The Voices You Hear

... when the elevator closes in

Maine was tapping her feet on the floor, trying to find an imaginary beat in her head as the elevator made its way down. The elevators in their building are always a little slow. Coming from the 24th floor takes more than 5 minutes, even when there isn't anyone else in the building right now.

Or so she thought. 

The elevator stopped at the 16th floor. She got nervous and held her breath as the doors slowly opened. She sighed her relief when she saw a guy come in. They made eye contact very briefly before the guy turned around to face the doors. She's seen him before. They often arrive at the same time every morning, but he never acknowledges her, unlike other employees in the building whose faces have become familiar that they at least nod at each other. This guy, no matter how handsome he may be, is too uptight and a snob. She remains close to the elevator wall, observing the guy's back. Nice butt, she thinks. And those arms. Hmm. She may be the shy type but she sure knows a guy with a good body when she sees one. She smiles a little and reaches out to her pen and starts retracting it.

"Ssshh!"

The guy looks back at her, a questioning look on his rather grim face.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh..nothing. Sorry. I..uh...almost sneezed. Yeah. Ahhh-sshh!"

The guy looks at her a little longer before turning back to face the doors. He fumbles with his backpack, reached for his tumbler, and took a drink.

Maine looks down at her bag, widening her eyes as she gripped her pen tightly.

//

This girl is weird, he thinks. He looks up at the numbers lighting up as the elevator makes its way down the building. He's seen her before, they sometimes ride the same elevator in the morning but she always stays at the back. He's noticed how she keeps holding on to her bag - no, not on to her bag, but something inside her bag. He's noticed how her eyes widen whenever the elevator fills up with people, and he knows her office is some floors above his. Nope, he doesn't stalk her, never his style. But there was something about this girl that intrigues him terribly. And now that they're alone, at 2 in the morning inside the elevator (or maybe the whole building), he can sense that she may be weirder than he thought she already is. He holds on to his tumbler and thumbs at the rubber grip.

"Psst."

He looks at the tumbler and hisses.

"Shut up."

"I said sorry!"

Richard turns around at the girl, who looks rather shocked at what he suddenly said. She was still clutching at something in her bag, then he hears a clicking sound.

"Please don't tell me you have a gun in there."

"What?! No!"

"What's that clicking then?"

"None of your business. Look, I said sorry, no need to be rude."

"It wasn't you, I was... never mind."

The girl stared at him in disbelief. She was still clicking on something in her bag, and it was getting annoying.

"What the heck is in that bag?!"

"I said, none of your bus... Hey!"

He grabbed hold of her bag, in spite of himself, and felt inside for any semblance of a weapon that the girl was hiding. She wasn't able to react quickly, but when it dawned on her what he did, she quickly punched his arm and took her bag.

"Are you crazy!?!"

He felt like he just got slapped. He looked at her, seeing that she was frightened at what he just did, frightened at him. He looked down and saw his tumbler fell down. Stooping down, he took the tumbler and there was no mistaking that a voice so clear was heard.

"Apologize, Richard."

//

Maine's eyes grew so wide it felt like it would pop out of her face. She heard it, whatever it was. She backed into the elevator wall, wishing for a secret door where she could escape. She heard a voice and it didn't belong to the guy in front of her, who was now slumped on the floor, holding his tumbler and covering his face.

"Crap, Maine, stop clicking me!"

It was the guy's turn to look at her quizzically. His eyes darted from her to her bag. She saw how he was determined to grab her bag again but she was quick to take out her pen and aim it him, as if it were a dagger.

"Damnit Maine, you think I'd harm him with ink?"

"Uh, Richard, don't even think of throwing me at her. The most that would do is get her wet."