Author's Note: Story Idea from
sirhugs
thread, 'Power Failure' in the Story Ideas forum. Dialog inspired from a scene from the television show The Wire.
All characters over the age of 18. Enjoy.
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Spring in North Texas is an adventure. The flow of warm moist air flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico colliding against moving cold fronts sweeping down from the northwest brew up tremendous thunderstorms. The powerful weather can create gale force winds without warning, or dump a weeks worth of rain in a few hours. Occasionally both happen simultaneously.
I wasn't thinking of any of that as I was working on late on a Thursday night. I was in the final stages of a long complicated project, and I wanted to get it done before the weekend. My boyfriend was flying home from being gone all week, and I was looking forward to welcoming him home. I did not want any last minute project details to delay me on Friday. With only an empty apartment waiting for me, I decided to finish the project a day early.
After grabbing a quick dinner, I came back to my 10th floor office, and buried myself in the final edits of the project. The hours passed quickly, and I was surprised how quickly it got dark. I didn't realize the darkness was from the tremendous thunderstorm sweeping down upon my building. Clicking save for the last time, and thinking it was later than it was, I closed all my files and secured my desk.
I picked up my purse, and bag, and headed to the elevator. I flipped open my phone to send a text to my boyfriend.
Emma: I miss u. wish u were here. xo
I noticed my cell phone battery was very low, after the long day at work. I pressed the elevator button with my eyes still locked on my phone's glowing screen. The dimness of the hallway, had me convinced it was late in the evening, and I was surprised to see that it was only 7:00 p.m. on the screen of my phone. I lifted my head up and looked through the glass windows of our lobby to the cityscape beyond the walls of the office.
KABLAM!
I jumped at the sound of the thunder that came seconds after a bright flash streaked across the windows. I realized that it was a big storm. I heard a ding, and slid into the elevator. I was grateful for the office building's underground parking, I wouldn't get drenched getting into the car. I pressed the ground floor button, and flipped my phone's widget to check my emails.
Jonathan: I miss u 2, catching early flight. be careful in storm.
The text popped up over my email box, and I dismissed it. The elevator stopped on the 8th floor, and I glanced up to see a younger man step in. I didn't pay him much attention. In a glance I'd pegged him as one of the hip game programmers that inhabited the lower floors of our building. I had memorized their "uniform": black hoodie with scruffy jeans, slip on skater shoes and an over the shoulder laptop bag.
Instead of smiling at him, I went back to my emails, and clicked one from the airlines. It was a new itinerary from Jonathan, his new flight left first thing in the morning. Knowing he'd be home soon sent a shiver through me. With my project finished, I was thinking about calling in sick.
KABLAM! KABLOOM!!!
The elevator shook and everything went dark. It took a moment to register that the elevator had stopped descending. I started to panic in the pitch darkness, until a soft glow from a battery powered emergency light illuminated the small compartment.
"Fuck!" my companion cursed, "I knew I should've taken the stairs."
"I'm sure it won't be too long before things start rolling again," I offered, finally looking up at him.
I tried to make a comforting smile, but I'm sure it looked fake. The man, more a boy really, was a bit more shaken, eyes searching around the compartment. I flipped back to my phone, and tapped out a text.
Emma: Come straight home from airport, I'll be waiting. xo
I was daydreaming about how I'd be waiting. Maybe wrap myself in cellophane, like a leftover dish waiting to be consumed. The thought of Jonathan pulling the plastic wrap from my body had my insides turning molten.
"He's been gone too long," I thought to myself as I felt myself tremble.
The thought of him ripping a hole in the thin plastic releasing a firm nipple while the rest of my body was firmly encased in the constricting wrap hardened my nipple..
"Fuck!" I heard the programmer exclaim.
He pushed on the emergency button without any response, then slammed a fist against the wall.
BEEP: Text Message failed.
I looked down at my phone, and saw, 'No Signal', flashing at the top of the screen.
KABOOOOOOOOOOM
Suddenly I felt panic begin to rise in me.
"That storm knocked out the cell tower," I said softly.
"Fuck!" said the programmer with his limited vocabulary.
He slid his phone from the front of his computer bag, and checked his status.
"fuck, Fuck FUCK!" he fumed, stuffing his phone back into its pocket.
The soft light in the elevator started to dim. My eyes widened and I looked up at my taller foul mouthed prisoner. He looked down at me, and I caught his kind brown eyes, as the light faded to black. I swiped my phone, the large LED screen illuminated the carriage slightly. I felt a bit of relief, which quickly faded as the battery indicator flashed red, then the screen dimmed.
"Fuck!" I said as I slid the useless device into my purse.
In pitch darkness, I heard him laugh lowly. The darkness was palpable. There was no light anywhere, pitch dark. The sounds of the elevator swaying in its shaft amplified. The lack of an electronic buzz was almost deafening. I heard him move around, and then a dim light illuminated the suffocating room.
He held his smartphone, and flipped to a brighter screen. Suddenly the interior of the elevator was bathed in a soft white light. It was like a uniform grey mist, as the intensity of the light was muted. The programmer held the phone face up on his palm, and then squatted down and placed it on the floor. He slid back and sat down on his rear, leaning back against the wall of the car. He looked up at me his soft eye color indistinguishable in the dim glow.
"We'd better get comfort..." he started.
KABOOM
The thunder shook the whole building. I jumped then slid down the opposite wall. I heard the rain pounding against the windows of the building, the wind howling. Each sound was amplified simply because the lack of ambient noise.
I tucked my legs under me, and smoothed my knee high skirt so it hung hiding my legs from the eyes of my unknown companion. I crossed my arms across my chest, wrapping my light sweater around my torso. I looked over at him and tried to smile, but I'm not sure how well I executed the expression.