THE UNLIKELY CATALYST

Eric, impatient and accustomed to control, tapped his foot impatiently, his eyes fixed on the digital display above the elevator doors.

Mason leaned nonchalantly against the wall, a smirk playing on his lips as he enjoyed watching the other’s frustration.

“Typical,” Eric muttered under his breath. “Always something to delay my day.”

Mason raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he saw an opportunity to tease the stoic man. “Oh, come on, Eric, lighten up. It’s not the end of the world... Besides, the elevator never changes its pace.”

Eric’s lips pressed into a thin line for just a moment as his gaze slid from the digital display of what floor they were passing to the man who seemed to make everything into a joke. “Easy for someone like you to say. You don’t have a multi-million dollar deal on the line.”

Mason chuckled, as if unbothered by the underlying insult that Eric had subtly implied. “Ah, yes. The almighty dollar. The driving force behind your existence.” His tone was sarcastic, and he rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

Eric’s nostrils flared. “At least I have a stable career, unlike some people who live off their parents’ trust fund.”

Mason’s natural smile turned icy, his eyes seeming to fill with disdain. “And at least I have a life, not just a spreadsheet.”

Both men went silent, glaring at each other and making the air thick with animosity. With each passing minute, the elevator seemed to shrink around them, suffocating them with their mutual dislike.

As the digital display continued to slowly inch toward their desired floor, a sudden jolt shook the elevator, and it plunged into darkness. Both Eric and Mason were thrown off balance, their bodies colliding in the cramped space.

“Are you okay?” Eric asked, his voice softer than before.

Mason nodded, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. “Yeah, I think so.”

A beat of silence passed, each man contemplating the other in the eerie darkness.

“You know, Eric,” Mason said. “Sometimes... Sometimes I envy your organized life. It must be nice to have everything under control...”

Eric blinked, surprised by the unexpected confession. He hesitated as he processed the words that had been spoken to him in the confines of the elevator. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “And I envy your freedom, Mason... To be able to just go with the flow without worrying about consequences is a skill I wish I had mastered when I was younger.”

Gradually, as the elevator remained stuck, they began to talk. They shared stories of their childhood, their dreams, and their fears. The more they talked, the more they realized that beneath their differences, they were not so different after all.

When the lights finally flickered back on, and the elevator lurched into motion, Eric and Mason looked at one another in a new light. The elevator reached their floor, and both of them stepped out as changed men. The animosity that had once defined their relationship had dissipated, replaced by a newfound understanding, respect, and maybe a little more.

From that day forward, their interactions took on a different tone. They still had their disagreements, but they approached them with more empathy and a willingness to listen. Everyone in the company was surprised when Eric, upon seeing Mason, would crack a joke and laugh. The unexpected entrapment in the elevator had become a catalyst for an unlikely friendship.

Ren Nutter is an amateur author who offers escape by creating new worlds for other people to experience while holding a book in their hands. Ren believes that reading is a good way to give your brain time to cool down after a long and stressful day by allowing it time to explore new worlds from a safe environment. Ren has garnered a lot of life experience and various skills, such as quick thinking, multitasking, problem-solving, and a strong mental fortitude. Currently, he is planning out his first novel as well as ideas for the world the book will be set in, and brainstorming how to make the book into a duology or a trilogy without cheapening any of the other work within the series. Ren is on his way to holding a Bachelor's in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. When he is not working his job at Five Guys: Burgers & Fries for an income or studying and doing homework for school, Ren can be found writing poetry and short stories, cooking, listening to music, enjoying the outdoors via walking or swimming, drawing, playing video games, and reading various genres of books from romance to mystery to fantasy and more.