
Life has its little signs everywhere. Don’t speed, but when you do does it ever harm you? 15 M.P.H. bend, but you weren’t in the car that lost control and flipped over in the ditch. These signs don’t drive our lives, but there are people who let the signs drive them. Jim Dextro was waiting on the 52nd floor of his office building for an elevator. He knew no one around him, but they were interesting people. Jim was quick to judge on an appearance, and began to do so. ‘The kid in roller blades and purple hair goes to junior college, and when he gets off from his courier job he has a hot date with his X-Box,’ he thought about lucky contestant number 1. ‘I’d like to get to know her,” he thought about the voluptuous red head in front of him. Just because she was beautiful Jim assumed she was nice. DING! The elevator had arrived. The janitorial crew exited the elevator like they did every day. They were a team assembled for one purpose. To make a sanitary environment in 8 hours time. Vanessa Brookes watched them exit the elevator one at a time. She needed to get downstairs in a hurry to meet her boyfriend. She was so bold as to squeeze in the elevator while janitorial staff were still exiting. Normally she took the stairs, but today she couldn’t afford to possibly brake a heal. She looked into the crowd of people waiting for the janitors to exit. The overweight janitor whose nametag read, Billy-Bob, shuffled through the elevator door and was the last one out of the shaft. He looked around. He could name all his co-workers, and they knew him too. Not only at work, but they could identify him with or without his nametag. This courtesy brought joy to him. “So how’s your son doing in college now Rhonda,” Billy-Bob asked. “Oh fine,” stated the elderly Rhonda. Her and her husband had Johnny when they were in their late forties and early fifties. About w years ago all, her husband, had passed away. Johnny couldn’t get college done on his own so she helped him out. Every dime she could spare went into a jug she cashed on the 27th of the month and mailed a check to Johnny. This was what the 68-year-old women’s life consisted of. “Oh Billy,” her singsong voice shrilled out. “Yes?” “Johnny told me to thank you,” the small elderly woman began, “for those oatmeal raisin cookies. “Oh that was nothing. He’s such a good kid.” Thanks Billy.” Jessica had been detained in office security for about 2 hours today. Her nail file had set off a care of possible terrorist panic though out the building. Well. Maybe not that bad, just through the 2 or 3 security guards. She was still escorted by one security officer. He held her nail file captive in his belt, which reminded Jessica of the old Adam West bat belt. TAP! TAP! TAP! Vanessa’s heals stomped on the linoleum flooring of the elevator. Her impatience grew every second she had to wait. “Can we hurry this up>“? “Well sorry your majesty,” Johnny said skating around her with a bow and giving her a pat on the butt. “Why I never,” said Vanessa, “You’d better hope I don’t tell my boyfriend about that.” Jessica waltzed into the elevator flipping her black gothic hair back. She was a 26 year old who made enough to get by. Her short black skirt seduced Johnny as he stared. His lovely GQ ensemble of a tie dyed t-shirt with cut off khaki pants matched him perfectly. “Pig!” She said at him. “Sorry, I wasn’t listening,” he said as he thought to himself he understood women like no other man. Jim was next up for the ride. He believed that rules were infallible, and counted the number of passengers. ‘Ok Jim there are five people in the elevator. Add you and there would be six. The sign says six so this should work out.’ That stupid sign drove his start home every day. He squeezed into the elevator next to Ginny the red head he had early had impure thoughts about. “Excuse me,” Ginny said tapping him on the shoulder, “could you take one step over there to that large open space. Your in my personal bubble.” Well now that didn’t work go as planned thought Jim. You know in his mind he had about 15 different ways that situation would have played out, and all of them ended with the two of them in his apartment while hi cooked breakfast in the buff. “Wait, hold the elevator.” Shouted Roger a co-worker that no one seemed to care about. His cardboard tubes filled with papers and reports spilled on the floor. “Sorry Rog,” Jim said shrugging his shoulders, “No room.” With