elevator source
Published:At work in a high rise. For whatever reason the usual elevator refuses to work. Shiny and pristine lobby. Bank of more than a dozen elevators, at least 15. I scan my credit card and it gets snatched away by the machine. After a minute it is spat back out along with a special card just for these turnstiles, along with a receipt that says it will forward all charges to the other card when possible. So you gotta pay to get into work? my coworker says. I shrug and scan myself in. I am directed to the gate for elevator 14. I squeeze past but the doors do not yet open for me. The moments pass, and the door slides open. The other elevator was normal inside, spacious and boring. This one has a modernist architecture white bulbous steel webbing that arcs around the walls, leaving gaps in the floor. Despite it being the first floor, several people are already on board. I press my floor (15). We slowwwly rattle upwards. In the time it usually takes to reach my floor we accelerate and reach the second floor. It opens up into a hellscape. Several people leave. My brother and friend are coworkers and also aboard. We continue rattling slowly upwards, the door opening many times. They both excitedly exit in a desertal and I shout at them to come back, only my brother makes it. We stay safer on the rest of the trip. Eventually I stumble out from the elevator and exhaustedly collapse on the office couch. The office is cavernous, brown and warehouse like with many alcoves. Everyone is talking about their terrifying experiences aboard the elevators. They say we shouldn't warn anyone since its mostly harmless and its fun to hear of their surprise. I remain slightly miffed.