I could hear his heart beating. The rapid pounding eclipsed the somber elevator music as it drifted about from the intercom.
All I wanted was to run away. Eric’s burial was tomorrow and I needed to prepare myself. I would have to face his wife Gloria. But, presently, I was in a predicament, this jerk from before just won’t give up.
“Come, on now..Not much of a talker huh?”
“I am, just not so much when it comes to arrogant guys like you.”
“You know, I pinned you for a nicer girl. But you really have a nasty attitude.”
“Really? How about you put yourself in my shoes for a second and maybe you could understand how I am not exactly a beaming ray of sunshine."
“Woah, please don’t take offense, I tried to apologize and you flipped out for now reason. How else was I supposed to get you to talk to me?"
"Oh, I don’t know, maybe not pretend to be interested in me."
"I never even--"
"But hey I'm a woman right? I'm just suppose to take every guys invitation so he wont get mad. P*ss off what did you expect would happen? Did you think I would just let you walk into my life?"
He sighs. “Hey, I’m a guy right, which means I don't always make the best decisions. I'm an a** sometimes. But for the most part I think that the way you stood up for the guy at the front desk was honorable and I want to own up to my mistake...”
“What?” This guy is just not getting it. I rub my hands against my cheeks. I will not, fall for his crap.
“I took it too far, and for that I apologize. If you forgive me then, that’ll make my day ten times better than it was. You know, before I got put in my place by you.” He laugh a bit. “I just want--”
“Look, I’m not one for games. How about you save the shenanigans for another girl? This is my floor.”
“No.” His arms sweep across me and over to the button for the elevator to close. “We should ride for a while longer." His body, just became a barricade, that eliminated my escape.
“Hey, Move out of my way!” I don’t want to hit him, but he's left me know choice. I push against his chest and he hits the doors then bounces off and folds his arms.
“I want to put myself in your shoes. If your day was worse than mine, I will let you go. If it’s not, then you have to let me make up for my mistake. Do we have a deal?”
My head begins to hurt. This cannot be happening.
“Let’s start off with this...um, what’s your name?"
I will not answer this guy.
He leans into my face, examining my eyes.
“You have freckle spots. I heard that women, with them,are terrible liars. You have four, and your eyes, are bouncing impatiently...what are you thinking?"
“Is this your plan?" I laugh. Then in a failed attempt to mimic his voice I say, "Oh, let me be creepy that'll get the girls number. You're a joke." I turn away from him. "I cannot believe that you have me hold up in an elevator. I am not your prisoner.”
" Good, we're on speaking terms again. Now I will guess your name." He smiles.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Hmm.."He paces. Then he skips another floor, pressing random numbers.
"Is your name Mary? Perhaps Elena? Nah, you look like a Jenny or maybe ummm Peach? Yeah you do look like a fruit head."
"Are you kidding me?!" I I sock him in the shoulder with my hospital bag and he hits the floor.
He takes hold of my bag fast, before I can escape. “Don’t..leave. Tell me your name.”
I breath hard, my hands are shaking. “It’s Nina.” I lose my grip of the hospital bag and the contents fall against the metal floor of the elevator.
“No.” My hands tremble.There are only few seconds before he sees everything. I try to pick up my stuff fast, but I’m not quick enough.
Before I know it he’s down there, shoving my things into the bag. “I’m sorry about this...I guess I was a bit headstrong. I thought I was doing you a favor by trying to cheer you up,but, as it turns out, I just made matters worse for you.”
His fingers pick up a company card from the hospital, then my identification tags for my wrists. He runs his hands across my charred clothes, and folds them, then secures them in the bag.
“By the way, you’re name is beautiful.”
“Umm, thank you.” I let my eyes wander. For some reason I can’t bring myself to even look at him. He reminds me of something, that I’ve lost. My eyes start to itch.
“I don’t know what happened Nina, but if you ever need help. I’m on the fifth floor. Just ring my room. I’m in 513, near the ice machine. You can call me, Anican.
“Uh thanks, but, I think I got it from here.” I force myself to smile.”So that means, you were just riding the elevator for me?”
“Yea. I wanted to. Mostly because, I felt guilty for my actions.”
“Well Anican I’m fine and now you’re conscience can be clear.” The door buzzes for the eight floor again, and I slip past him and walk out towards my place.
Anican called out to me but I ignored him. I just want to go to my room so that I can rest. I have to bury my friend tomorrow.
