Odds & Ends: A Book of Poetry and Stories

13

The square, gray button glows with orange light as David Serling's finger lifts from pressing it. He clears his throat, tapping a finger on the handle of his carry-on sized suitcase. He stands waiting patiently, staring at the metallic doors that reflect a distorted version of himself. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, he turns his head slightly. It is only a staff person of the hotel, carting an empty dolly across the marble floor back to the entrance of the lobby. He offers David a welcoming smile, and David merely nods politely in response. David lifts his hand from his luggage to glance at his watch. Good, I have three hours until the funeral. That should give me enough time for a much-needed nap. He returns his hand back to his luggage.

 

Ding! David jerks his gaze back to the elevator as the doors slide apart, revealing a small, empty, dimly-lit space. Dragging his suitcase behind him as he enters the elevator, David admires the medium wood coating the interior walls. He leans against the metal bar hoisted on the wall, muttering to himself, "Top floor, ah, thirteen." His index finger floats over the grid of numbered circular buttons before locating the final button. A fiery ring glows around it next to the 13.

 

"Hold the elevator!" a voice calls just as the doors start to slide together. David lunges forward, pushing one half of the door. It jerks back, allowing a flustered young woman to step onto the elevator. David leans back, returning to his corner of the elevator, and the door begins to close again. The girl looks over at him and smiles, saying, "Thank you."

 

David dips his head. "My pleasure." He eyes the elevator buttons that are just an arm's length away. "What floor?"

 

The two halves of the door meet as she stands in the corner opposite from him. "Oh, the top floor."

"Me too," he says.

The girl stares at him for a second before muttering, "I guess I'll get it." She leans over and presses the button with the 12 beside it. She returns back to the other corner while the elevator rises smoothly.

David stares at the grid of circles, then peers over at the girl. She is looking down at the floor. Should he point out her mistake? He didn't want to risk a whole elevator ride of more awkwardness. Maybe she will realize she hit the twelfth button when we reach the twelfth floor, so I won't have to point out her mistake.

After several more seconds of silence, the elevator finally dings, jolting to a stop. The doors part revealing a carpeted hallway. The young woman exits the elevator without a backward glance. David keeps expecting her to turn back around, noticing she isn't on the top floor, but she doesn't. The doors begin close together again. David decides to not let it burden his mind. He has his own things to worry about. Maybe the girl just did not realize there is a thirteenth floor.

The door shuts, and the ascension continues once again. David glances at his wristwatch once more. I can squeeze in a two-hour nap, right? He thinks to himself. I'm the last person who should be late. If I had taken up Aunt Marie's offer of staying with her, it wouldn't have such a long drive to get to the funeral home. But if I had stayed with her, I would have to act like I was sad. If David is honest with himself, he is sad, but not like he should be. Not grieving.

The elevator jostles and the lights flicker, jerking David from his thoughts. He grasps the metal bar behind him. "What the...?"

The elevator stops moving and the lights illuminate as if nothing happened. Ding! The elevator seems to announce his arrival. David curls his fingers tightly around the handle of his suitcase. But as the door parts, his brow furrows. Darkness. All he sees is darkness. He blinks as he steps out of the elevator, expecting for his vision to adjust, but it doesn't. Is a light just out? But as he leaves the small light of the elevator he enters into a dark void.