'The novel could be an allegory of sleep, a phenomenology of time, or a cinematic metafiction. Whatever it is, its memory lingers' Guardian Eyes mark the shape of the city. The midnight hour approaches in an almost empty all-night diner. Mari sips her coffee and reads a book, but soon her solitude is disturbed: a girl has been beaten up at the Alphaville hotel, and needs Mari's help. Meanwhile Mari's beautiful sister Eri lies in a deep, heavy sleep that is 'too perfect, too pure' to be normal; it has lasted for two months. But tonight, as the digital clock displays 00:00, a hint of life flickers across the television screen, even though its plug has been pulled out. Strange nocturnal happenings, or a trick of the night?







