The Scene at the Elevator

The washing machine was broken again. it was the third time this week, and that was three too many, as far as Jill was concerned. What good is something that must be fixed every other day?

She dials the number to the superintendent’s office, and waits impatiently for an answer. After the fourth ring the answering service picks up, and prompts for a message.

Jill hangs up, deciding to pay a personal visit instead.

The ten story brownstone building, was one of the last old buildings left on this block. It was a relic from the past that had seen better days.

Having reached the elevator door, Jill jabs the call button impatiently and repeatedly. The old elevator creaks and groans as the car makes its way up the elevator shaft. Everything in this building is old and broken, she thinks, while still jabbing the call button repeatedly.

The Scene at the elevator

The elevator door slides noisily open, and Jill boards the elevator car. It is one of the older models with an extra door opposite. No one knows where that door leads, it never opens. Just another broken piece of this old building, jill thinks with distaste.

She jabs the lobby button on the panel just inside the door. The elevator door begins to squeak closed and she also decides it’s time to start looking for a new apartment. The elevator car shakes and vibrates as it lowers.

Seconds later the elevator car grinds noisily to a halt. Between floors. Now Jill has reached a new level of pissed, as she starts pushing every button, and then all of them at once.

The sound of metal shearing against metal fills the small elevator car, and it takes a stomach turning fast drop. Jill screams and grips the railing tightly, as the car comes to a quick stop again.

She quickly decides it’s the stairs from now on, as more twangy metal sounds echo around the steel car. Letting go of the railing, she jabs the door open button several times again.

This time the movement downward, is smooth and without incident. The elevator car comes smoothly to a stop on the ground floor and falls silent.

other door

A few seconds pass and then a full minute. Still, nothing happens. She pushes the door open button several times again, and then once more. hard this time.

She hears the sealed door behind her swoosh open. A pungent rush of stale air, fills the car around her, as she turns. The hallway beyond the elevator door is unfamiliar, and too dim to see all the way through.

There is movement at the far end of the hallway, in the shadows. Furthermore, Jill feels a sense of apprehension, and calls out to the space beyond the elevator door.

“Hello?!” “Who’s there?” There is silence beyond the door. Ominous silence.

Jill feels goosebumps across her body as the movement in the shadows happens again, with that eerie sense of no sound. She jabs the door close button harder this time, it still does not budge.

Now the shadow movement at the far end of this strange out of place hallway, begins to grow larger, and moves more frantically, as if gaining strength. Then a high pitched mewling sound, that causes Jill’s hair to stand on end, fills the air.

She frantically pushes the door close button, cursing it with each push! The dark shadowy form appears to be moving this way. Jill has ceased looking, and can only watch the door close button in horror, as she jabs it.

The Superintendent

The elevator door behind Jill opens with a creak and squeak of old gears. Jill turns and bolts from the elevator car straight to the building superintendent’s office.

Twenty minutes later, Jill is still incredulous, as the building superintendent repeats once again. Not only is there no second door in the elevator but also there never has been.