Tara Pennington glanced up from the huge pile of notes and forms on her desk and sighed. The office was almost empty; everyone who could afford too had already left for the evening. Tara was staying till five today because she had already used up a lot of her sick time and it wasnât worth it to leave early and get stuck in traffic anyway. The only other people left in the office were Ronnie and Tab.
Ronnie was a supervisor and the most hated person in the office. She was tall and thin with angular features and way too much muscle for a woman. She had long legs, dark hair and dark eyes. She was also an out lesbian and she made no bones about it. She constantly tried to flirt with the married women in the office and took great pleasure in embarrassing them. Tara was one of her favorite targets because the small woman was very shy, retiring and she was physically intimidated by Ronnie. She was also pretty naĂŻve and from the Midwest, having moved to New York only three short months ago. Ronnie seemed to take sadistic glee in affronting her Midwestern values and seeing her blush.
Tab didnât work in the office and was Ronnieâs partner in crime. She worked three floors down as a security guard in the claims department and was only up here to screw around with Ronnie until they could split. Tab was a big woman, not just tall like Ronnie, but big and she was ugly where Ronnie could at least look attractive when she wanted too. Tabâs face was flat, her nose had been broken a few times and her eyes were a strange shade of green. Her big hands were rough and her knuckles were scarred. She wore her red hair in a severe buzz cut that left her looking like her scalp was rusting. She simply scared Tara to death and the small blonde avoided her like the plague.
They were both standing by the water cooler and Tara watched as they both took some pills. Tara wondered what they were taking and then decided she didnât want to know. She was alone with them and they werenât harassing her so she was happy. The small blonde had no interest in drawing attention to herself, especially when the three of them were alone in the office. Tab and Ronnie did everything together and one of the most embarrassing things in her life had been the day in the cafeteria when they sat on either side of her and discussed the woman they had picked up and taken home to âdouble teamâ the night before. Tara blushed just remembering it and went back to her paper work. A few minutes later she was startled by a knock on her office door. She looked up to find Tab and Ronnie standing there.
âCome on girl, letâs blow this place,â Ronnie said. They both seemed to be in a good mood and Tara was glad of that. Ronnie could be a bitch when she was in a bad mood and Tab was just plain scary. She glanced at the clock and saw it was five till four.
âYâall go ahead, I really need to stay âtil five,â
âFuck that, I gotta close up tonight,â Ronnie said amiably.
âIâll do it,â Tara said.
âScrew it, Iâm already signed out at five, just leave your time-card blank. When numb-nuts comes in and asks, Iâll tell him you left when I did. He wonât buck me,â Ronnie said.
âI really shouldnât,â Tara began but Tab interrupted her.
âGet up bitch, that X is going to hit soon and I donât want to be stuck in this shit hole when it does,â Tab ordered.
Tara reluctantly rose, grabbed her purse and followed the two of them out, it never even occurred to her to not do as Tab ordered. Ronnie stopped to lock up and Tara hurried to the elevators. She was glad Tab had stopped with Ronnie and she pressed the call button several times. The elevator seemed to take forever and she found herself pushing the button again and again. She didnât want to have to share an elevator with Tab and Ronnie, especially if they were taking drugs.
She breathed a sigh of relief when the bell rang and the empty car opened, she had just stepped in and was about to hit the button when she heard Ronnie shout.
âHold it!â
Tara hesitated only a second, but moved her finger from the ground floor button to the door open one. She probably could have gotten off if she had pressed the button, but she didnât want to have the two of them angry with her. She could stand their company for the ride down, after all, what could happen in that short a time, she thought?
The two of them ran to the car and once inside Ronnie pressed the button and the doors slid shut. Tara moved to the back corner of the car and hoped someone would join them soon. The two gay women made her extremely nervous.
The elevator began a smooth descent when the lights suddenly flickered and they were plunged into darkness. The lights came back on and the elevator began to move again. Tara barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief when the car shuddered to a stop and they were again plunged into utter darkness.
âWhat the fuck?â Tabâs disembodied voice called from the front corner of the elevator.
âTerrorists!â Tara blurted out in abject fear. She had always hated the dark and was mildly claustrophobic She could see nothing at all in the inky blackness and felt her skin crawl.
âRelax chicky, itâs just a brown out. Lights will be back on soon,â Ronnie said confidently.
Tara shrank into the corner, where she could feel the walls on either side of her and sank down to the floor. Nameless dread washed over her and she fought to keep from vomiting. Her skin was clammy already and she started shaking.
âHow long is this shit going to last?â Tabâs voice seemed to echo in the small chamber.
âRelax bitch, whatâs the matter? Afraid of the dark?â Ronnie called.