I shake my head then my nose wrinkles and I cough a bit.
“Uh, man.” I hold my head. I must be more tired than I thought.
The air smells off too. My eyes blink rapidly and I cover my mouth and nose.
Just a little further. I take a turn down the first hallway near the secondary elevators. Then suddenly, the lights black out. They turn a bright red, and one pops.
I scream, in a shock. “What the h*ll?”
Then the intercom in the hallway begins to hum, throwing off a static sound. It’s worse than a bee buzzing around your head.
Once I get to the next section of hallway near the left side of the building; I take out my card key and the system doesn’t recognize my card.
The door starts to shake. Then the bolts fall from the frame, wildly unraveling it at the hinges. My card key dissipates in my hand, seeping into my skin.I touch my body fighting to get it out of me. I scratch my arm, drawing blood with my nails.
“I have to get it out. I can feel it moving!” I cry.
I take a step back. Shaking my hands, and screaming. “No, it’s not real.”
"What was that?! What’s happening?!"
My feet clamor against the marble floor tiles and I fall out of my heels.
“What’s going on here?!”
The potent smell has gotten stronger.I have a coughing fit, and try to cover my face with a part of my sleeve.
My body is shaking. I run to another door then knock repeatedly.
“Hello, Anyone there? Please Help!”
I run along the hallway, banging on door after door, but each one starts to crumble. I don’t stick around to see what’s behind it. I run for the stairs. But the direction of the hallway has changed.
“This can’t be happening.”
Everything mutes.
A voice, breaks the silence, and my head turns but no one is there. A flock of birds blast through the hallway, their feathers flap violently and cut my arms as I try to fight them off.
The hallway starts collapsing and I bump into a sinking wall. The marble floor begins to twist, like a falling tidal wave, and I am sinking, beneath its violent, spinning. I try to pull myself out but by then more walls start bending, cracking at the seams. It’s all turning into water, and it’s pulled me in.
I have to keep going, I force myself to swim even as my breathing, fluctuates.
“No, no don’t.” The exit sign floats overhead. I try to pull myself up. I fight the current then swim towards a door floating upright in the hallway. When I take hold of it the door shifts, revealing a voided black current, that sucks in all of the water. I hold on tightly to the edge of the door, but I am dragged inside.
As I free fall into the darkness my body stretches out, and I extend my arms and hands, reaching for something, anything to help me. Water mixed with bits of debris from other doors and large sharp fragments from the hallway fall with me. I try to shield my body.
I’m struck with falling debris. A warm flow of blood rolls down my forehead. As a massive yellow light flickers high above me. It’s the only glimmer of hope that I have. It bounces off a shadowed figure from above looking down at me from the door.
I hit the the ground floor and then try to move. I manage to push up from the ground and look around frantically. It was then that I realized where I was. I’m on the beach. Just a few yards away from me is our dream home, this was our honeymoon destination.
“No, way.”
I try to move my legs but they get pulled into the grainy sand, leaving my entire body covered in its mesh. Now I can’t move my legs.
I cry. “This isn’t real.” I cover my eyes and shake my head.
“Please Stop this Darren.” My voice trembles. “I remember, please just stop.”
“Nina, Nina! Nina wake up!”
“Anican?” My voice cracks.
I turn my head towards the direction of the voice, and there standing is my ex husband.
"Who's Anican Nina? Another one of your toys like I was? Or is he like Eric, a foolish friend that you led on?"
"Darren, please despite what you think it's was never like tha-"
"Bullsh*t, you play he victim even now. Hey..You know when I burned Eric alive in that theater, he screamed out your name? Not his wife but yours. Did you f*ck him too?"
"Don't, I would never--"
"Did you love him too? Go on say it. We both know the truth."
"Stop it Darren." My eyes are red, tears flow freely. "Everything I have, you've burned it to the ground. Please just let me go. Please."
“Shhh, Nina. It's okay, I'm just getting started. Remember I have you. Til Death do us part."
"What are you--"
Darren pulls a gun from behind his back.
"DARREN STOP!"
He cocks back the hammer of the revolver and fires. The bullet tears through my shirt and pierces my chest, stopping my heart.
____________________________________________________________
Thanks for Reading! Stay Tuned for Part 6. Updates Release Every Friday at 7pm!
~Lovietta
Mr. Red Copyright © 2017 By Lovietta Simpkins.
Published Envision & Wonder
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