It All Started With a Bang

The Elevator Ride to Hell

Why is it that once you see a person for the first time, it's almost like you can't avoid them anymore? Joanna pondered this as she once again found herself running into the obnoxious neighbor that lived above her. The elevator doors had almost shut and began their annoyingly slow ascent up to her cozy apartment on the 21st floor, but no. Nothing could be too easy for Joanna.

The day had started normally, too, with her even slipping in a nutritious breakfast of three marshmallows and a Starbucks frappuccino. She had finished an essay early and had a bit more free time than usual before her internship began and she was hoping to slip in a quick nap.

But alas, she was Joanna Scotte. Nothing came too easy and no day went so well. As she watched her lobby doors disappear with the elevator days sliding shut, she startled at the sight of a pale hand reaching towards her through the doors. They sprang back open and the tall man was revealed, once again.

This was the third encounter they've had since the incident and it was only Friday. First, it was at the mailbox where she carefully avoided his eye and quickly collected her pile of bills, and then again at the train station as she unknowingly sat next to him in a full car headed to school.

It was only them in the small space as the doors slid shut for the last time. He reached across her to press his button, and the first few floors went past in awkward silence.

By the tenth floor, the elevator started to slow down and make odd grunts and groans. Joanna, having been living in the building for the past two years, could identify the telltale signs and was used to the frequent occurrence of the elevator getting stuck. She had even been a victim a few times and knew it would last for about an hour before the old landlord would care enough to stop the emergency alarm, and free the poor souls who had been trapped.

The man, who she still didn't know the name of, obviously wasn't aware of what was happening and continued to play on his phone. She slowly looked at him through the corner of her eye and cursed in her head as the elevator ground to a stop five measly floors below where she needed to get off, and pressed the familiar red button that would grant them freedom in due time.

"Dude, what the fuck? Do you know what's happening?" Wonho looked around and directed his frantic questions toward the girl slowly trying to become one with the metal wall.

Joanna was the worst person to argue with as she could hold grudges for the rest of the foreseeable future. She looked at the slightly panicking man with a stink eye and acted like he didn't even speak. She was hoping he could see the waves of hostility rolling off of her tensed shoulders and crossed arms.

"Aye don't be like that. Look alright, I'm sorry about the other day. I was having a housewarming party and it got out of hand. I'm not usually like that, and I'll make it up to you for disturbing your studying or whatever. But please. What is going on?" The man spoke so quickly and nervously, she was afraid he would start crying.

She rolled her eyes and angrily muttered "It's stuck, stupid, fucking relax. The landlord should be here within an hour to get us, it happens all the time. And you're damn right you owe me. I'm not the only one in the building and we have a lot of older neighbors. Don't let that shit happen again."

The man sighed loudly out of relief and a small smile appeared on his face. "Geez, I thought something bad was happening. I just watched Final Destination again last night and that shit scared the life out of me....and I am sorry about the party.

"Anyway, my name's Hoseok. People usually call me Wonho, though"

"Well...that's nice." Joanna still wasn't making eye contact with the blabbering man and certainly wasn't interested in making conversation. Hoseok, or Wonho (how the hell did they get Wonho from Hoseok, Joanna thought snottily) obviously didn't get that and continued on.