Yours

Chapter 5

"Rabi'ah" he said as the doors of the elevator closed.

"Ya Abdul, sannu, I'm surprised to see you here" I said.

"Me too, you serve here?" He asked.

"Yes, yes."

"Oh, that's good, um my boss was supposed to have a meeting with Umar, something came up and he sent me instead, I found it amusing when he told me the company name" he chuckled.

I laughed with him "Umar will be shocked"

He nodded.

"The meeting at 2?" I asked stupidly knowing damn well it's the meeting at 2 he's going to.

He nodded, looking down at his watch "yeah, you're attending it too?" He asked.

"Well yes but I'm obviously not participating, just a bystander, my-" my speech seized immediately the elevator suddenly seized with a heavy thud causing the lights to go off and for me to almost lose my balance, the railing beside me saved my life.

"Subahanallah" Ya Abdul said before bringing out his phone and turning on the flashlight "are you ok?"

This can not be happening to me.

Not only did I already have a huge fear of elevators stopping when I'm inside it, I was also claustrophobic.

I wasn't ok.

Ya Abdul probably saw the panic in my eyes "it's ok Rabi'ah, I'm sure they will fix it now."

My anxiety was making me feel like I could not breathe, which was not entirely untrue since the elevator was starting to get stuffy.

I breathed slowly before bending down and keeping the laptop on the floor then removing the first two buttons on my shirt to ease the pressure on my neck.

I literally felt like my airflow was restricted.

Which couldn't be true since Ya Abdul was breathing normally opposite me.

Am I having a panic attack?

I am having a panic attack.

I began to breathe harshly.

"Rabi'ah" Ya Abdul warned.

I quickly shook my head at him, I couldn't breathe.

Tears started to build up in my eye.

I had watched too many movies on this, im going to die!

"Ya Abdul" I said, close to sobbing.

It was obvious my tears were making him uncomfortable.

"It's ok rabi'ah,  breathe normally, you're fine, it's ok" he said as he hesitantly rubbed my arm.

I didn't listen to him "do we have to scream? What do you think is going on? Is it the electricity?"

"I don't think it's the electricity, I believe the elevator is faulty, but I'm sure they should be alerted by now."

His words only made me panic more as I held unto the railings.

I didn't even realize he was placing a call until the person answered.

"We're stuck in an elevator" he said into the phone "ok" he said before hanging up.

"They're trying to get us out, you see they know" he said.

"But when?!" I asked.

He didn't reply.

After some minute of uncomfortable silence the elevator became 3X more stuffier.

" Ya-..Abdul bana numfanshi" I said with my tears choking up my words. (I'm not breathing)