Chapter 1: In the Mountains
I don’t understand.
When I turned around, I found myself in an unfamiliar landscape—specifically, in the mountains.
I had a bag slung over my shoulder, a silver leisure mat with cushioning tucked under my arm, and a cooler box hanging from my hand.
I had taken these things out of the car trunk, and when I looked back to see my sisters, there was no one there. Instead, I was surrounded by mountains.
When I turned again, the car that should have been there was gone. It was supposed to be in a temporary parking lot for the Fireworks Festival, which was set up in some factory’s grounds, but now I was completely in the mountains.
Is this a dream?
If it’s not a dream, then maybe I’ve been living with some dissociative disorder and just returned to my senses… but that doesn’t make sense. My belongings are still here.
Is it because I wanted to go camping? I had been invited by friends for a river camping trip. Thanks to my sister’s tyranny, I ended up being the one to reserve a spot for the Fireworks Festival and carry the gear, but I had been somewhat intrigued by the idea of a more intense outdoor experience.
Even after I declined, I felt a lingering regret and ended up watching survival shows online in a burst of enthusiasm. It was more of an escape from my tyrannical sister than a genuine desire to camp. I didn’t really want to go camping that badly.
I checked my smartphone.
Out of service.
There’s no point in freezing up. If this is a dream, then what should I do? I recalled the videos I had watched over the past few days.
First, secure fire.
Second, secure water.
Third, secure food.
Fourth, secure a place to sleep.
The order depends on the situation. The temperature isn’t too cold or hot, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of rain for now.
I listed the necessary items I had seen in the videos, but I didn’t really understand them. For now, I should explore the area and try to find some water.
The cooler box has water, tea, and cola. Plus, there are four bento boxes. So I should have a bit of leeway. I think.
I walked, hoping to find a path or, ideally, a town.
The slope was quite steep, and carrying my belongings made it tough. I was scared of losing something if I set it down somewhere. I wished for a fourth-dimensional pocket that wouldn’t weigh me down or take up space, where time didn’t pass.
I tried to convince myself this was a dream, but anxiety crept back in. I wanted a heart that wouldn’t waver.
I reached a river. Good, water is okay. Though I don’t have the courage to drink it straight.
I came to the sea. Great, let’s catch some fish. But I don’t have any fishing gear.
…I’m in trouble. I thought I was in the mountains, and I am, but it feels very much like an island.
I walked along the coastline. There were no palm trees, but it looked like I could catch fish among the rocky areas, and there were shellfish that looked like turtle hands—wait, are turtle hands crustaceans?
It was the end of summer, but it felt cooler than that. The sunlight was strong, but maybe the sea water was cold, or the sea breeze was refreshing. The water wasn’t as clear as in the southern seas; instead, a dark sea spread out before me.
I had brought my Ultra Down jacket because the riverside can get pretty cold during the night at the Fireworks Festival, but it wasn’t that cold here. In fact, it was rather comfortable.
As I walked along the coast, I was blocked by a sheer rock face. In the distance, I could see several islands. This place feels very much like an island too. Though I haven’t circled around yet, it’s unlikely to be connected to the mainland…
There was driftwood, but nothing else. In this day and age, is there really a place where plastic waste doesn’t reach?
I took a break to eat my bento and started to head back the way I came. I needed to prepare myself for spending the night soon.
The slope leading to the river and the sea was steep, but the initial spot was relatively open, with a large rock.
I’ll settle there. I might be able to return to the same spot.
I placed the dry wood I had collected on the way back and rummaged through my bag for something to start a fire. I don’t smoke, and I don’t have a lighter.
I used a knife to shave down a cedar-like branch from both sides to make a fire starter. After creating a circular indentation with a suitable stick, I placed dry leaves underneath and kept grinding. Just keep grinding.
This isn’t my first time reserving a spot for the Fireworks Festival, and since I was in a car, I brought various things with me. Was it lucky that I ended up carrying everything except alcohol?
I had a different thin leisure mat from the silver one, a small hammer to drive the grommets into the ground, a cutter for opening boxes and bags, and a folding saw to deal with the leftover bamboo from the area I reserved.
I opted for a saw instead of a hatchet since it’s dangerous to use a hatchet around people, but I really wish I had a hatchet or a hand axe. If only the cutter were a knife…
The fire was successfully lit.
It took a lot of time, and my palms hurt, and my arms were trembling. I never want to do that again, so I need to make sure this fire doesn’t go out. I desperately wanted strength and stamina right now, or maybe a magic spell that could do anything.
…I was somehow managing to move, but my thought process seemed to be stalled. It was just right for escaping reality.
In addition to the easily combustible firewood, I brought back some dry fallen branches to add to the campfire. They were thick, so they wouldn’t catch fire easily, but they would start smoldering eventually. If that happened, even if the campfire went out, the embers should be preserved. Probably.
With my back against a large rock, I watched the campfire. Should I make a windbreak? In the dim light of the approaching sunset, I gathered stones and piled them around the campfire.
Once it got dark and I couldn’t move around anymore, I took a break and organized my sleeping area. I removed small stones to flatten the ground.
