Kino's Journey Episode 14
(キノの旅のエピソード 14)
Chapter One: The Road and Way
Part one
"Left!"
"No, right."
"We'll get lost again if we go right!"
"Going left will make us lost."
"Kino…"
There were two figures standing in the middle of a fork in the road arguing. One resembled a motorrad and the other a human - a traveler to be exact. The traveler took her goggles off to take a better look of the place. Both have been traveling for days in this area and are trying are to find a way out.
"Yes Hermes?"
"Didn't we pass this place before?"
"Mmm... Maybe."
"Last time I listened to you and turned right, so now we're lost again!"
"Well, I'm pretty sure we'll get through this time."
"Well, as long as you get me some gas…"
The two figures disappeared down the right side of the road, leaving a trail of dust behind them. Both were thinking that they should get a map of the area in the next town…
Part Two
As the traveler and the motorrad sped through the jagged path, they arrived at cross road with a large, white signpost made of rotting wood stuck to the ground on their right. The signpost had three small, arrow-like signs nailed onto it. Each of the three smaller ones pointed towards one of the three roads in front of them, but their names scratched out, revealing the moldy wood beneath the paint.
"That's weird."
"About what?"
"Don't you think it's strange that someone would do that?"
The motorrad thought about his companion's question. True, he thought, why would someone do that and risk themselves getting caught by the police? But then again, there were many other possibilities. One was that something happened to the people and they were forced to abandon their home and remove any traces of their settlement. But couldn't they just remove the sign? Maybe it was too urgent to remove the sign. The second possibility was that someone decided to put up a prank on the people who were crossing this road. The third… Well, there was no third, just those two. Humans are strange creatures to a motorrad.
"I don't know," replied the motorrad. His companion -Kino- looked at the motorrad as if considering her own thoughts, then smiled. The pair wandered straight ahead, avoiding turns and arguments…