and less as I make my way home. Some moths are reflecting the light of streetlights on their wings as they dance in the evening air. Must be some kind of cold resistant species...or particularly unlucky moths who hatched too soon for spring.

From here it's about a fifteen minutes walk home....except for today. 

I just remembered that mom asked me to visit the 7-Eleven convenience store. It's just down the street and near a rather large park, but carrying a few bags is not an issue. Well, it's still going uphill on my way home. 

 

It's now 5.50pm and not many people are in the 7-Eleven at the moment. I quickly text my mom where I am and tell her that I will be home soon.....and...done.  

She quickly replies with a list of groceries...great...thanks mom....just what I needed.

Let's see, instant ramen for my lazy..eh..my respected elder sister. Nori, tofu....yeah the usual foodstuff. Some toiletries and batteries for our flashlight. You never know when an earthquake will hit our region, so it's a good idea to be prepared. 

While I take my time to find the groceries I need, I overhear two people speaking about yesterday's news. Both of them are middle aged men. Oh great, my luck, they are science geeks.

"How can a brain develop its infinite complexity to give birth to human consciousness, but those same humans cannot understand their own brain?" One man says, earning a laugh from the other.

I just shake my head....I'm definitely not in the mood for that kind of stuff.

They are now in front of me to pay for their groceries.

One of them says "Did you see that documentary yesterday evening? Oh sorry, yes those are mine too." He briefly replied to the cashier and then noticed the other one shaking his head. 

He then continues. "They were able to create antimatter in Switzerland. You know the Large Hadron Collider? The people at CERN were very optimistic about the future. They said they now have found a way to create antimatter at low costs, theoretically creating infinite energy for humanity."

"Oh that? If I heard correctly, it is just an atom that has a...a...an electron or something that moves counterclockwise or something. So I don't get the excitement." 

They left the store while I paid for my groceries. Their conversation was almost out of my hearing range.  

"Exactly, sounds simple, right? Well they now have a gram of the stuff. It took them two years. I'm just happy that we are far away from Switzerland...imagine that stuff blowing up in your..."  and they were out of range. Thank god for that. That kind of science is not for me, that's for sure. 

"Have a nice evening," the cashier says when I'm ready to leave the store. She must be happy that they are gone too.

"Thank you, same to you."  Well, she's nice, and being nice doesn't cost anything, right?

I take a deep breath, god it's so cold out here. It motivates me to go home quickly and enjoy a warm meal. 

I cross the street and then take a right turn and walk into the park which has a slide for the kiddies and some convenient benches for the elderly..eh..for the parents. There's a lot of open space too.

The path home is not a straight one, it's slightly curved to the left and will go uphill soon, but first it will lead through the open space I just mentioned. Think about a well maintained grassy field. I guess they will build something here soon, I noticed the billboards about land for purchase. But for now the field is mostly used for sports activities of the schools nearby.

Bright white street lights illuminate the immediate area and give this park a tranquil feeling. "Kaaa Kaaa" a crow announces to its friends that it's about time to find a sleeping spot, or perhaps it's mocking me, you never really know with crows. Well, someone must bring these groceries home, right?

...And just before I take the last step uphill so I can follow the path home through the open space....the lights start to flicker...but only for a brief moment...then they are back to normal again.

"Huh? What was that about?" I say out loud.

Then they flicker again and the power goes out for good. I'm stranded here, in total and utter darkness.

"Oh crap. There must have been another big earthquake somewhere. Maybe a chain reaction or something?" I unintentionally said that out loud too.

I look up towards the sky, and can't even see the stars. It's cloudy and there's no moon tonight.

Yep, there you have it. It's not only the street lights that stopped....no, everything is dark now. The darkness hurts my tired eyes. The lights of the shops that I could see through the trees a minute ago are also dark. I put the bags of groceries down on the path and take my phone out of the pocket of my jacket. It takes me a moment to find it. 

"Ehhh.....the screen isn't working either? What the heck is going on here?" 

I hear a dog barking in the distance....but otherwise....I'm all alone. In the dark.