I laid out the aluminum leisure mat and put on my Ultra Down jacket, rolling onto it. How long will the branches for the campfire last? Will they be enough to last until morning?
I was tired and had no appetite. My lower body felt cold, so I got up and took out a plastic leisure sheet to cover myself as I lay down. It seemed I needed to create a windbreak not just for the campfire but also for my sleeping area.
I’ll deal with it tomorrow. I want to take a bath…
I was awakened by the noisy cries of birds.
I woke up to find that it wasn’t a dream; I was still somewhere in the mountains. The fire was dying down, and part of the log I had placed on it and some thicker firewood had turned to charcoal, glowing orange.
In a hurry, I placed some dry grass on the charcoal and blew on it, and with a crackling sound, the fire sprang back to life. I added some twigs and felt relieved. I still needed to gather more dry wood.
I opened a plastic bottle and ate my bento. Water and tea were fine, but I shouldn’t let the bento go to waste, as it would spoil if I kept it. Today, I would head in the opposite direction with just the saw and my drinks.
I really should have gone with a hatchet, I thought, as I pushed aside twigs and tough grass with my hands and feet. I wanted a blade that could cut through anything. After struggling up the slope, I reached a rocky area where my view opened up.
From the top, I could see the sea in all directions. This is definitely an island.
I could see several islands around me, but there was no land stretching endlessly in sight. Even if I managed to get a boat, it seemed impossible to escape, or I wouldn’t know where to head.
I stood there, dazed, as time passed. I didn’t know what to do, and I cried. I had spent a day floating in a haze of unreality, but I had reached my limit.
Why am I going through this? I was just dragged along by my sister. I didn’t even want to go to the Fireworks Festival, and now I’m stuck here without even seeing the fireworks.
Crying brought no response, just the wind blowing. Even when I shouted, there was no reply.
Exhausted from shouting, I descended the slope. I made sure not to forget to pick up dry branches on the way back.
Why am I picking up branches? Oh right, to keep the fire going. Thinking was a chore, and if I thought too much, my spirit would break.
I’ll just focus on keeping the fire alive without thinking about anything else. If I clear the surrounding branches, someone might see the smoke. Yeah, that sounds good.
Since it seemed like it would be a long haul, I decided to improve my living conditions. I would cut down nearby trees to expand usable space, and when cooking or at night, I’d place grass or cedar leaves on top to make the white smoke more visible, so it wouldn’t disappear among the treetops and could be seen from afar. Probably.
I cut down several trees about the size of my arm, and fortunately, the thicker ones were a bit farther away. I wanted to drive stakes into the ground to build walls, so I dug holes and pulled them out, then stood two thicker trees about my height side by side in those holes. I did this in four places, two sets.
I stacked similarly thick branches between the arranged pillars to create walls. At one point, I got a little worried about the strength and added more pillars.
That’s enough for today. I ate my bento.
I had one bento left. What should I do for meals starting tomorrow? I can’t catch animals or cook; that’s impossible for me. Catching fish seems more realistic, though. Maybe I could place stones in a V-shape in the shallow river to lure them in?
I could also make a trap like a basket. I’ve gathered vines, but I’ll need a lot of thin branches too. I can hold out on calories with cola for a while, but I should prepare for the possibility of not being able to eat.
I did a bit of work by the light of the campfire before going to sleep. Why is this happening to me…?
The next day, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping at dawn and began my activities. First, I headed to the river, choosing a shallow spot to stack some stones. The entrance was wide, but as I ventured further, it narrowed down into a dead end. Maybe it would be easier if I placed a basket at the narrow exit?
I followed the river upstream. The water would eventually run out, so I wanted to find a water source while I still had the energy. The water downstream was clear, but there was something reassuring about finding a spring. This river was wider than a brook, but shallow enough to wade across. Of course, there were deeper spots in certain areas.
I could see fish darting about, so if I managed to catch some, I’d have a meal.
As I moved towards a more open area, I spotted the rocky outcrop I had climbed yesterday. I could recognize its shape, which helped me gauge my direction. I had a compass app on my smartphone, but visual landmarks were quicker to identify.
Along the way, I discovered a small waterfall and a pool deep enough to swim in. Surrounded by greenery, it was beautiful and cold, so I didn’t go in, but I took a moment to escape reality and enjoy the view. The sound of flowing water, the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, and at night, the chorus of insects.
If only I could be guaranteed a way back home, that would be perfect.
The water source bubbled up from the clean sand, washed by the water. I scooped some up and took a sip; it was cold and refreshing. I figured it was filtered enough to be safe, but I didn’t want to risk an upset stomach, so I only drank a little. Boiling it would be best, but I didn’t have a pot.
Fortunately, the water source was close to my makeshift shelter. After all, this island wasn’t very large, so I could expect either a water source or a fishing spot to be nearby.
On my way back, I dropped off the vines I had gathered and set out to collect firewood. There were plenty of dry fallen trees higher up on the island, but the lower areas were a bit damp due to the proximity of the river. I’d check what the opposite side of the river looked like later.
But first, I needed to focus on setting up my base and securing food. In sunny spots, I found edible plants like plantain and dandelions, and there were seaweeds as well. The protein I was aiming for was definitely fish.