by Kathleen Weisgerber

Created on: June 28, 2008

The Elevator

"Will you step inside and take a ride?" The invitation came from the elevator across the corridor. Emily looked around, confused that no one else seemed to have heard the funny little voice.

Tentatively moving closer, Emily peered in to get a better look at the owner of the voice. She gasped when her eyes fell on a dwarfed and disfigured man in the far corner. Smoothing the pleats of her skirt with thin, white hands, Emily tried to regain composure. "Ahem were you addressing me?" she timidly inquired.

"Will you step inside and take a ride?" he asked, again.

Confused, Emily politely answered, "No, thank you." Then, after a moment she asked, "When did this building hire elevator operators?"

"Oh, I've always been around," answered the odd little man. "You just never noticed me because you never ride the elevator."

Not totally satisfied with the explanation offered, Emily shrugged her shoulders. Walking away she said, "Well, like you say, I never ride the elevator. I always take the stairs."

"Come, come," called the little man. "Don't you know it's tedious to walk the stairs? You're six stories up! Step inside and take a ride, I guarantee satisfaction! My elevator will take you on a wonderful trip to anyplace you need to be. But more than that, my elevator will take you to places you didn't even know you wanted to see."

Emily studied her queer inviter. "What kind of strange talk is that? An elevator taking me anyplace I need to be? An elevator taking me to places I didn't know I wanted to see? No thank you. I know the stairs will take me exactly where I need to be." She turned her flat bottomed soles and started to walk towards the door that enclosed the staircase.

But the funny little voice called after her. "Emily won't you please come back and take a ride? I know you won't be disappointed."

Emily stopped. She looked around. Again, she wondered why no one else seemed to have heard the odd little elevator operator. But more importantly, she wondered how he knew her name. She walked back to the elevator.

"See here," Emily said. "I don't know how you know my name and I don't know why you are bothering me. I only know that I wish you would leave me alone! I don't do elevators. I take the stairs."

"No, no," the operator responded. "You don't take the stairs. The stairs take you. They take you to their drab, cold, interiors where there is no color and no life. There is only the empty echo of your footsteps bouncing off the cemented walls." And the odd little man

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>