Jeff secured his bike to a pole and shook his shorts. He looked at his watch and decided to deliver his package quickly.
The Winstons, the tallest building in town, with more than 15 floors, rose majestically above the other structures around it.
Old Matt was on duty at the entrance. His wrinkled face did not hide his tired eyes, possibly it had been a rather busy night. The smell of freshly brewed coffee passed through Jeff's nostrils, reminding him that he still hadn't had breakfast.
Jeff took out his ID card and ran it over the tourniquet scanner. The green light went on.
"What's up, Matt? Working hard or hardly working?”
Matt sipped some of his coffee and took a look at Jeff. He adjusted his jacket and put his huge ass in his seat, the chair squeaked again protesting the mistreatment. Matt worked as a watchman at the Winstons for over 20 years. He knew all the workers who went in and out, including couriers like Jeff.
"Mm-hmm”
Jeff hurried as he saw the only open elevator begin to close its doors.
"Hold the door, please!" He shouted in the distance
A thin hand stopped the sliding door and it automatically receded.
"Thank you very much, these elevators take too long to return to the ground floor.
"You're welcome, good man” Replied the lady.
The wrinkles in her smile framed her green eyes.
"You're new in town, aren't you? "Asked Jeff, looking at the visitor's badge hanging from her blouse.
"Why is everyone asking me the same question?
Without waiting for an answer, the lady continued
"My name is Helen and I've just arrived in town. I'm here for a job interview on the 17th floor.
She extended her hand to Jeff. Jeff barely touched the lady's hand and answered:
"Jeff”
The elevator staggered a little as it passed the 13th floor.
Helen clung to the handrail of the elevator.
"I thought these elevators were modern”
"They are," Jeff replied, not paying attention as he entertained himself with a text message.
The elevator stopped suddenly. Luckily, Helen didn't lose her balance because she was still clinging to the handrail. The lights flickered and the darkness wrapped them up.
"Oh, dear! What's going on?" shouted Helen
"Calm down, Mrs. Helen”
Jeff's encouraging words did affect Hellen. Her heart was pounding in her chest.
Jeff lit a small flashlight attached to his helmet.
The temperature dropped sharply and the elevator floor began to flood.
"Damn it! My new shoes!" Jeff spat
It took a few seconds for the water to reach Helen's waist, and she ran frantically for the elevator door, splashing everything around her. She grabbed the furrow between the doors with her fingernails. But her attempts were futile.
"Help me!" she shouted at Jeff.
The doors were hermetically sealed. The water level reached her neck. “What the hell is going on?” she shouted again to Jeff who was patiently waiting, attached to the other side of the elevator, the water had not yet reached his chest.
Helen took off her shoes and swam to a corner of the elevator. She leaned on the handrail to reach higher and hold on to a pipe from the elevator’s ceiling. Desperate, she began to hit the elevator walls with her shoes.
"Help!" continued Helen shouting
Her protruding eyes landed on Jeff. Jeff put his index finger to his lips, “Shhhh…” whispered
Helen did not understand the young man's irreverent attitude. The water trickled down her face and, as it did so, she perceived its salty taste.
"Seawater? We are hundreds of miles away from the coast”
Helen couldn't stand the young man's calmness. Perhaps he was suffering from some syndrome, she thought.
Suddenly, her eyes widen, pupils dilated, reflecting deep panic.
"Something touched my leg!" she shouted frightened
Jeff opened his eyes and seconds later he was swallowed by the waters.
The light from his lantern faded into the depths as if he was sinking into an infinite well.
Helen, alone, opened her eyes as wide as she could, refusing to blink. It was the same with them open as with them closed. Her accelerated breathing made her chest swell and deflate frantically; she could hear the churning sound of each inhalation and exhalation, in that sepulchral blackness.
Striving to remain calm, she remembered that her cell phone was waterproof. A useless feature that she thanked at that moment. Unwillingly, she let go of her shoes, which still held her left hand, and groped inside her wallet. Finally, she found it.
The water was freezing. Her trembling, wet hands made it difficult to find the flashlight application, yet the light from the screen was enough to illuminate the area. She directed the beam to one side and the other, but could only see the black surface of the undulating water.
Unexpectedly, Jeff emerged from the water, spitting and coughing loudly. He clung to the ceiling rail.
A strange sea monster with large jaws full of pointed teeth pulled out its head between them.
A detonation overshadowed Helen's terrified screams and the monster's brains spread everywhere.
A strange man also emerged from the depths. He shook his beard and long hair. A row of white teeth drew a gentle smile
"All right?”
"Jeff?”
"Everything ok, Arthur! Do you happen to have my helmet?
The strange man stuck his arm into the monster's jaws and pulled out the bruised helmet.
"Here it is”
A muted Helen, moving her eyes from one side to the other, didn't utter a word. She couldn't.
Arthur threw the helmet at Jeff.
"Sorry, buddy”
"That's a bummer. It's not mine, it's from the company where I work. It will be deducted from my salary if I don't return it.”
Arthur shrugged, waved his hands toward Helen and Jeff, and disappeared into the depths. The water began to descend and both put their feet on the elevator’s floor.
The lights went on and from the elevator walls came hot steam.
"We apologize for the delay, thank you for relying on Shindler technology," expressed an artificial voice.
The elevator continued ascending. The tinkling of the doorbell startled Helen as the doors opened, the number 17 standing out on the small screen of the elevator. Water trickled down her blouse as well as her makeup.
“I think this is your floor,” Jeff said
Helen didn't say a peep and left.
"Welcome to The Winstons!" Jeff blurted out before the doors closed.
A shoeless Helen came to a stop in front of a glass door and knocked on the door.
A receptionist smiled from her desk and pressed a button. The squeaking of the lock warned that it had opened.
The attendant offered a towel and a pair of disposable slippers to Helen.
"Have a seat, you will soon be attended to.”
Helen sat next to another young woman waiting for her turn.
"You're new in town, aren't you?”
Helen took a deep breath and kept silent.
The girl approached her and whispered
"A word of advice: never use the stairs.”
Image by Michael Gaida at Pixabay
