The Thirteenth Floor

It is one of the curious mysteries of architecture that, no matter how tall a building may be, it will never have a thirteenth floor. That does not mean that there are no buildings taller than twelve floors, there are of course many. But, even a building as tall as one hundred floors, will always skip the thirteenth floor and head straight for the fourteenth. Many believe that the reason behind this lies in ancient superstitions rooted in traumatic historical events that seeped mysteriously into the collective unconscious.

But all of those supposed explanations strong from the wrong premise because the truth is that every building, no matter its size, has a thirteenth floor. It is the one constant in all buildings built by human hands that somewhere, if you look hard enough, you can find the door to the thirteenth floor. There was a time when people believed in magic that many people knew how to find that door. But as progress has moved inexorably forward, it came with it a fear of that door because behind it lies an embodiment of our desires and vices. That is why now few people are able to have the imagination to find the door, let alone the courage to walk through it. Still there is the occasional soul that still has that whimsy and magic within them to be able to do so, and for those that do what they find inside is truly extraordinary.

One person who managed to accomplish that feat was Rebecca Black. At the relatively young age of 30, she had already earned a reputation for being a fearsome journalist and a successful author. And yet, she had felt her life come to a stall and it was difficult to find any passion in the work she had once loved so much.

And that is what left her to sitting at her desk for the second hour in a row staring at a blank screen. A part of her hoped that if she simply stared at it long enough that words would magically appear. This, unfortunately, was not working. As she was engaged in this epic staring contest, she didn't notice her coworker Sarah creep up behind her and put her hands over Rebecca's eyes and whisper in a deep voice. "Guess who?"

Although she could not see, Rebecca didn't have to guess because she knew only one person in the office would be dare to do that. "A tall, dark, and striking person come to take me away from all of this?"

Sarah took her hands off Rebecca's eyes and sat on the edge of her desk. "Close. But only if you count getting coffee as taking you away from all of this."

Rebecca leaned back into her chair. "Come on, you know I have a lot of work to do."

"And I know you haven't got anything done all day." Sarah picked up Rebecca's stapler and mimed with it as she talked. "Taking breaks is smart you know."

Rebecca shrugged and gave up trying to argue. "Fine, I suppose you are right."

"Please, I am always right!" Sarah then got up and started walking towards the elevator as Rebecca quickly gathered her things to follow.

The ride down to the ground floor seemed to her to last longer than it should. Rebecca had always distrusted elevators. She knew, rationally, that all an elevator was was a metal box that carried her between floors and that it was perfectly safe. And yet, the moment she stepped inside one, she would close her eyes and imagine the elevator taking her far away from there, to some place far into her imagination. She would keep her eyes closed throughout the ride and think of somewhere far off she liked to visit, and then when the elevator dinged to a halt she would open her eyes and for a moment think that perhaps this time it would work. But it never did, and this time was no different.

After several minutes of introspection, the elevator ride finally ended and deposited Sarah and Rebecca off into the main lobby of the building. They waved at Anthony, who was the security guard in the building, as they walked by. They then stepped out into the cool autumn air and headed to the coffee shop down the corner from their office. They were a common sight at the coffee shop. It was the type of shop that existed solely to fuel the productivity of the many office buildings around it with caffeine and as a welcome haven for any workers trying to find a moment of peace away from their job. Rebecca and Sarah ordered their usual coffees and set down in a table next to the window to give them a good place to do some people watching.

Sarah closed her eyes and breathed slowly as she took her first intoxicating sip of coffee for the day. Then breathed out slowly as she opened her eyes and smiled. "The best part of any day. So what has been up with you lately? I saw you staring at that computer screen all morning."

