THE APOLOGY

As I was about to get into the elevator a man pushed passed to get his way in first. A man I dreaded seeing ever since he stole my designs after working together for 3 years on “our” project. Standing at 6’ 2” with black slick back hair and a golden smile from all the coffee and cigars. I planned on taking the next elevator to avoid him, but I was pressed for time. I stepped in and moved my way to the back to avoid his smug face. Hitting every floor on our way down till it was only me and him alone. He turns and looks at me with his hideous smile, taunting me in sorts.

“Lovely day isn’t it,” he says.

“Yup,” I say trying to avoid speaking with him.

He was about to say something else when the elevator screeched to a halt as the lights flickered. We looked at each other and at the same time went for the emergency call button. We pressed once.

“We need help, the elevator just stopped at what seems to be between floors 15 and 16,” I said.

Silence filled the air.

“Why aren’t they responding?” He says in an anxious tone.

“I don’t know.”

He continues pressing the alarm and call button.

“SOMEBODY HELP, WE ARE STUCK IN HERE,” He screams.

“They have to know it stopped, someone will be here soon I bet,” I explained.

“You’re right, you’re right, just need to calm down,”

As we sat in silence, I couldn’t help but think, of course I would be trapped with him of all people. What are the odds of me getting trapped with him out of the thousands of people who work here. I sit on the floor to calm myself down and occupy myself as he paces back and forth biting his nails. All the sudden he starts banging on the door repeatedly, as his fists and face turned to cherry tomatoes.

“I NEED OUT OF HERE,” He screamed with anger.

“Calm down, they will be here to help soon,” I explained.

“IT HAS BEEN 20 MINUTES OF NOTHING!”

“Like I said its going to be fi-.”

The elevator started creaking. We both looked at each other pale as a vampire, then in an instant a snap from the elevator and we were both sent into the air. We smacked the ceiling and immediately crashed to the floor again. I got up moments later to see the man still lying on the floor but in a puddle of blood. I noticed a gash on the side of his head, he was still breathing. I quickly ripped off a sleeve from my button up and wrapped it around his head. After a few moments I realized we fell ten floors down, we were now at floor 6. I tried prying the door open, but it was no use without his help.

I could hear the typing of keyboards and the beeping of press machines. I slammed my fists against the doors screaming for help, but to no response. It’s as if no one can hear me or the banging of the metal doors. The metallic smell fills the room strong enough I can almost taste it. The piercing silence surrounds me as if I’m in purgatory. I sit and try to think rationally of what to do next, where I can go. As I sit with the one man, I hate the most with my ripped shirt wrapped around his head I continue checking on him to make sure he’s still breathing. I Keep banging on the doors and pressing the call button even though I know it doesn’t work. It feels like hours have gone by of just silence in the room. I press my ear up to the door and hear nothing. No more typing, no more beeping, not a single sound is coming from any direction. I start to worry everyone has left for the day and we won’t make it out of this.

“urrrrgh,” the man groans in pain.

I get close to help him sit up.

“You bashed your head pretty hard man, I had to wrap your head to stop the bleeding,” I explained.

“What happened.”

“We fell ten floors down and you got knocked out.”

“Thank you for helping me, I know you don’t like me, but thank you.”

“I wouldn’t just let you bleed.”

“Look man, I’m sorry for everything if I was you, I wouldn’t even help me. I know I’ve been horrible to you over the years and if this is really it, I at least want to try and make amends if you’d want that,” he says with his eyes closed and blood coming down his cheek.

“Don’t worry about it, there has been a lot I’ve wanted to say to you but never had the balls to say it, I don’t even care about the money I just wanted credit for my passion. But we are in this together now I hold no grudge against you anymore.”

“Thank you,” he said with tears filling his eyes.

The lights burst filling the room with nothing but darkness and silence. We hear the awful sound again, a loud screech. Our bodies lift off the ground again smacking the ceiling waiting for the crash. I open my eyes and hear the beeping of the monitor; I look down to see needles in my arm and bandages covering my leg.

“How are you feeling,” a doctor asked.

“Where is the other guy I was with,” I asked.

“Sir, you fell 20 floors in an elevator, you were the only one they extracted.”

“No, I was trapped with another guy who was seriously injured, he needs help.”

“You have a concussion sir, the person you claim to have seen must have been in your head.”

He must have gotten out the elevator before it dropped and out of all of this I still never got that apology.