Broken Paths

Elevator

"You told us a little about the elevator..." The first female to have walked up the stairs with him asked. Nezumi leaned back. The room was half full. He recognized each face. Although he may not know their real name, he had made up names for each of them.

"Ah, yes. The elevator..." Nezumi smirked. It had been in their second year of high school. Shion had signed them up for a science field trip. Nezumi had passed his first year, along with Shion. Now they had similar schedules. They did just about everything together.

Today they were going to a museum. One that had interactive exhibits. They got off the bus at the huge building. The class split up into a few separate teams, they headed off with their group. Shion easily knew as much as the tour guide that was leading them around. Nezumi had dragged the excited boy to the back of the group of children. Here he was able to babble on about each and every piece they passed. Many of the students rather have listened to him than the tour guide.

Shion had frowned when they reached the middle floor. He was following a map on his phone. "Where is the Egyptian room?" he muttered.

Tapping the map, it clearly showed an exhibit that wasn't where they were. Shion looked around. The tour guide, a calm dark haired female, was leading the front of the group around the curve of the staircase. She was going on about the Jurassic Era. Nezumi squished the map to show the larger scale of things.

"It should be that way." He pointed. Shion frowned.

"Then why are we going that way?" he pointed after the students. They were heading in the opposite direction.

"Let's find out." Nezumi wiggled his eyebrows at Shion. The albino looking boy giggled. When there was another group that came off of the elevators, Nezumi pushed Shion behind them. They darted down the hall. Rounding the corner, they saw the exhibit Shion was so keen to see.

For some reason it was roped off. There was a sign stating that it was closed for the day. No other information. Shion tried peeking through the window in the door, but it was covered from the inside.

"I really wanted to see this!" He cried. Nezumi was looking around.

"Shion, I think those elevators would go up to the second floor of this hall." He stated. "On you're map it showed that this exhibit was two stories, right?" he added when Shion didn't answer right away.

"Yeah, it does." Shion glanced back. "There might be other ways up to it from inside the one the rest of the class went to." He added.

"Yeah, but let's check this way out. We can always meet back up with the class if they get there." Nezumi offered. Shion turned to him. A beaming smile lit up his handsome face. Nezumi was taken aback by the glowing look.

"Yes, that sound about right. Let's go!" Shion cried. They walked up to where the two elevators sat. The doors were closed. No warning signs were up at all. Shion pressed the button to go up. They waited as they listened to the whirring coming from in the shaft. The doors opened for them.

Nezumi stepped on first. He glanced around the small space. It was smaller than a normal elevator. Shion stepped in. He pressed the button for the next floor up. The doors closed. Nezumi shivered. The elevator seemed to have shrunk. He glanced to Shion, who was looking. Up at the indicator above the doors.

"Huh, that's we..." He was cut off by the sudden stop of the elevator. The lights inside flickered. Then they were thrust into darkness. Nezumi clutched Shion's arm. A second later they were bathed in the red glow of the emergency lights.

"Shion, what is going on?" Nezumi demanded.

"I'm, not sure." The white haired teen went back to the key pad. He pressed the up button. Nothing happened. Nezumi watched him press the button for the floor they had left, again nothing happened. He pressed the button for the door to open. A small crack appeared between the shinning metal of the doors.