Evil Businesses
Linda hit the off button on her computer and glared at the monitor. “Why freeze on me? I was almost done with that report!” She hissed through her closed teeth and closed her eyes in complete frustration. The computer mocked her before turning off by popping up a message.
“Do you want to save your work so far?” The Microsoft paper clip happily stated, before curving into a bike and riding off. Linda frantically hit ‘yes’ fifty million times before the screen went blank.
She swore loudly.
Ten minutes later she pounded on the office door next to hers “Johnny are you still working in there?” She stood on tiptoe and tried to peak through the slit window. Leaning up against the door she fell into him when he opened the door. He laughed.
“Linda was that you I heard blistering the ears of God? I didn’t know he had it out for you so much to deserve being called that” He hugged her with one arm because the other held his cigarette.
“That stupid computer deleted my report”
“When is it due?”
“Another week, do you really think that if it was due sooner I’d be out here talking to you?”
Johnny glanced at his watch “Actually seeing as it one in the morning, yes”
She sighed “Thanks for waiting you’re the best”
“Aren’t I?” He held out his arm chivalrously for her to hold. By the time they hit the elevator their hands were twined together and she was still leaning her head on his shoulder.
The janitor passed them pushing his cart of supplies bouncing his head to his iPod music. Linda asked him if he wanted to take the elevator with them, he didn’t hear her. He merrily pushed his cart along to the stairs. Johnny expelled his breath in such a way that the sound was like a short squawk on a dilapidated car horn. Linda poked him in the ribs. “Don’t laugh, maybe there’s something wrong with the elevator?”
The doors opened, some typical elevator music filtered out.
Johnny shrugged and, again with mock chivalry, moved aside so she could go in first. By the time the door was closing they were kissing gently, eyes closed and happy. Her engagement ring glinted in the light and reflected a little beam of light around the elevator. Johnny reached to hold her cheek with his left hand and realized that he still held the cigarette in his hand. He absentmindedly tossed it into a corner.
Suddenly Linda stopped. “Hear that?”
Johnny mumbled against her lips “Hear what? There’s no sound” He tried to continue the kiss. Linda pushed him away, but still held on.
“The music stopped” Linda said confused, her arms tightening slightly on his shoulders as needles of fear fizzled up her spine. Johnny looked up to the speaker placed not so surreptitiously in the corner. He shrugged just as the lights flickered and went out.
Linda Screamed and pulled Johnny back closer. He laughed, but Linda could feel his heart beating faster and faster in his chest. Johnny put his hand in his hair and brushed his fingers through; he would never act afraid while she was here. Linda’s heart throbbed and even though she was terrified she loved him even more at that second; he would always protect her.
“It’s O.K. Lin, listen the elevator is still moving” The whirrs and clicks seemed to grow loud and louder. Johnny glanced around and realized that he could still see. A faint light was coming from the button panel. Then with a sickening lurch the elevator stopped.
Linda started to hyperventilate.
“We must be at the lobby don’t worry” he let go of her to reach over and press the ‘open door’ button. The doors slid open to reveal a solid concrete wall and two inches at the top of carpeted floor. They stared for awhile, and then Linda fainted.
Johnny supported her awkwardly for a moment before he realized then he started to feel panic course through him. He started to shake as he laid her down on the floor.
“Linda wake up, can you hear me?”
Linda didn’t answer. He picked up her hand and started rubbing it then he realized that was stupid, they only did that on TV. She looked like she was sleeping. Johnny started to giggle, a sound like little hiccoughing monkeys, panicked and desperate. Her face was cold to the touch.
He lost all his calm. What he viewed as his one and only love at his feet barely breathing in a dark and silent box suspended on thin cables, for all he knew, a hundred feet above the ground. He cast about him for something to help him and again he saw the control panel. His mind snapped to various science fiction movies where they pulled a wire and everything started again. His eyes wide and bright he reeled back and punched with all his might through the panel. The light flickered out, plunging him into pitch black. He reached his hand in and started pulling wires at random. Nothing happened.
Between bursts of laughter he swore as he saw on the broken a panel a button that said ‘call fire department’. The wire was pulled out. A burst of genius filled him and he pulled out his cigarette lighter, lit a cigarette, put it in his mouth for a quick puff, then through it out onto the two inches of floor he could see. Smoke immediately started curling up. He sat down by Linda and resumed rubbing her hand as he watched the smoke curl up. Flickering light from the fire lit up the grin on his face as the fire alarm went off.
The janitor moved away from the electrical box as he finished pushing all the buttons that turned off all major electricity drains. He didn’t hear the alarm, his iPod was too loud.
The next morning, after all the fire crews had finally gotten the fire put out they searched the building for the cause. They found a cigarette by the elevator shaft on one floor; the doors were wide open revealing the top of the elevator. One of the fire men pulled off his helmet and bent down to peer into the elevator. He gasped at the sight. A handsome young man curled into a fetal position holding tightly in his death grip the hand of a young woman. Both were dead. Hours later it was determined the suffocated as the fire pulled all the oxygen slowly from the elevator.
