Elevators

• Bernice Chen, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2012

Life is like an elevator. There are ups and downs and the occasional jostle of the heart.
We may know no more about the world beyond the metallic walls than our own black reflections.
There are the awkward silences accompanied with the occasional shuffling of sleeves and the quiet muffle of elevator music.
At times you might find yourself standing right smack in the centre of the elevator on a particular gassy day, having the internal battle of food and intestinal walls while fighting the urge to fart. And when it could be no longer contained, it either explodes with squeak or waffles in the air like a deadly sin.
There are different stages in one’s elevator trips. There’ll be days when one stands alone in the confined moving box. One has the freedom to fart as one likes or even to display amusing positions and various never-to-be-seen-in-public facial expressions in front of the mirrors (yet under the unknown silent watchful security camera in the corner).
There are also days when the elevator is packed with oversized, over-accessorized and over-competitive individuals. Those suffocating moments make you feel like a sardine, trapped in a metal tin can. The overwhelming sensation of being pressurised from all sides makes an utmost unpleasant experience.
There’s the inconveniency of having to wait a million years for your floor to arrive. Especially on busy days when one would be late for a meeting or running errands. Oh but I have a trick to share, not many know of it, but it does help make your life a lot easier. Here it is; if you press the floor of your destination while holding down the ‘closing door’ button, the elevator will take you straight to your desired floor. Elevators are like life, as long as you know what it is, there are always a shortcut.