Writing Prompt challenge

What a great first day of work

Luke entered the elevator, having a hard time containing his growing smile but he had to stay serious. He couldn’t let his cover fall and reveal who he was, at least not yet. A middle aged man was standing in one corner, his shoulders slightly pulled up as he gripped the handle at the side of the elevator. The woman next to him was reading something on a stack of papers in her hands whilst the other woman was constantly tapping her foot on the ground with way too tall high heels and the noise already started to irritate him.
Luke just turned back around; facing the hallway they came from before the closing doors blocked out his vision. Then he could feel a slight vibration beneath him before the elevator started moving upwards.
He took a breath to calm his nerves a little bit and slightly rubbed his sweaty paws on his neat pants, not even once leaving the little number indicating on what floor they currently were out of sight. He really didn’t want to make a mistake on his first day of work.
They were currently passing the 3nd floor and he glanced back at the three people standing behind him noticing that none of them were minding him which meant they weren’t expecting that the game had already began. Satisfied, he looked back and saw that they had just passed the 4th floor which meant that the fun would now begin. Luke turned around to the others, pulling up a smirk and putting his hands on his hips.
“So, I bet you are wondering why I’ve gathered you here.” Then he turned to hit the emergency stop button just as panned and the elevator came to an abrupt halt.
“What do you think you are doing?” the woman that had previously impatiently vandalized the ground with her shoes asked in a high pitched voice and he gulped slightly. That was the least reaction he was expecting.
“Well, Madame,“ he started, bringing his hands together while stepping forward, pulling up a sweet smile yet again, “the game has begun and I’m here to-“ then he was interrupted by a sob. Confused he looked towards the man who had sunken down on the ground and was hugging his knees while slightly rocking back and forth.
“Sir, what is wrong?” he asked confused with the situation he had found himself in but the man only looked up, tears brimming in his eyes.
“The walls,” he mumbled with a trembling voice, “They’re closing in on us.” Luke nibbled on his lower lip slightly. What was a person with claustrophobia doing here? He remembered clearly that it was written in the registration form that this game wasn’t for people that disliked small and tight spaces.
“If you don’t explain to me right now what the hell this is about I will call the security. I have a meeting to attend in a few minutes and if I don’t get out of here ASAP I will be late and that will be your fault!” the woman that previously already went off on him screamed and Luke pulled up his hands in defence. There was no way that those people were the players.
“You aren’t here because of the horror game, are you?” he asked and the woman that had kept quiet until now while observing the scene squatted down next to the panicking male.
“No but we need to get out of here fast. He isn’t looking too good,” she said and Luke nodded while scratching the back of his neck. Then he pulled out his phone and dialled his Co-workers number.
Where had this gone wrong? Had he made a mistake? But he made sure to step into the left elevator that would come down about 3 minutes before 6pm.  He had done everything according to plan. Or were his workmates just playing a trick on him right now and this was all part of some weird welcoming ritual?
“Luke, what’s wrong?” Abby asked as soon as she picked up the phone. Her voice seemed stressed and confused about him calling her but so was he. He glanced at the camera at the corner of the small room, knowing she should be able to see him and should actually know what situation he was in.
“Can’t you see what’s wrong? I took the elevator I was told to take and started the game but those people are not the players and one of them is claustrophobic. Get us out of here as fast as possible”, he said into his phone, his annoyance slipping in his voice even if he didn’t intend to but now it was too late already.
“Shit, you went in? Please tell me you’re just joking. You know you always have to wait for me to confirm that the right people entered the scene,” she said and Luke combed through his hair in frustration.
“Please I can’t breathe, I have to get out of here,” the male on the ground whimpered and the woman standing next to Luke huffed.
“We all have to get out of here, don’t be so pathetic. This will be really interesting story to tell when I have to apologise for being late,” she spat and Luke slightly pulled his hair in frustration, trying his best not to leash out on her.
“Abby listen, no one ever told me about that but we can settle that later. Please just get the elevator going again,” he begged. The man had to get out of here and so did he or this day wouldn’t end beautifully. At least not for that hag next to him.
