Late for a key meeting, you waited by the elevators.
When the doors opened, a flustered woman named Kazuko stepped in.She locked eyes with you for a fleeting second before distancing herself at the opposite wall.
The elevator moved painfully slow. Kazuko's forehead glistened with sweat; her breaths were shallow and rapid. Then the elevator stalled.
As you hit the emergency button, the temperature spiked.
Kazuko clutched her collar, her discomfort escalating as she slumped against the wall.
It's so hot...
She whispered, more to herself than to you. Her eyes widened suddenly and focused on you, pupils dilated with fear.
i look back a little confused and awkwardly you okay? i ask simply
Agh! S-Sorry... I mean, no. Not really. I'm stuck in here with you... It's just... men make me nervous. I had a bad experience with one before... You see... it's not your fault or anything. It's just my issue.
She wrings her hands together, trying to calm herself down as she continues to avoid making eye contact with you.
i understand. i say quietly sorry that happend. i promise you are safe in here. my sister had an issue too... i look down for a moment, then back up
Your sister? I-I see. Well, thank you for understanding. It means a lot, really. This is just so embarrassing... You must think I'm pathetic for being scared of men like this...
of course not! its not your fault. just try to keep calm, and im sure that well be out of here in no time
I'll try... But it's hard when I'm trapped in a confined space with you... You could do anything you want to me...
sure, i could, but i wont, ill stay right over here. i move to the corner and sit down like i said i promise im not evil
Oh... I-I see... Well, thank you for that. You're being very understanding about this whole situation. It's just... it's been such a long time since anyone treated me with any sort of kindness...
dam... thats sad. sorry to hear that. i say quietly well i guess its never too late for things to change. i chuckle softly
You're right, I guess... Maybe there's hope for me yet. And thank you for being so nice about this whole thing. It really means a lot that someone isn't taking advantage of the situation like most people would.
im sure most people would do the same as me, or at least thats what i think should happen, you must have been quite unlucky with the kinds of people that seem to be in these situations with you.
I suppose I was... It's just made it really hard for me to trust anyone ever since then. But maybe... Maybe there's hope that things will get better eventually. And thank you again, for being so understanding and kind about this whole thing.
yeah i get that, it can be hard to get rid of those past traumas, itll get better, it just takes alot of time.
Well... I suppose we should make the best of our situation then, huh? How about we talk about something more pleasant? Like what do you like to do in your spare time?
yeah good call, uh i dont really do too much i guess, just play on a soccer team with some mates and i play drums for my band. thats it beside just casual shit you know
Drums, huh? I've always thought that must be really fun. And playing in a band sounds exciting too! What kind of music do you guys play?
She manages a small smile as she leans against the wall, feeling slightly more at ease with your conversation than before.
uh we do some rock and metal, its quite funny actually. because you really wouldnt take us for that, i mean im a corporate guy. and the rest of the lads are like teachers and managers and shit, so outside of that. we look as regular as could be. i laugh quietly were not great but its not a bad side hustle for the few gigs we get. how about you? what do you get up to?
Well... I used to like reading and watching movies, but I haven't had much time for that lately. I also enjoy baking, especially in the fall when the weather gets cooler. And I love cats! Do you have any pets?
She smiles softly as she asks, her eyes lighting up with excitement at the thought of talking about something she genuinely enjoys.
yeah actually, ive got a pet turtle, hes a funny one. nice and easy to keep care of, just gotta clean him and feed him. you have a cat?
Oh, a turtle! That's interesting. No, I don't have a cat right now, but I used to when I was younger. His name was Miso and he was the best companion ever. He would always curl up next to me whenever I felt lonely or stressed out.
She sighs wistfully before continuing, her voice softening as she reminisces about her old friend.
I wish I could have one now... But with my work schedule and all, it's just not practical.
yeah fair. oh well hopefully you can get one in future. theres a short but comforatble silence for a moment before i speak up again so what do you do for work here? you in the trading stuff or like advertisment... or what
Oh, me? Well, I'm actually an administrative assistant. My job is to help out with various tasks such as organizing meetings and files, answering phones, and so on. It can be quite busy at times but I enjoy it overall.
She smiles shyly before glancing away briefly, her cheeks flushing slightly from embarrassment or nervousness.
I'm really not that important... My job is just to make sure everyone else can do their jobs better.
that seems pretty important. well im an assistent manager in the advertisment department. its pretty hectic with all the deadlines they give us, but my teams really been working well so far.
That does sound quite challenging at times. But it's good to know that you enjoy what you do and have a great team supporting you through it all. I think that makes all the difference in the end.
yeah for sure. a couple of hours have passed and there is no response from the lift phone, so we have no clue if they even know were in here yet, it feels like its been a couple hours
Wow... I had no idea it's been that long since we got stuck here. I hope someone comes to rescue us soon... This is starting to get uncomfortable again...
She wrings her hands nervously, glancing from you to the door and back again as she tries to distract herself from her growing fear of being trapped any longer.
yeah, itd be quite handy. i say looking upward i mean they must have realised the elevators not working by now. those rescue and repair companies take forever to arrive these days
I'm just glad we don't smell too bad yet... I wouldn't want them to think we weren't taking care of ourselves while we're stuck here. That would be so embarrassing! She laughs nervously, trying to make light of the situation but only managing a half-hearted chuckle before falling silent again, her focus drifting back to her discomfort and worry about being stuck in the elevator for much longer.
well be out soon. i say reassuringly weve just gotta try to stay calm. and help will come. i yawn jeez, im kinda tired, i might pass the time with a nap, i barely slept last night, if you need anything feel free to wake me up. i say and roll over into the corner, im asleep now
Okay... I guess that's for the best... Sleeping might help pass the time quicker anyway. If you need anything just yell, okay?
She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts and slow down her pounding heart as she finally allows herself to close her eyes as well, exhaustion overcoming her fear and discomfort for now. The silence in the elevator grows heavy with their shallow breathing as they both drift off into an uneasy sleep.
Time passes slowly;