Thud!
“Why does it always have to happen less than an hour before quitting time?” Bobby asked me.
He talked without stopping as we jogged down the service corridor. We were each holding one end of the 25 foot extension ladder and it slapped my thigh over and over as we hurried toward the elevator shaft. The call had blasted from out radios just as we finished fixing the broken water fountain on the 22nd floor.
“Damnit Gina knows I have plans tonight, why didn’t she call Alex or Jesus? Those slackers are probably up on fifty sleeping in one of the closed sections.” He grumbled just as we arrived at the access panel and we set the ladder down.
That was when I smelled it.
“So instead of maybe getting out of here on time and getting some loving tonight I have to help some jackass suits trapped in the elevator.” He sighed loudly then continued. “Probably a couple of damn bankers, first they wreck the economy now they screw my love life.”
I was only half listening, the air around the sealed access hatch cloaked in a thick musky scent. I’m not sure why but I was reminded of summers at my Great Grandpas place in the UP of Michigan. For some reason images of bon fires and roasting meat flooded my mind’s eye.
“So what do you say we do this thing Rick?” Bobby asked. He opened the door exposing the dimly lit shaft of the sky scrapers north elevator.
I was snapped back to reality and smiled at my friend. “Sure thing let’s get those suits out of there and maybe you’ll make it to your date on time.
We both laughed. Then we stopped when the walls of the elevator shaft shook.
THUD!
What the fuck was that?” Bobby yelped.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
After the last thud I was sure I could hear a wet squishing sound. I was about to ask Bobby if he could hear it when that smell hit me again. But this time instead of cloaking the area it slammed into me with the force of a shot-put.
“Christ Ricky! What the fuck is that smell?” Bobby asked gagging and obviously fighting down the urge to give up the massive burrito he’d eaten for lunch.
“No idea brother” I replied choking and trying to keep down my own lunch.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
… CRASH!
The sound of rending metal filled the shaft followed a by a low guttural growl. I don’t know why I did it, I don’t know why Bobby followed me, fuck I don’t even remember doing it. I unclipped my flashlight, walked to the lip of the shaft, and looked down.
Next thing I knew we were running, racing for the massive fire door which separated the access hall and the 35th floor. We were screaming but there wasn’t a single intelligible word coming from either of our throats. Behind us the sound continued, louder as it moved up the shaft.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
We ran and we screamed. We slammed into the safety bar and flew into the hall screaming and so terrified I am sure neither of us sported dry shorts. All I could think of was what we saw down that shaft, for only half a second as it climbed the metal walls punching hand and footholds as it climbed. It was human, it was bloody, it looked up at us and it’s eyes glowed red. But that’s not the worst.
It was laughing.
The End