“Yeah, of course, I’ll call the security”, she said, then ended the call and he took the phone away from his ear. Sighing he turned back to the three persons he was stuck with.
“I guess I should explain this, right?” he asked, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. When everyone looked at him, even if he really didn’t appreciate that glare of the woman that remained standing, he took it as a sign that they were listening so he went on,
“I’m part of a company that does horror games of all sorts in all sorts of places. We come up with a plan for a game including different scenes where the players are supposed to find their ways out alive in order to win the game. Alive in this case means that if they die in game they will be taken off of the playing field and are allowed to watch the rest of the players continue on as long as the environment allows us to remove a person from the scene. If that’s not the case they’re simply not allowed to talk or interact with the players that are still alive. Like I said, we perform those games at all sorts of places and therefor, if we play inside a building like this one, we ask for permission to do so and sort everything out with the ones in charge. Today something apparently went wrong so that you three were caught up in it. I’m really sorry about that,” Luke explained, bowing slightly when he apologised to show that he was sincere about it.
“Well I just hope for you that we will be out of here soon”, the hag commented flatly and Luke pushed his lips in a thin line. She should better hope that for herself.
Then the ground beneath them vibrated again and Luke sighed in relief before the elevator started moving. It only took a few seconds for them to reach the fifth floor. The doors weren’t fully opened yet but the hag shoved him out of the way and pushed past him out of the elevator. He shook his head, still in denial how someone could be that much of an asshole before helping the claustrophobic male up on his legs and out of the elevator. There he placed him on a random chair nearby and was glad to see that he slowly started to calm down again.
“I’m really sorry that I put you through this. I didn’t mean to. I really thought the three of you were the players,” he said, an apologetic look on his face but the male just shook his head.
“It’s okay, you were just doing your job after all,” he said in a weak voice and Luke nodded. Then the other woman that had been in the elevator ride with them tapped his shoulder and he turned towards her.
“I would be interested in the games your company is holding. Do you have a website or something?” she asked and he chuckled before pulling out a business card and handing it to her.
“There. I would love to see your face in an actual game sometimes in the future. If I won’t get fired on my first day that is,” he said, mumbling the last part and she nodded while inspecting the card further.
“There you are!” Abby said and Luke spun around to her. “You have to get back downstairs. Everything is ready for us to start the actual game. You’re the only one missing.” Then she started dragging him towards the stairs. He stumbled the first few steps until he caught up to her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, while trying his best to keep up with her fast pace, “but I really didn’t know you had to clarify that they were in. All I was told was to enter the elevator on the left a few minutes before 6 and that’s what I did.” She sighed and waved it off with her hand.
“It’s okay. One of the players called and said he would be late and I was occupied coordinating the rest so the players would be busy until that late runner would arrive. That’s why I wasn’t in the security room and didn’t see that you entered the elevator with the wrong set of people,” she explained and he nodded in understanding before she stopped him on the last few stairs.
“We’ll send everyone in the elevator now. I will need a moment to head back to the security room but this time nothing should go wrong so just start the game already. And don’t worry too much, okay?” she said but before Luke could even answer she waved a hand at another co-worker who was talking to most likely one of the players and then rushed away. Then he saw how the player waved at his co-worker and headed towards the direction where the elevators where.
Luke took a deep breath before stepping down the last few stairs and making his way over to that exact same elevator as well. Besides that one player, four more people had found their way to the elevator before the doors opened and everyone stepped inside.
Luke made sure to step inside at last, letting everyone stand behind him during the ride. He glanced at the camera, then back at the small number that switched from 2 to 3 and he sighed. This time, everything would work out fine. It had to or he really would lose his job.
When they neared their designated floor one of the players spoke up, catching Luke slightly off guard,
“I heard there was an incident with one of the elevators just now. I hope nothing will happen to us as well. But it kind of fits the theme, don’t you think?” he couldn’t help but grin, watching as the 4 came up on the small screen. Then he turned around, gaining the attention of the five other people inside the elevator,
“Well those three weren’t able to beat the game. I hope for your own good that you will be,” he said smugly. Then he pressed the emergency stop button a second time that day.