INSIDE THEIR MINDS

Names

PHIL
I feel like I am flying, but unlike the usual joyful airline rides, I am in no way enjoying the experience . It's as if I am in aboard a helicopter under heavy gunfire, hundreds of feet in the air, scared out of my mind, and having absolutely no control over the situation whatsoever. My laptop bag started to entangle around me, bouncing wildly between myself and the hand railing but I didn't dare let go of the only thing I felt that was keeping me safe. But then just as I was harshly bracing myself, my eyes shut so tightly it burned at my eyelids and tickled my ears, a screeching noise filled the air. I have never been so thankful for that coarse sound because with that cacophony of grinding, scratching and scraping we finally slowed down, eventually stopping. I dreaded knowing that we were nowhere near the bottom of the elevator shaft and there was nothing I could do. It gave me chills knowing that this may not be the last time we may have to ender a fall.I shook it off, then finally, carefully, opened my eyes blinking away rapidly until the acute pain subsided. I subconsciously check my watch but notice that something minorly awful happened during our descent. The glass on my clocks face had accumulated several cracks and the hands had stopped moving. I shook my wrist, as if that would actually do anything, but nothing changed. For something that had been in my life for some many years' time had stopped and I couldn't help but feel saddened for the thought. I hear a noise coming from behind me and for a split second I thought I had been alone. I slowly turned around and was greeted with a multitude of the strange woman's belongings strewn about the elevators floor."Sorry, my purse opened up when we were falling and my stuff sort of went everywhere." She said from the floor of the elevator.She had planted herself on her knees so as to better grab at the objects.I still felt a bit dizzy so decided it might just be best to sit down and help."Oh It's alright, you don't have to," she said with a small smile as she grabbed a glasses case and shoved it back inside her bag already reaching for a pen that lay just out of her reach.I reach for it too and am able to grab it more easily and hand it to her, which brings on another grin.I knew that the contents of a woman's purse was supposed to be considered almost confidential, but being that I could see the objects either way I thought it might be nice to help her out, if only just to hand her the objects that held no embarrassing connotations. She obviously doesn't mind the help though, because as I start to hand her objects she starts laughing and I'm not sure why."What's so funny?" I ask just as I hand her the last object, a small hair brush, and she places it inside her bag, which was comparable to the size of a backpack."Just all of this; how exhausted I am, that I am literally stuck and can't do a thing about it.""I understand." I say trying to be comforting, even though I felt the same way, though I would never laugh about it. "So why are you working so late, your boss must push you very hard.""I could say the same for yours." She answers.She now sat cross-legged across from me, her purse on her lap protecting it as if I would dare grab it from her."Well I am sort of my own boss." I say, then regret."I thought I recognized you." She says.Then worry and nerves rush through me, sometimes I hated being "famous.""You're Phil, right?" She asked, but she said it in such a soft comfortable tone, as if she was talking to anyone else and not someone so well known, especially in the area."Yes, I am," I say with a soft smile, one of relief.
"Yeah, I actually used to watch your show, when my life wasn't so busy and crazy as it is now."
"Oh yeah?" I asked actually curious for her answer.
"Yeah." She saysher eyes gliding slowly and gracefully around the room, taking everything in.
I couldn't help but let mine focus carefully on her.
"So you know my name, what's yours?"
She finally looks at me and I can't help but gaze into her gentle eyes.
"I'm Kate."
She looked away from me and focused her eyes back on the elevators door.
"Should we, uh try to open it?" She asks me.
I look over at it too.
"I mean it couldn't hurt to try."
I stood up, hopeful that we had waited long enough before moving around and that it would hold us here for at least a while.
I place my laptop case, not brave enough to check the computer for damage, in the back right corner of the elevator and then head over to where the two elevator doors meet in the middle.
I placed my fingers as far as I could into the metal crevice, both palms facing the walls, but the doors would not budge. I let go and shook my hands then tried again with the same disappointing result.
"Hey, could you try the button?" I ask her, as she is standing closer to the panel.
"Which one?"
"It should say something like "call" or "alarm". "
I stand and stare watching her pointer finger move around the panel eventually finding the alarm button.
I watch her take a deep breath then press it and instantly a deafening alarm went off, which caused her to jump. Immediately after she removed her finger the sound desisted.
"Sorry, I just.." She says
"It's alright. I wasn't expecting it to be that loud either. "
"Have you checked your phone?"
"No I haven't." I felt dumb for not thinking about that before. I reach deep inside my front pocket and withdraw it.
I press the home button but devastatingly I had no service.
"No service."
"Same with mine. But it was worth a try, sorry."
"Why it's not your fault, unless your idea of fun is trapping people inside of elevators in the middle of the night."
"Well if it was, I'm doing a pretty crap job to get myself locked inside too."
I laughed, actually laughed. It felt like such a long time since I had heard something that was actually funny.
"You wanna know somethin'?" I ask her smiling to myself as I take a seat back on the elevators floor.
"What?" She asks taking a seat too this time leaving her bag on the floor and not placing it back in her lap.
"I am so glad that you're not treating me any differently, it's a welcomed change."
"You know that show, Homecookin' with Harriet and Harvey?"
"I've seen a few episodes."
"My dad was third runner up one season, he deals with his fair share of crazy fans, the worst being the over the top flirty types."
"Oh, I've dealt with my fair share of crazy women, it's like I'm married and have a kid, I'm not just going to let you stick your tongue down my throat because you're a fan."
I watch as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a pack of gum.
"Wanna piece?"
"Sure, if you don't mind."
"Wish I had more to offer but I wasn't exactly planning on getting stuck in here."
"You're lucky you have a bag that you can carry as much stuff around as you would like. If I had a stick of gum in my back pocket, I would fear for the woman that would want a stick."
"What are you talking about?" She giggles her blonde hair bouncing playfully off of her chest, "Random guy pocket gum is the best, especially when it has that sweaty been sat on all day extra flavor."
"I could imagine it would be a great side with candy that's been pressed into a wallet for a year." I say laughing too as I chew on the gum letting it move slowly around my mouth.
"So what was the work that kept you in the office so late?" I ask, tempted to blow a bubble with the gum but resisted.
"The usual really, one of the reasons I stayed late was so that I didn't have to come in tomorrow. But really, the company just brought on a new client and my boss is well, he expects me to do the work of three people."
"That's too bad."
"Well usually my paycheck reflects my hard work, but then there's other times that my exhaustion isn't worth the extra money in my account."
"What do you do exactly?"
"I am an accountant for small and large businesses working in correlation with several other employees on mini-projects, providing the best support for our customers as possible."
"It sounds like that's something you've said so many times your mind just goes on autopilot."
She flashes me a look. "You have no idea, but what about you?" she asks as she starts to fiddle with the strands of her long hair.
"I just figured you need some stranded in the elevator company of course, but really when you run a business there is no such thing as work hours. It's more of a work until you feel so tired you can't move and then you can go home, maybe."
"But you still enjoy it right?"
"I absolutely love it. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, it's just a lot of work."
Then something starts happening, the first thing I notice is a worried look on her face.
The lights above us start to flicker, bathing us in a series of strobing lights until it stopped, the lights now off masking us in complete darkness.