Trapped

Word count 462

         The day had been long. Sarah knew the theory behind objective time versus subjective time, but she was positive today the hands on the clock had moved slower. Maybe it was because of the mind numbing task her boss had given her to do. The young paralegal was sure the reason she’d been given this massive amount of filing was because she’d arrived late twice this week. Anyway she’d been offered a much better job and would be leaving here soon.

         She glanced for what seemed the hundredth time at the clock on the wall. Her boss had told her to stay behind to make up for the time lost by coming in late. Sarah couldn’t wait to finish up and get out of there and meet up with her latest boyfriend. Even the thought of him made her shiver with pleasure.

         At last it was time to leave the dusty filing room. When she emerged, the rest of the office was empty, the silence giving the place an eerie feeling. Grabbing her coat and bag, she made her way to the elevators.

         Standing alone in the silent building, she jabbed the elevator buttons several times, Impatient to leave. Sighing she watched the illuminated numbers slowly count up to her floor. The doors whispered open.

         Rummaging in her purse for her phone to call her boyfriend, she took a quick breath when the elevator lurched to a stop. Holding her breath she waited for the lift to restart its journey down, but all it did was drop a few inches. She gasped and grabbed the wall, her heart raced, sweat broke out on her brow. Dropping to the floor, her legs unable to hold her, she crouched, praying the car wouldn’t plunge down the twenty floors to the basement.

         The emergency phone seemed out of reach, afraid to move in case her movements caused the lift to drop. Sarah was paralysed by fear.

         Minutes passed and besides an occasional squeal from the brakes, there was silence.

         Her heart slowed a little, she crawled along the dirty floor and reached for the emergency phone. The dead silence was more than she could bear, sobbing into the phone, pleading for help, over and over again.

         Dropping to her knees, with shaking hands she reached across the floor for her mobile phone, soon discovering there was no reception in the steel box.

         The lights flickered. Looking up at the stained ceiling she stared at the light bulb behind the frosted glass, praying for it to keep glowing. It flashed off and on twice more before plunging the elevator into complete darkness.

         Sarah huddled in the corner and waited.