that the doors to the elevator began to seal. “Well maybe you could just hand me my staple. Please. It fell in with the commotion.” But it was too late. Roger made his way to the staircase to drag himself home. Johnny was in and out of elevators all day, but this was his favorite. He could watch the console with the numbers go through a routine. There was a giant mirrored door that reflected the front sides of all the passengers. All of them. The floor was dingy because the janitors hadn’t cleaned it up yet. 50th floor they were on now. There was a ton of room, but Johnny had occupied the dead center of the elevator now. In his psychology class he was taking they learned about the need for space, and how many people felt uncomfortable next to someone in an elevator. He had no reason to do this, but he did it anyways. It’s like that guy that stands in the urnell next to you after a movie and decides to critique the film with you. Floor 40, almost home thought Ginny. She3 was a smart intelligent woman who couldn’t wait to get to her car. She was reading a book on tape and felt an immediate need to get back to it. The lights began to flicker on the top of the elevator. Every ones attention was drawn to them immediately. Officer Barlow stood still watching the lights flicker. When for no apparent reason the elevator shook violently. Today was his kids’ birthday he thought. ‘I’ve no time to be stuck in an elevator.’ April 23rd the one day he wanted to rush home. The elevator now halted. “Hold on people, I’ll call the front desk.” “Hurry up,” stated Vanessa with the utmost importance, “I have someone waiting for me.” Johnny took a seat in a corner and started to get comfy in the dark elevator. Officer Barlow held the cold receiver to his ear. “Hello, hello. Is anyone there,” he said as he prayed for a response. There wasn’t even a dial tone. Jessica stood in the back corner across from Johnny. A silent war of witty glances waged between the two. “Do you have a problem with men or something?” No, I don’t. Why are you dying for my attention?” “Why you…” Jim took this as his place to interrupt, “Would you two settle down?” He barked as if he were some sort of father figure. “Look we could be here five minutes or five hours, so just be quiet.” Jim turned his attention to Officer Barlow. “So what did the desk say?” “There was no one at the desk,” his face was pale and had lost its’ once youthful splendor. “The…th…there wa…a…was a a a.” “A what?” “Message.” Vanessa saw this as her time to chime in, “For Petes' sake did everyone else already leave.” She casually reached in her purse and removed a glistening piece of steel. She flipped open her titanium plated cell phone, and began to desperately look for reception. She lodged her foot between that little rail on the side and the wall. She stretched her arm higher and higher searching out reception. “Doesn’t this damn thing get any reception.” “Look, we’re going to be in here a while it seems like so why don’t we at least get to know each others name?” Every ones eyes darted towards this not so radical idea. She flipped her red hair back and adjusted her skirt. “My name is Ginny Mathews. I’m a paralegal.” “I’m Johnny Willow, and I’m a courier,” he shouted from the floor. Johnny reached in his pocket and removed a hacky sack. He began to toss and roll it off of his arms. He looked like a pro. Jim thought about the hypnotic effect of the sack. It’s colors swirled against the backdrop of Johnnys’ shirt. The colors on the hack looked like an animated part of him. Jim had stopped paying attention to the people presenting their names. He watched the magenta and green seamlessly mix. “What’s your name?” The sweet voice of Jessica said to him. “Huh..What?” Said Jim forgetting the situation at hand. Recomposing himself he blurted out anything to buy more time. “Someone else go and comeback to me.” “Every one else went except you.” “Oh ok. Well names right?” “Yes,” said Ginny with a sound of patronizing disgust jabbing towards him. “Well my name is Jim Dextro and I’m a …” he was interrupted by the eerie ringing of the once dead telephone. He looked over his shoulder to see the receiver jiggle in and out of its’ respective place. His hand reached out and he picked it up. Upon placing it to his ear he took a moment to take in what the rest of these people were doing. The gothic secretary had begun to file her nails. Vanessa strangled