Rebecca shrugged and looked out the window at an attractive man in a suit across the street, "I am not sure. As much as I tried, I couldn't focus at all"

"I think that was more than you not focusing, it was like you were miles away in your own head. And you have been like that a lot lately"

Rebecca could tell, even without looking, that Sarah was looking at her now with her "concerned" face. At this point in their friendship, Rebecca was all too familiar with that face and at this point would have looked for any reason not to see it again. Thankfully, she had the good excuse of looking at a rather interesting man dressed in a sleek black suit. Though, truth be told, she would be staring at that man even if she was trying to avoid the concerned face, there was something mesmerizing about him that she could not look away from. She kept her eyes focused on him as she responded, "I feel like I am losing my touch. I have not been able to write a story in months."

"Oh don't worry about that, everyone goes through writer's block. Your writing is amazing Rebecca. Really." Sarah said that last word with such delicacy that Rebecca had to turn her head and smile. Sarah always meant so well, that is what made her so infuriating at times. But she would never understand the fear that the thing that Rebecca identified with so much might be slipping from her.

"Thank you Sarah. I am sure you are right."

Sarah smiled, satisfied, as always, with her success, "I am always right. Now I know it isn't easy, but just remember you have friends here okay?"

Rebecca let a small smile sneak onto her face, "Thank you, I know that." Rebecca turned back towards the street and noticed that the gentlemen with the fine suit was heading into her building. Across from her, Sarah noticed her looking, "Why don't you go and try and say hi?"

"You saw me looking?" Rebecca cheeks turned bright red.

"Honey you were hardly subtle about it, I think everyone in the shop saw you looking. Now, go on, you might catch him, and if not you can stare at him up close." She gestured towards the door. "I, on the other hand, am going to sit here with my coffee and watch the entertainment from here." Sarah sat back and sipped on her coffee.

Rebecca stood silent for a moment unsure of want to do then. Then she shook her head back and whispered to herself, "Fuck it, why not?" Then she turned to Sarah "Thanks Sarah, you always knew when to give me the right kick in the ass."

Sarah smiled over her coffee "What else are friends for. Now, get going." She motioned for Rebecca to get up.

Rebecca sprinted out of her chair and out of the door as fast as she could, almost knocking over another patron in the process. As she reached the street corner and anxiously waited for the traffic signal to turn, she saw the man walk through the glass doors of her own building. Once the walk signal finally flashed on, Rebecca ran across the street as fast her work heels could carry her, just in time to see the man step into one of the elevators lining the lobby. The security guard Anthony looked up at Rebecca as she walked by with a puzzled look. He considered whether it was his job to ask why she was sweating so badly after leaving the building for only ten minutes, but ultimately concluded it was more important for him to finish watching the cat video he found on his computer. If she had noticed the look on the security guard's face, Rebecca would have been embarrassed and would have desperately tried to explain why she looked the way she did. But at that moment Rebecca cared only about the man entering that elevator and so she ran past Anthony as fast as her legs would carry her.

She saw the elevator door closing just as she reached it. She managed to thrust her hand in between the closing door in time to trigger them to open and to reveal inside...nothing. Much to her disappointment, the elevator was completely empty, and she was left standing in the lobby slightly panting with her arm sticking out. The only solace she could have in that moment was that the lobby was mostly empty, save for Anthony who remained focused on whatever he was watching on his computer, so she was saved from the embarrassment of the public performance she just gave. She laughed quietly to herself about how silly she is acting and then stepped into the elevator, trying her best to maintain the air that was her plan all along.

Once inside, she gathered what pride she had left and turned to press the button for her floor. Except this time, when she looked at the buttons for each floor she noticed that there seemed to be a button she never noticed before. It was placed prominently on top of the other buttons and looked different, it seemed to be made of copper with the number thirteen written in perfect cursive on it. Rebecca immediately thought this was odd. She was not aware there was even a thirteenth floor in the building, let alone why it would look so different. At first, her finger hovered above the button for her office on the tenth floor, but then she thought about her conversation with Sarah. Maybe what was missing from her life was a little mystery and what would be the harm of going to look at this floor, if nothing else? So she pressed it, and felt the elevator hum to life as it soared upward. Like she had done so many times before, Rebecca closed her eyes and imagined a place far away as she let the elevator take her up.

