Stuck:
Sarah Ifidon

Time was ticking, and Sangeetha could see it as she stared at the little boy's wristwatch. Her hearing was almost gone, so she could only rely on her eyes. Her eyes, green and intense, glanced at the three strangers in the elevator.

There was a young man who looked about 45. He was leaning against the wall with his buffy arms crossed. He looked like a security agent in his blue shirt and black pants. For some reason, he looked angry, and all she could think was that he needed some love in his life.

He rubbed his white beard and looked at the younger lady with an air of irritation. His blue eyes shifted towards her, and Sangeetha's heart almost dropped. She felt like a peeping Tom and turned around, trying the elevator bell again. She was almost the same height with it anyway - being short had its perks.

"Why isn't it working ma'am?" the little boy with spiked hair and a fake mustache asked. His green eyes suddenly bulged, and his chest expanded with rapid breaths.

"Are you okay darling?" she asked.

The little boy nodded but didn't look okay.

Sangeetha turned around and saw the younger tall lady with long blonde hair and brown eyes breathing heavily. She could sense she wasn't used to being trapped in an elevator. Neither was she, but something was thrilling about this, and she couldn't help but hide a smile.

She had prayed for something exciting after she clutched the letter from the hospital earlier that day. How could she die without doing anything with her life? It was one thing to lose your hearing and another to drop out of existence because of an incurable ailment.

The elevator had suddenly stopped working. In all the movies she had watched, this was either going to turn out like a horror film or action movie. Sangeetha could not help but hope her story ended up being a comedy.

She chuckled loudly this time, and the young lady who looked about 21 years stared at her with a puzzled expression.

"You think this is funny? We're about to die!" she screamed.

Sangeetha squinted at her. She knew this lady. She had seen her at the hospital several times, and there were signs on her wrist that were a tell-all.

She caught her staring and rolled down her sleeves immediately.

"What are you staring at freak!" she mumbled and turned her back to Sangeetha.

You're Alessandra, right?"

Alessandra was stunned. She turned around and gawked at her. "How do you know my name?"

"I knew it! My daughter loved watching you sing during that talent show. You have a lovely voice darling."

Alessandra frowned, "My agent doesn't think so."

"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks," Sangeetha says with a sweet smile, and Alessandra smiled back.

"Get out of my way!" the man yelled and brushed part all of them toward the door.

Alessandra and Sangeetha moved out of his way, baffled by his intense reaction.

"I am sure help is on the way darling."

With all due respect old lady, I am not your darling," he starts banging on the elevator door, "and I will not allow another person to die under my watch."

That made them freeze.

"How do you know I'm dying?"

"How do you know I was going to kill myself?" the ladies respond simultaneously.

This made him halt in his stride.

The watch was ticking in the silence.

Suddenly they could also hear the sound of someone wheezing.

The ladies turned around and saw the little boy looking like a rag doll on the floor.

Just when they opened their lips to respond, the elevator door opened. A security man was standing at the opened door, wearing a blue shirt and black pants.

"Jim, I'm sorry about that. I forgot to place the 'Out of Order' sign outside the-" he gets struck in the face.

"Call the fucking ambulance," Jim says as he rubs his bruised knuckles. He turns around and lifts the little boy from the floor, "and don't fucking bring your sick kid to work again."

The boy wraps his arms around Jim as he carries him away.

The ladies are left behind staring at the man lying on the floor, nursing his bruised chin. Sangeetha sighed, "so much for an adventure."