THE FATE (✔)

Chapter 8 - Get Stuck

Archana parked her car in the basement of a hotel. Before getting out of the car, she looked in the mirror, making sure she looked good enough. She wore a short classy dark blue dress with the sleeves clinging to her arms, leaving her shoulders exposed. Her hair was made slightly curly and let it fall down her right shoulder. Then, she grabbed her masquerade mask and put the black mask over her eyes. She sighed and left her car. The sound of her silver heels colliding with the lobby floor as she headed for the main lift that would take her to the target floor.

"Wait!" someone shouted as Archana almost closed the lift door.

Archana relented and stretched her neck and saw a man in a black suit and trousers and a white shirt with the top button off, slightly running towards her. He also wore a similar mask, exactly like the one Archana was wearing, it was black, it was just bigger because it's for male. Archana let the man join her in the lift.

"Thank you," said the man as he breathe havily. Hearing his voice from such a close distance, she was stunned. The type of male voice that she liked. Not soft, but not too heavy either. She smiled at the man without thinking any further.

"Which floor?" asked Archana, although she actually thought that they had the same destination. Masquerade party in a ballroom located on the ninth floor, according to the invitation she received. Sure enough. The man answered his destination floor. Archana immediately pressed the number 9 button, and the lift door closed.

"Are you going there too?" the man asked. Archana was just humming in answer to his question.

"Anyway, I'm Aman," the man said, introducing himself and reaching out his hand.

"I think there is a rule of not getting to know each other at this party," Archana said while shaking Aman's hand.

Aman chuckled, "We haven't entered the party room yet, have we?"

Archana chuckled softly, "Ah, that's right. I'm Archana."

"Such a beautiful name."

"Thanks."

Their hands stretched until they were no longer holding each other. Both fell silent. Archana was standing in one corner of the back of the elevator, while Aman was standing in the other corner. He was seen closing his eyes while catching his breath. He is afraid of tight spaces. While she just stared at the elevator door, but not infrequently her eyes glanced at Aman. The man had caught her attention from the moment she heard his voice.

"Aman? Are you okay?" Archana asked after seeing Aman not opening his eyes.

"Yeah... Uhm, no. I'm afraid of tight spaces," Aman replied as he slowly closed his eyes. "That's why I asked you to wait. At least I'm not alone."

She mumbled, "Oh, sorry. Thank goodness, you're not alone."

The lift they were in continued to move up. The digital screen attached to the side of the door continued to show the numbers changing according to the floor they passed.

4th floor...

5th floor...

Suddenly, there was a dug sound and the elevator stopped. The digital screen in front of them no longer flashed the red light that formed a number. They were both shocked and confused. Archana looked around the elevator. Aman's face looked pale. She tried not to panic, because she knew that if she panicked, the man she was with would be panic even more because his fear would only get stronger.

"Oh my God, what is this?" Aman's voice trembled. He was getting closer to the wall of the lift as he was getting closer and closer to Archana. However, his eyes was awake.

"I think the elevator is stuck," Archana said. She saw Aman who was already pale and starting to sweat. She immediately pressed the emergency button that was in the rows of the number pads before she calmed Aman.

"Aman, I've pressed the emergency button. Hopefully help will come soon or at least a technical fix. Don't worry," she said softly as she rubbed Aman's shoulder and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Five minutes, ten minutes, no sign of help was coming their way. Archana started to panic a little. Her hands were cold. She didn't lost. She takes out her cell phone and tried to call her friend, Dev, the party host. Unfortunately, there was no signal in the lift. Aman started to limp to the floor. Archana was getting worried. She was about to press the emergency button again, but Aman held her in.

"Don't leave me, Archana," he said breathlessly. Seeing this, she thought that she should take off his mask. She knelt before Aman.

"Sorry," she whispered. Her hands reached behind Aman's head and untied the straps of his mask.

"Don't leave me," Aman pleaded again.

"No, Aman. I just wanted to press the button again. It's been over ten minutes, if we take too long we could run out of oxygen." Archana stood up and pressed the emergency button again. She returned to Aman, letting the man hold one hand of hers. She checked her cell phone for only one signal so she could call Dev. But nothing. She put the phone back down. Aman was getting weaker. Archana released her hand from his grip and cupped his face.

"Aman, calm down. Aman, stay with me," she said. Hearing Archana's words, Aman nodded weakly. His eyes were on Archana, making sure she really didn't leave him trapped alone in the lift. Unintentionally, their eyes met. She removed her hand from his face slowly.

"What did I just see?" she thought. But she quickly pushed the thought away. The safety of the two of them was foremost now. Aman continued to hold Archana's hand, now both hands. His hand felt colder than hers. The sweat on his forehead was getting heavier. Over time, Aman's vision blurred until he finally passed out.

Archana was confused. Feelings of worry, anxiety, and fear mixed together inside her. She took off her mask as well which was already making her quite suffocating. Five minutes later, the digital screen on the lift wall chimed and flashed the digital number again. The lift slowly moved up. Archana breath a sigh of relief. However, she was worried about Aman who was drooping weakly by her side. She kept patting Aman's cheeks, but there was no response.