A few minutes later, the elevator stopped, and the elevator announced, in a, that the elevator arrived at voice that was oddly soothing, "13." The metal doors of the elevator open into a room that looked like a lobby of a hotel that catered to the elegantly wealthy. As she stepped out of the elevator into a lobby that was the size of her entire office. Three marble pillars stood on either side of the lobby, each covered in an intricate carving that weaved from the base of the pillar to the ceiling. The ceiling was covered in a midnight black material, interspersed with a soft yellow light, and woven together in a way that reminded Rebecca of a spider's web. Sitting underneath that calm yellow light, were several comfortable looking couches that a group of people were sitting on and talking quietly. As Rebecca walked down the lobby, she noticed that the people gathered seemed to be from all over. She saw one woman dressed in what appeared to be a United States Air Force uniform, then another dressed in a long flowing kimono, and several other people dressed in clothing she barely recognized. The lobby ended at an elaborate looking black marble desk with a symbol carved prominently in front of it.

Rebecca walked up to the desk and saw a receptionist standing behind it in a tight red blouse and black skirt with near perfect posture. The receptionist looked up at her and smiled. "Welcome back Ms. Black, are you ready for your appointment?"

Rebecca raised her eyebrows at that. "Welcome? Where is here?"

"The thirteenth floor." The receptionist motioned down to the symbol carved into the desk, which, now that Rebecca looked at it, did vaguely resemble the number thirteen.

"Yes...I saw that was the floor I pressed. But was is the name of this place, is this a new business in the building?"

"We have provided a service to a discerning group of clients for many years."

"Then why haven't I see you before?"

The receptionist gave a sympathetic smile to Rebecca at that. "But you have seen us, so many times. Although I see here" she says as she consults some symbols that floated across her marble desk, " that your last appointment was two year ago."

As the receptionist said this, Rebecca knew it was true. There was something oddly familiar about this place. Something she could not put her finger on. She sensed though that she wasn't going to get anything more out of this receptionist. "Did you say I had an appointment?"

"Yes, you have an appointment with Mr. Slade in Room 304, your usual room of course." she looks down at the desk in front of her at a screen built into the marble.

"Usual? How many times have I been here?"

She looks down again at the symbols on her desk, "You have been here twenty-three times."

"You would think that I would have a punch-card or something at this point." Rebecca whispered to herself as she shook her head.

The receptionist crinkled her eyebrows. "I am sorry, we don't offer punch cards here Ms. Black."

"I was kidding." Seeing that this conversation was not going to go anywhere Rebecca continued, "I don't remember ever being here before."

At that point, the receptionist could sense Rebecca was worried. "I assure you Ms. Black you are safe here. Why don't you just follow me to the room and then you can see how you feel?"

There was something about how the receptionist talked that made Rebecca believe her. She nodded assent and the receptionist gestured for Rebecca to follow her down the hallway. As they walked down the hallway, they passed numerous doors on either side. The interesting thing was that each door was slightly different. Some were simple office doors, no more remarkable than you would see in any building. Yet, some were brightly colored, or made of tempered glass or steel. Rebecca stopped for a moment outside of one made of a tempered glass with a green hue and she thought she could barely hear a slight moan from behind it. She reached out to touch it, almost unconsciously, but before she could she felt the hand of the receptionist come up and stop her, and turned to see the receptionist looking at her sternly "The only door that will work for you here, is yours. Now, follow me."

A few turns later, they found themselves before an oaken door set into the wall with iron hinges. The door had the number "304" carved into the center. The receptionist took a bulky iron key ring out of her pocket and unlocked the door. She then stood to the of the right, bowing slightly and gesturing towards it, "Your room, Ms. Black."

