Falling

• Jacob Moore, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2018

Nobody would have guessed that hopping on a regular motel elevator could be so dangerous. Everyone thought that taking the elevator to the tenth floor would be a lot quicker than the stairs. In contrast, today the stairs would have been a lot faster.

Normally I wouldn’t have gone out in public, let alone the most expensive sky-scraper motel in town in my fluffy pink pyjamas. However, there was nothing normal about this day. I stepped into the elevator and heard that awful elevator music. It won’t be long! I told myself, but I was wrong.

I had a mixed bag of emotions and loads of adrenalin pumping through me as the elevator slowly crawled to the tenth floor on which I would meet my long lost brother.
7, 8, 9. Soon I would meet a stranger that I should’ve met 21 years ago, I could feel the nervous sweat running down my forehead, soaking my un-brushed bed hair.
10, 11, 12. What is happening? I asked myself. My shaking hand slammed the button with 10 on it.

All electronics turned off, leaving me in pitch blackness. At least I didn’t have to listen to that terrible music anymore, but by now that was the least of my worries.

“Is there anyone out there? Anyone?” I screamed helplessly. It was 3:00 in the morning so most people were still asleep, leaving me alone.

“Help could be available,” a stranger’s electronic voice broke the silence. Since my brain was clouded with fear it took me a while to realise where the voice was coming from.

Of course, I thought, the music speakers!

“Although, there is a cost… 1,000,000 dollars” said the same monotone electronic voice.
My head told me, you don’t have that money, but my fear again clouded my judgement.
“I’ll give you half if you let me out first!” I shouted, my voice shaking uncontrollably.
“Have a nice trip,” the electronic voice said, as if this situation was humorous.

Suddenly I was falling, rapidly. I could feel my insides rising up to my throat, as if they were desperate to escape. I felt a strange sensation that I was floating, I looked down to see that my feet were no longer connected to the elevator floor. I had always dreamt of being able to fly but not under these conditions!

After 1 hour of falling there was still no electricity, meaning no air conditioning, meaning no constant supply of oxygen! I was starting to feel light headed and could taste the anxious sweat trickling into my mouth.
The elevator stopped falling, I slammed into the ground just as I passed out.

Bright lights. That’s all I could see now. My head pounded as if someone was smashing a sledge hammer against my skull.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now,” a stranger’s voice comforted me. I was just able to make out a male figure standing over me. It seemed like he knew who I was.