âFuck you, I ainât afraid of nothing and there ainât but one bitch in here,â Tab said. Her voice was different, higher pitched and surly. At least it seemed so to Tara.
âHow bout that, Tab thinks youâre a bitch Tara, what do you say to that?â Ronnieâs voice called.
âIâve never been mean to anyone,â Tara said. Her voice sounded very small and fearful. Ronnie and Tab both laughed.
âShe didnât mean a bitch like that,â Ronnie said. Tara was starting to shake harder, she could feel the rising panic and tried to fight it down.
âI donât understand,â she said. At least their voices let her know she wasnât alone. If she had been she knew she would be in real trouble.
âWell, itâs like this. Me and Ronnie are butch, a lipstick lez is a bitch. So youâre a bitch, âcause you sure as hell ainât a butch,â Tab said.
Tara was slowly getting her fear under control. She chose to ignore the comment, and concentrated on breathing deeply. Her breath came in shuddering gasps.
âYou alright?â Tab asked.
âYes,â Tara said with difficulty, âIâm just a little claustrophobic,â
Tab started to say something derogatory, but Ronnie interrupted her.
âSo, where ya wanna go tonight?â Ronnie said. Her voice had moved to the front of the car, near the control panel.
âI donât care. We just need to get there soon; this is good shit and something is getting fucked tonight,â Tab said and laughed.
âYeah, my pussy is already tingling,â Ronnie said.
Tara blushed furiously and for a few moments forgot her fear, but it welled back up as soon as the silence came again. The dark she could stand with effort, but when coupled with silence and a small space it was terrifying beyond rational explanation. She always remembered the time as a child of six she rode out a tornado alone in an abandoned storm cellar. It had been filled with bugs and rats, unseen scurrying in the absolute darkness. They had crawled over her and bitten her and she had screamed until her voice cracked. She was nearly catatonic when her father found her and it had taken years before she could even manage to sleep without all the lights in the house on. Even now she had a nightlight on her nightstand at home.
âMine too, could use a little tongue action to sooth the itch. Hey bitch, come on over here and give me some head,â Tabâs voice called. Tara felt herself blush from her head to her feet and Ronnie burst out laughing. She was lightheaded and dizzy, a feeling similar to vertigo. She knew she was loosing her grip and she prayed the lights would come on soon.
âYeah, when you finish with her my cunt could use some attention too,â Ronnie said.
âHow â'bout it? Ever tasted fresh pussy?â Tabâs voice said.
âYou two are terrible,â Tara managed and giggled. The overwhelming panic always did this to her. Her best friend called it a ârunnerâs highâ, when the panic became so strong that her body began to release endorphins. Tara compared it to being really buzzed, a kind of strange feeling where her inhibitions were lowered and her judgment became increasingly impaired. God, please let the lights come back on, she prayed. Tab started to say something but Ronnie shushed her.
âEarl? Yeah, itâs Rhonda, whatâs going on?â Ronnieâs voice said.
âYouâre fucking kidding!! How long? Son of a bitch!â Ronnie shouted, causing Tara to start.
âNo, were all right. Huh? Oh, Me, Tabitha Hunter and Tara Pennington,â Ronnie said. Tara finally realized the tall woman had found the emergency phone in the elevator. She would never have remembered it. She was still scared, but she felt a little better with Tab and Ronnie there. At least she wasnât alone. She thought back to the decision to hold the door and smiled, sometimes little acts of kindness came back to you in a big way, she thought.
âYeah, Fuck you very much,â Ronnie said and slammed the phone down.
âWe are so screwed.â
âWhy? Whatâs up?â Tabâs voice sounded in the darkness.
âPowerâs out all over the Northeast. It could be days before they get it back on.â
âWe could starve to death!â Tara blurted, her imagination running away with her and the unreasoning panic welled up again until she felt her chest would burst.
âRelax baby, youâll have plenty to eat,â Tab said and snickered.
âYeah, survival rations of pussy,â Ronnie laughed. Tara shook her head. The two city girls and their banter embarrassed her, but they gave her some comfort. She knew she would be going insane by now if she were alone. At least at this rate by the time they did get out she wouldnât blush so much, she thought. She felt a silly smile on her face and knew she was coming unglued. The darkness would always win over her, she thought. At least she wasnât alone, the silence in that darkness would have killed her, she just knew it.
âSo how long are we stuck here?â Tab asked.
âI donât know, Earl said he called 911, but there are thousands of people trapped in elevators, I wouldnât bet on getting out tonight,â
âWhat the fuck are we going to do?â Tab said.
âDonât know about you, but I am going to shuck these panties and let my fingers do the walking,â Ronnie said.
âGuess there ainât no other option,â Tab said glumly.