Our Month:Cupid's Promise

Freaky Elevator 👅 (I)

The office was as busy as ever. Phones rang incessantly and their shrill tones became background noise as employees ignored them entirely. At the same time, the intense sound of keyboard mashing echoed from the cubicles, most of it likely coming from people playing games since no one ever seemed to get any real work done in this office. Over by the corner, Mysni had resorted to using her keyboard as a weapon against the office's ancient copy printer. She swung at it with all the white girl power in her, each smack landing with a loud thwack that echoed across the room.

"Come on, you useless hunk of junk!" Mysni muttered, giving it one last thwack (HIYAHHH!) for good measure.

A crumpled sheet of paper half-emerged from the tray, like the machine was mocking her attempts.

The hum of keyboard clicks and faint chatter served as ambience, but every so often, Mysni's loud smacks and the copier's defiant screeches would cut through, making several heads turn.

"Can someone please do something about that?" a half-asleep Alex groaned from his desk, glaring in Mysni's direction.

"I'll stop when this thing decides to do its job!" Mysni snapped back tossing the battered keyboard onto the floor. Without hesitation, she then reached for the hammer she kept at arm's length for some odd reason, as if it were a perfectly normal office accessory for her.

The printer then let out a series of high-pitched beeps and grinding noises that sounded almost like a cry for help.

Meanwhile, Kari was having a far worse time. He stood in front of the elevator, staring at it as the doors opened and closed in endless loops. Jay Woo was next to him, looking mildly concerned.

"Are you going to press the button, or are we just...vibing here?" Jay Woo asked, his voice monotone and a little annoyed.

"I can't," Kari said, his eyes wide with fear. "I sense a neverending dark aura radiating off it right now. What if the elevator gets stuck? What if the power goes out,  and we're trapped in there for hours? Not that I mind the darkness of course heh. Or worse...what if there's a ghost?"

Jay Woo sighed. "First of all, ghosts don't need elevators. Second, the stairs are right there."

Kari shook his head violently. "No way. Stairs are worse. What if I get really tired and choke on air as I catch my breath, and die? What if someone pushes me out of protest against my abnormal intellect? What if—"

Jay Woo cut him off by stepping into the elevator and pulling Kari in by the sleeve. The doors slid shut with a quiet ding.

The two stood in silence as the elevator started its ascent. Kari stared nervously at the numbers above the door. Jay Woo stared at Kari, who was now muttering something about cursed spirits and someone named Abdul.

"Why do you smell like mayonnaise?" Jay Woo finally asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It's a long story," Kari replied as he clutched his bag.

Before Jay Woo could press further, the elevator jolted to a stop. The lights flickered and dimmed, plunging them into a faint red glow.

"Great. Just great," Jay Woo muttered as he pressed the emergency button, but nothing happened.

"I knew it! We're going to die in here and it's all your fault!" Kari screamed.

"My fault? You're the one who wouldn't take the stairs fatty!"

"I know you of all people seriously did not just say that."

Their bickering was then suddenly interrupted by a sudden knock. Both of them froze.

"Did you hear that?" Kari whispered.

Jay Woo nodded slowly. "Yeah. But elevators don't have—"

The knock came again, louder this time.