Halfway between dozing off and staying awake, Kyosuke overheard light sounds coming from downstairs, no thanks to the cracks in the walls and the floorboards. Something managed to get in, even though he was sure he barricaded the door. Nevertheless, the lack of nourishment had left him feeling rather weak lately and he might've only propped the chair halfway.
"Huh..." Mustering his strength, he got up to his feet and took the crowbar hidden underneath the mattress. He took a sip from the water he got from melting the snow in the pot in order to satisfy his stomach a little before heading out.
As he stepped out into the hallway, he saw that tiny rays of light had finally started peeking in through the windows and walls. That dreaded time was finally ending and soon, he would have to head out and confront the bitter winter winds again.
Shuffle, shuffle
Still, why does the sound persist? From what he's observed, "they" vanish once the night was over. That means whatever is down there might be a living, breathing creature like him. He quietly hoped it was a rather large animal. He could really go for a heavy meal for once.
He finally arrived near the lobby. He stayed hidden by the stairwell, where he observed what was causing the noise. His eyes have long grown accustomed to the darkness. From his position, he could see a rather tall, upright figure. Standing on two legs, he was sure this was not an animal of any sorts. At least, not one he could just kill and eat. With his mind all out of whack thanks to the extreme isolation, it took a while before any logical thought kicked in.
"A...human...?"
It has been a while since he last saw another human being like him. He managed to catch a glimpse of a girl walking around town during the last few days but he never seemed to be able to catch up to her. Was this the person he saw back then? Her hair looked different. Then again, she could've dyed and styled it different, regardless of how much was wrong in that line of thinking.
"Food..." He called out as he walked towards her, using the rather long crowbar to keep his hunched form steady. "Do...you...have...any?"
He managed to reach the front desk where he leaned his rather exhausted body. In comparison, this pale-haired girl still looked like she was bursting with energy. She looked fresh. Probably arrived recently. Tough luck for her, in his opinion. He never really found a way out of here.
"You're...alive, right?"
"Do you know any ways out of here?"
"You..." From her usual spot underneath the streetlight, the odd woman eyed a rather fidgety looking boy approach her. She stared at him for a moment, as if analyzing something plastered on the boy's face. "Well, well...this might be an interesting one..." She almost grinned as she took note of what she uncovered.
"Oh my God!!! You're a rather handsome guy!!!" She squealed as she immediately tiptoed around him, checking him out from head to shoe. "What brings you to this town? You starting a business? Looking for an endorser? Maybe someone to take their hands in marriage? Gah! Possibilities, possibilities! Oh, I know! You're one of those engineering firms! Those folks who come to places to build oil lines and bridges! Yep, that's totally it!"
Pausing for a bit to stare at the boy straight in the eye, she flashed him another small grin. "Or perhaps...you're looking for someone, aren't you?" The outburst gone, she finally took a step back, maintaining a three feet distance between them.
"Well, this town's landlocked. Only way out is through the bridge that connects to the highway. Just follow the signposts near the post office and voila! There's the bridge." Despite all those detours she took, she actually did answer his question.