THE MEETING

The Elevator stopped on the first floor from the parking garage. A man with neatly combed blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, a nicely groomed beard and a navy suit got on, and nodded curtly as he pressed the button for the 12th floor. As soon as the smell of rain and earth filled the small cabin of the elevator, I knew exactly who he was.

I was standing there, appearing as a young woman with long red hair, my usual storm gray eyes wearing a black pencil skirt, red silk blouse and black blazer and high heels, holding a black leather briefcase. I reached up to scratch my nose and make sure that I didn’t smell like sulfa, and I was glad to know I smelled more smokey, like pulled pork. It was after lunch so for all he knew, I had barbeque.

“Have you worked for the company long? I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Ogd. Skylar Ogd, the CEO,” he introduced himself.

“Uh, Lucy. Lucy Feran. I’ve been with the company for many years,” I said. Yeah, since the beginning when you kicked me out of the house… I thought.

“Are you heading to the meeting?” Ogd asked. I just nodded. The soft, yet incredibly annoying music playing overhead and the occasional beep that indicated we’d reached another floor was the only break in the silence.

“Yeah, hopefully I can get my concerns addressed this time. Seems every other time I try, I’m brushed off,” I stated. There was a little more of that awkward silence. It’s always like this when we meet. I could hear the attempted silent sigh. He knew what I was talking about and seemed annoyed.

“What do you mean?” he asked. He was going to try and play out that he didn’t know me for as long as he could.

“Well, my department keeps getting sent more clients for small infractions. Very minor. Things that could easily be forgiven but are being denied then sent to me. My employees are overworked, overwhelmed, and very confused most of the time,” I told him.

“I see but isn’t it your job to tend to disciplinary actions and retraining?” he asked.

“Yes, but not over things like being forgetful or for accidents,” I replied.

He tried to hide the eye roll, but I saw it all the same and yet again another soft attempt at a silent exasperated sigh I chose to ignore, keeping up my pretenses.

“The company manager wants everything and everyone to be perfect. But let’s face it, people aren’t made to be.”

“That’s true, but rules are rules.”

“Oh, don’t give me that, you made them vulnerable, gave them rules to live by, then gave them free will. They’re going to make mistakes,” I retorted.

Suddenly, between floors six and seven, the elevator shut down. I closed my eyes and then opened them and looked down. I was still in this woman’s form. My powers had completely gone. Inside, I was beginning to panic.

“My powers aren’t working! I tried to turn back into my true form, but I can’t,” I told him. He looked at me and gave an arrogant smirk then opened his hand and tried to open the doors and then turn the lights on but couldn’t. His brow furrowed and his blue eyes became dark as he looked at me,

“What did you do? Mine aren’t working either,” he demanded.

“Me? I don’t have this kind of power. It had to be you, all mighty and all that,” I snapped back.

“Well, we’re stuck,” he stated. For a moment I just looked at him blankly and blinked a couple of times.

“Really? I had no idea,” I tried pressing the button for the attendant but there was nothing, no one answered. It was completely dead, and so were our powers.

“Now what do we do?” I asked.

“I don’t know…”

“Aren’t you supposed to know everything?”

“Well, in this case, I don’t,” I could see he was beyond frustrated. As was I. Of all the people to be stuck in an elevator with, my father had to be the worst.

“Do you have any clue how hard it is to keep up with everything? Not even having one moment to yourself without everyone thinking you’re selfish and uncaring, but really, you’re just so stretched thin you just can’t keep up with it all?” he asked. He slid down the wall and sat on the elevator floor, leaning his head back against the cool wall and closing his eyes. For once looking defeated.

“Actually, I do. It’s so full and over ran with small things. My employees don’t know what to do when children are sent for innocent things. Children that’s barely four years old. That’s where I draw the line,” I told him with a sigh and sat down on the floor beside him.

He looked over at me and sighed, his eyes back to their normal sky blue. His face softened and he sat upright.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, that is no place for children. I can’t imagine trying to keep it all together when you have no say in who’s being sent to you. Maybe we can make some changes,” Ogd said.

“And maybe I can try to be a little more understanding. I can’t imagine having to run everything alone,” I agreed.

Suddenly, the elevator lurched back to life and started moving again. I changed back into my original form and instead of a lovely young lady, I was my tall, handsome self with short red hair, clean shaven and a black suit with a red tie.

I shook my father’s hand, and we stepped off the elevator and walked into the conference room together, shocking the rest of the department heads.

“Lucy?” asked the manager.

“Brother, good to see you again,” I smirked and sat down.

“Get comfortable, this is going to be a long meeting,” Ogd said and nodded to me.