Forgot this story--

The elevators at work are somewhat known for being a little sketchy. They occasionally have been known to break down and there are signs predominately displayed inside them letting everyone know that even though they haven't been inspected in awhile, rest assured, everything is okay. Everyone who rides them gets a little scared that they'll one day find themselves stuck in them.

Last week, I got stuck in one of them. My very first time stuck in an elevator.

The doors opened on the 2nd floor, the other people in the elevator got off, and the doors closed shut but that was it. The elevator didn't move and I was stuck there alone, inside the elevator. Now, the first thing you notice is just how small the elevator really is. And how it's where you are going to be for the forseeable future. Then there's realization that all of those elevator buttons at the bottom of the elevator, the bright red ones that are always there but you never actually use, are now something I need to use. But which one? It's not like they have training for these things, you know, like there being a video starting up when you get on telling you what to do in case of a loss of cabin pressure or something.

And then the thoughts start up. Who will know I'm here? How do I let anyone know? What happens if I have to go to the bathroom? Can this elevator really be this small?

So I press one of the buttons and the alarm sounds, ringing throughout the building letting everyone know there's a problem. Good move, right, but not without a feeling of shame in that I got all panicky and pressed the alarm button. After all, everyone else surely knows to press another button. So I press the button that says "to call in case of emergency." I hear nothing on the other end, something like "hello, are you stuck somewhere?" or even a "what can I do for you?" or "hello." Nothing. Silencio.

Not knowing what else to do, I said I was stuck to nobody in particular and pressed the button a few more times. Nothing again. Not a noise, not a peep, not a crackle of static. Huh.

Finally, after a few seconds, the elevator started to move and I made it to my floor.

I have no idea what happened. Who saved me and how. And I wasn't stuck in there for more than a minute or two, but still. It's a little scary.

That elevator is pretty small.