Life in a Moment

Chapter Two
Monica lifted her head from the floor of the elevator. It felt as though it was full of cotton. She lifted her eyebrows to try to stretch her eyes open, to feel fully awake, but the feeling persisted.
Sitting up she rubbed her temples to ease the ache there. Monica felt as though she had fallen a long way and smacked her head against something. Reaching up to feel her scalp she searched for any possible lumps or cuts. Just above her hairline over her eyes she felt stickiness as though she was bleeding, and there was a huge lump. Pulling her hand away she lowered it so she could take a look and discovered blood on her fingers.
Surprised and a little upset she had hurt herself, she felt the spot again to ascertain whether or not the bleeding was stopping. Feeling the lumpy spot again, she noticed the area was sticky but not really wet, letting her know that apparently the blood had clotted so the bleeding was not serious. Thank goodness for that, she thought. Even though her head ached she knew she had to get out of the elevator and get help. And she wanted the elevator shut off so no one else could be hurt and frightened like she had been.
Looking around she saw the doors were ajar but that beyond the elevator doors themselves, the outer doors were closed, telling her the lift was now at a floor, so all she had to do was get to her feet and step over to those doors and push them open. Relief filled her giving her joy that she was almost through with this frightening adventure.
Without looking back Monica got to her feet and stepped toward the exit. She pressed the button on the wall to see if it would open the doors. “Darn!” she mumbled as she saw the outer doors simply remained in place.
She moved to those exit doors and reached for the rubber at the center of the doorway sliding her fingers in far enough to be able to push on the two door panels. Immediately the doors drew back without a lot of effort and she stepped out of the lift. Without thinking of looking around to see where she had dropped her purse, she quickly moved out of the elevator, just glad to be free of its confinement.
Monica began moving down the hallway. She recognized now she was in the basement of her building and knew there was a restroom a short distance down the hallway. She headed in that direction, planning to not only use the facilities but to check out the damage to her nylons that felt as though they might have holes in them now. And she wanted to splash some cool water on her face. Thank goodness she wore very little makeup. She could always touch up her eyeliner and add some more lipstick, which was the extent of amount of makeup she allowed herself.
Feeling a little light-headed she extended her hand out to the wall on her right to be able to maintain her sense of balance. Suddenly she seemed to be swimming in a vortex and Monica didn’t want to faint, as she had suspected she had done previously when she had apparently struck her head in the elevator. Placing her forehead against the line of cool tiles on the wall she closed her eyes to try and stop the spinning. I’m going to be fine, she thought to herself. Being alone made her revert to her childhood habits of encouraging herself in her mind. When there wasn’t anyone around to comfort her she would simply comfort herself.
In only moments the feeling passed and she whispered a prayer of thanksgiving. Then lifting her head from the coolness of the tiles she continued toward the restroom.
Just as she approached the restroom door she heard men’s voices coming toward her. Monica recognized the voice of the apartment manager right away. Listening further she also realized the second voice was the custodian. Thank goodness, she thought. They will certainly lock down that elevator until they can get it repaired.
Suddenly the men were upon her. They were running full out as if there was serious business to be taken care of. She started to speak to them as they approached. “I’m glad you’re here. It was a frightening experience,” she began to explain.
She looked expectantly at the manager whose eyes were on the distant elevator doors. She saw his eyes never left that apparent goal and never looked at her, even though she stood very much in his way.
Startled that he was not acknowledging her presence she raised her eyes to the custodian who ran beside the apartment manager. He too was looking only straight ahead not at her. It was almost as though they didn’t see her. Suddenly she felt cold, as the manager’s elbow seemed to brush along her own as he passed.
Looking down she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It appeared his arm passed right through her own as though he was a mirage and not a real person. But how could that be?
She turned to watch as the men rushed past her headed for the open doors of the elevator. Her eyes dropped toward the visible floor within the lift. She thought she could see someone lying very still there. Blinking she concentrated and looked again. There was someone lying on the floor of the lift. But how could that be possible? There wasn’t anyone in the lift but her!