Rebecca stood before the door and tried to think of what was the appropriate social way to respond to being escorted to an odd door by a complete stranger. A part of her thought tipping was appropriate but she hadn't any cash on her, and besides the receptionist made none of the gestures that indicates she was waiting for a tip. And then another part of her reminded her that gathering information may take precedence over social niceties. "And what is inside my room? Is this some sort of prank or joke?"

The receptionist paused and looked at Rebecca silently for a moment before responding. "I assure you, Ms. Black, you are safe here. No harm will come to you that you do not want, and we take our client's privacy to be the highest honor." She collected herself before continuing to put back on the comfortable masque of personal service. "As for what is inside the room, that is entirely up for you to decide Ms. Black. For now, if you want your appointment, please do step through the door." As she talked, the receptionist looked at Rebecca with warm and kind eyes that somehow Rebecca knew she could trust. At that, the receptionist smiled at her pleasantly once more before turning around with a click of her heels and walked away down the hallway.

Left alone in the hallway, Rebecca was tempted to follow the receptionist and give up her appointment, but she knew if she did she would always wonder what was behind the door, and she had this feeling that this place may be a little difficult to find next time.

Giving into her curiosity, Rebecca opened the door and stepped through to find a beautiful library overlooking a vast estate. She recognized the library as nearly identical to the library in a mansion she visited as a child. There were bookshelves built into all the walls. On each shelf, she could see the spines of hundreds of books, most of which were bound in leather. On the fourth wall, there was a window that overlooked what she could now see was an elaborate garden estate that spread out into the distance, with no other buildings in sight. As she walked around the room, she realized it wasn't that the library looked familiar to the mansion she went to on a field trip as a child, it was that library as she remembered it. Down to every single piece of furniture, or book that she remembered. "The people who ran this place must be collectors of some sort." She remarked under her breath.

Since she was here, she thought she may as well enjoy it. She wandered the mysterious library and read through the titles of the books that lined the shelves. The titles all seemed familiar at the time, though she could not later remark what any of them said. She settled on a forest green leather book that seemed interesting and she sat down on a day bed next to the window to enjoy the sight of what she assumed was some sort of computer projection on the glass. When she did, she noticed that the sunlight coming through the glass felt real and she wondered how they managed to pull that off. Still, she was content with the peace and quiet of the place and set to reading her book. She thought then that this was perhaps as close to perfect as she could imagine, the only thing possibly missing was a warm cup of tea. As soon as she thought that, she noticed that next to her was a steaming cup of tea that someone must have delivered when she was not looking. She sipped on her tea as she started to pour through her book. The book was written a beautiful cursive handwriting, and described the particularly scandalous love life of the author. As she read about the author's dalliances she could not help but find herself drawn into the book, imagining herself in similarly sexually adventurous ways.

Approximately one hundred pages later, she feels his hands on her as he starts to massage her shoulders. She doesn't pull away or wonder where he came from. Instead, she floats back into his touch as his hands start to massage her shoulders as she reads. He does this without saying a word until she chooses to reach up and touch his hand, "I missed you."

"I missed you as well. I thought you had forgotten me." His voice was soft but yet strong in a way she could not quite place. As he talked, she could feel herself relax more with every word she heard, and she felt a light she thought long dimmed reawaken in her.

"I don't know how I could have. The memories were so vivid at one point and yet..."

"And yet the moment you left here, they were gone." He filled in the detail she left floating in the air.

"Yes." She turned her head to look into his hazel eyes, "Is that normal?"

He shrugged. "Few remember us, at least not until they return."

Satisfied, she turned back around and melted into his arms again, "I remembered again when I felt your touch."

"I am happy to hear that I make such an impression, beautiful." Though she could not yet see him, she could hear his smile through his words. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She said, without hesitation.

"What do you want?" His words floated softly through the air and wrapped themselves around me in an embrace.

"You, only you." I closed my eyes and looked down at the floor.

"Good. Now, it is time for you to stand up and show me what you have been doing for me."