Stuck

*Kiyoko Sasaki's POV*

//July 16, 2040//Monday//

Thinking about it, we always investigate the area when the lights are still on, but we never explore when the lights are out.

The first reason why we do not want to is you can't see clearly in the pitch black. The second reason is, that someone who possibly wants to kill us has a huge advantage in the darkness. It's not that I do not have faith in these people, but there is nothing wrong with being careful and considering the other possibilities.

"Fine then." I said.

"Oh, I thought that I needed to give you an explanation of why we need to do this at night. I guess not."

"Well, I can practically know what you are always thinking, Kei."

"Hmm… I guess so. We are always together all the time."

I looked at the manga that Kei was reading a while ago. A closer look I saw that it was one of that shounen sci-fi manga that was really famous when I was still in middle school.

"I didn't know you like reading manga, Kei."

"Yeah… I do…"

Kei stared at the manga beside him with a sad look on his face. Should I have not said that to him?

"Well then…"

He got out of his seat, and walked away towards the exit with the manga he was reading earlier.

"Meet me later at your room at the last minute before the lights go out."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

Kei stopped when he was about to leave the room.

"I'll take a rest in your room if you don't mind."

He left me in the library clueless why he suddenly acted like that. I stood up from my seat to get a book to read to kill some time.

"I hope he is okay."

It is already 9:55 pm, and I left the library to go see Kei upstairs who is waiting for me inside my room.

When I went to the fifth floor, Kei is standing in front of my room leaning his back on the door waiting for me.

"Oh, Kiyoko. You're here."

"Hey."

I stood beside him, and he still looked serious.

"Are you okay?"

I was really worried, especially when Kei left the library earlier.

"Yeah… Don't worry about it."

I hope he really is okay.

"We will start by exploring the first floor first, and go our way up to the fourth floor."

"Sounds like a nice plan."

"Let's go."

It was already 9:59 pm, and we went inside the elevator to go down the first floor easier. When the elevator closed its gate, Kei pressed the button that goes directly to the first floor.

But, that is where we have a serious problem.

"Huh? That's strange."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"The elevator is not working."

We are stuck inside this elevator.

Just the two of us.

"Can you open the gate?"

"It's stuck."

We are trapped here inside. So the 10:00 pm schedule where lights go out doesn't just apply to the lights, but also the elevator will stop functioning at that time.

"Sigh…"

Kei sat down on the floor leaning his back on the wall.

"I'm sorry, Kiyoko..."

"It's unusual for you to apologize."

I gave a long sigh, and sat down beside Kei. I stared at the ceiling of the elevator thinking of a way to lighten the mood up.

"At least we now know that the elevator stops working at 10:00 pm"

"Yeah…"

I looked at Kei's face, and he still has that same look when I told him that I did not expect that he likes reading manga.

Is that really a big deal for him?

"Are you really okay?" I asked.

"I told you many times already, I'm fine."

Our conversation ended, and there was a long silence between us. I kept on looking around the walls even if it was a pointless thing to do.

As for Kei, he was just looking down with sadness on his face.

"Kiyoko, you can take a rest. The elevator will probably start working again in the morning."

"How about you?"

"I'll look after you just in case something unusual happens."

"Okay."

I laid down on the floor sideways with both of my hands on one side of my face.

"Kei, we can take turns."

"Hmm?"

"You can wake me up if you feel tired, and I'll watch over you."

Kei looked at me for a second at the side and tucked both of his hands inside his pockets.

"Sure…"

I was a little bit sleepy. I laid down on the floor and faced myself on the other side away from Kei. When I closed my eyes, Kei said something to me in a tender tone.

"Goodnight..."

As soon as I realized that I couldn't hear anything anymore, and my sight was just this pitch-black darkness, I knew that I was asleep. But, when I woke up, I saw myself alone in a dark room.

I knew right away that I am having another nightmare.

******** TO BE CONTINUED ********