It Only Takes One Elevator Ride (Completed)

The Elevator Ride

Smoothing out her lab coat, Kalina Peterson stepped out of her office, closing the door behind her with a sigh. With a folder of documents tucked under her arm, she made her way to the elevator, her grey sneakers quietly hitting the shedding, red carpet beneath her.

Kalina hasn't been having the best of times lately. With her father dying of cancer just a couple years ago and her mother taking her own life out of grief just a year after, she has been in need of a very long break.

She shook her head; Kalina couldn't continue to dwell on the negatives and had to focus on her work. At least her grandparents were still around since she is only 23 right now. At least she had them.

The ding of the elevator arriving grasped Kalina's attention and she stepped into the lift gingerly, making sure that no documents fell out of her vanilla folder. As the elevator doors closed behind her, Kalina glanced around awkwardly at everyone else in the elevator car as she backed up to the wall, tucking a loose strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Her eyes met someone else's and she quickly turned her gaze to the floor. Kalina waited desperately for the relief that comes with the slowing descent of the elevator, followed by the opening of the doors as it comes to a halt; but that relief never came.

The man closest to the doors turned towards everyone in the lift, his hand hovering over the emergency stop button. His grey-blue eyes had a hint of mischief in them as he spoke. "So, I bet you are wondering why I've gathered you here," he said, proceeding to press the big, red button. The elevator car came to a screeching, sudden halt, causing Kalina to drop her documents and steady herself against the wall.

Gathered? How could any of this be planned? She thought, confused. None of us even know each other.

"You also might be thinking," he continued, meeting Kalina's hazel eyes with his own, "how this could all be planned. Well, it is, but it also isn't. Your schedules all... happen to align with one another's, and I know exactly when you all go home."

A woman from the back of the elevator asked in a quivering voice, "What's going on? What are you going to do to us?"

"Nothing to harm you, of course," he shook his head.

Kalina glanced up at the security camera and noticed that it wasn't on, which caused a lump in her throat to form. She glared at the strange man, wondering if he had somehow managed to make their schedules all "happen" to align.

"I know that a few of you are scientists, and some of you aren't. I also know about the one thing that you all have in common. In fact, I know pretty much everything about all of you, which is why I know that you all don't belong here."

"Woah, hold on a sec," a guy in the back said. "Don't tell me you're, like, a secret agent or something- are you?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but that isn't the point, Ian."

The young man's green eyes widened in fear and surprise when the stranger said his name.

"If you will all follow me once we get to the ground floor," he said, pausing to whip out a key and start up the elevator again, "then I can promise that absolutely no harm will come to anyone."

As the rest of the group looked to each other for answers, the lift continued its slow descent to the ground floor. A soft ding resonated in the small box, the doors opening at a snail's pace. Everyone shuffled out, though Kalina lingered slightly so she could gather her documents. A hand rested itself on her shoulder and she looked up into the stranger's eyes. His height dwarfed her's by what seemed like miles, but in truth, he was only a couple feet taller than Kalina.

"You won't be needing those," he told her.

Kalina cleared her throat softly and replied, "I will need them when I come back."

He smirked, lifting his hand and leaning against the doorway. "I'll just wait then."

She could feel his eyes remain on her, as if he were staring into her soul. It was unsettling and she could feel a shiver crawl up her spine as she collected her papers. Oh no, Kalina thought, Not again.

The light that emanated from the elevator ceiling flickered for no more than a couple of seconds before turning off completely. She looked down at her hands, which were glowing a soft blue along with her eyes, and groaned in frustration. And right in front of someone too! For god's sake, I promised my parents I would learn to control it, but the fear must have caused it to happen again.

The man knelt down next to Kalina and grasped her hand in his, practically dragging her out of the elevator. "I already know about it. Come on, we need to leave- now." His voice was low and guttural, and she could tell that he was growing impatient. The fear that had enveloped her only grew, which unfortunately meant that the stranger in front of her would be electrocuted- except that he wasn't. How is that possible?

"I have a device that protects me from your powers," he said out of the blue, as if he were reading her thoughts. "Now let's go. Keep your head down and your hands out of sight. You can't be seen."

Kalina shoved her hands in her lab pockets and narrowed her eyes so as to shield them from view. She nearly tripped when he released his grip on her as they exited the building and she stumbled towards the street, steadying herself before she collided with a large, black SUV that was parked directly in front of the building.

"Climb into the back," he demanded of everyone that had been in the elevator, pointing at the van.

Kalina's eyes and hands faded back to their normal colours, as did some of her fear, and she did as she was told, holding her folder of documents tightly against her side. Although she knew she shouldn't get into the sketchy van, it seemed to be the only choice she had- she didn't want to risk angering the strange man, because for all she knew, he could kill them right then and there if he wanted to.

Before she climbed into the SUV, Kalina glanced around at the strangely empty streets of Washington, D.C. It was eerily quiet, as if there was enough planning that whoever this guy was could clear the streets whenever he needed to. Whatever the case, Kalina didn't like it at all.