herself for better cell phone reception. The red head girl tried to gain as much personal space as she could, while our helpful officer stared at his radio. All this time Johnny still sat playing with a hacky sack. His shaggy purple hair almost reached his eyes, but once that receiver hit Jims’ ear the nail file hit the floor. A shoe heal broke and Vanessa came tumbling to the ground, personal space was no longer an issue, and our officer moved in to handle the situation. “Who is it?” Shouted the three women at Jim unanimously. “Hold on!” Jim spat back at the hydra creature that had formed in front of him. “Hello,” he said timidly into the phone. A deep booming voice covered in static answered him back. “Hi lets get some things straight. I’m holding you al captive.” “But…” “No questions till I’m done. Here are the messages you can relay. Ready?” Jim did not answer because he thought that he was to remain silent. “Mr. Dextro are you ready to answer me?” “Oh yeah, ready.” A mummer ran through his fellow caged men and women. All of then wondered ‘ready for what,’ and waited to hear what would come next. “Allright Jim, I hate those people who run around yelling fur is murder. I feel the way you and your fellow Co-workers treat each other is despicable. Here I’ll make a deal with you. The elevator has 6 people in it and you couldn’t let Roger in. Now I’m a baseball fan and that was strike one. Two more and your out. Do you want to leave here a hero?” “I just want to leave.” “A hero could get you a date with the red head.” “How do you know?” “I’m a f*cking criminal mastermind. I’ve watched you people for days. I know every move and idiosyncrasies you people have. Now listen up I can hear and see every thing that goes on in there. Since everyone introduced themselves why don’t you do me the honor of reenacting it for me?” “Can we wait for a new challenge?” “NO!!! Now or I’ll plummet you all to your deaths,” the evil elevator warden flipped a blue switch on his cart of controls. The squealing of brakes let Jim know that he wasn’t joking. “All right just don’t kill us.” A state of panic ran through the elevator like a wildfire. Johnny even put down his hacky sack to join in. “What do you want me to do?” “Just tell the other passengers this. You had three chances to get out. One was blown when you denied Roger entry into the elevator. Tell them that I hear and see everything. Do it now.” “Ok,” Jim relayed the message with haste, “and our second chance is now.” “Well what was it?” Asked Ginny. “Hold on,” said Jim. Anger rose within Vanessa and she grabbed the receiver from Jims’ hands. “Hello, who are you? My boyfriend is waiting for me down there. Tonight is very important I think he’s…” “Going to propose to you tonight.” The voice shot back at her. “Look lady just shut up and give Jim back the phone, ok?” Vanessa gave Jim the Phone and backed away into a deserted corner of the elevator. Jim put his ear to the phone and listened with intent. “Now listen Jim tell Vanessa that her fiancé, that’s right her fiancé, is here with me in my office. I’ll let him go when she gets out, but if she doesn’t I’ll shoot him.” After hearing the threat Jim apologized to Vanessa. “Alright remind me what I have to do?” “Name every one in the elevator.” “Ok well this is Vanessa.” “One down and four to go there Jim.” “Ginny, and this here is Johnny.” “Very good Jim just two more and it’ll be over.” “Well this is off…officer B-B-Barlow” “That’s cheating reading the name tag, but I’ll give it to you,” the sinister voice gave Jim yet another message. “Oh and tell Vanessa to stop looking for cell phone reception I blocked it all by encasing the shaft with an alloy.” Jim relayed the message and looked at the girl in the elevator he still hadn’t named. He looked at her trying to figure out what sort of name she looked like. She didn’t appear to have a name badge or a form of identification showing, but she had one of those little purses with a J it looked like on it. “Well aaa…” “Well a Jim my figure might slip here and hit the blue button sending you all to an unpleasant grave.” “Well it starts with a J so Jessica.” “You cheated again.” After this statement Jim didn’t hear the bell of a telephone hanging up on him. No, he heard the sound of something plastic being pushed. Fear ran though his veigns like ice water. What was about to happen?
My Favorite Web sites
Home Page
The Shaft
The Story Menu
Evaluation