Mystic Elevator
Back to the old grind stone -or- A witty title that vaguely alludes to your early return from break
It's probably time to go back in, you think as you walk back to the door. Jim has always been a bit strange, but you're a bit surprised by this. Maybe he's on drugs again. He used to be an avid pothead, it's possible that he's just high.
With a shake of your head, you pull open the door and step into the cool air conditioned atmosphere of the office. As you are about to pass the break room, you realize that you need another Mountain Dew® and make a stop at the vending machines. You try over and over to feed the machine your money, but it keeps spitting it back out at you like you are offering it foreign currency. You reach into your back pocket and pull out your loose change, counting it. You don't have enough.
You start looking around the room to find someone who may be able to change your dollar. There is only the sweet old fat lady that you sometimes pass in the break room. She's nice, but you can never seem to remember her name, so you try to avoid using it.
You walk up to her table and smile. "Hi," you say, "Would you be able to make change?"
She smiles back, such a sweet woman, and starts digging in her change purse. She comes up with the right amount and hands them to you. You thank her and hand her the dollar before starting to turn away.
"What is this?" She asks from behind you
You turn around to see her holding the dollar you gave her up before her. "You giving me pretend money?" she asks.
"What?" You ask, confused.
"Do you have the dollar?" she asks.
"No," you say, pointing to what she holds before her. "You have the dollar."
She looks at you with a doubting grimace; one of those "why are you bullshitting me?" looks in her eyes.
She shakes her head and looks down at the table like she's disappointed with you. "If you wanted some change, you could have just asked for some, you know?" she says to you before waving you off and telling you to keep the change.
She must be going batty, you think as you thank her and walk back to the vending machines. You put the coins in and out comes your Mountain Dew®.
Next stop is your desk. You turn to walk out of break room but your way is blocked by an older guy that you've never met before. You smile and say "excuse me," but he does not budge.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asks.
"Getting a drink," you say. "And you, are you just here to stand in way?"
"I don't think you understand what's happening here," he says to you.
Has everyone one in this place gone completely mad? Is there a sane, rational person left here? What the fuck is with everyone today?!
"Come with me," he says. You follow him out onto the floor and then to one of the administrative offices in the back.
You start to dread that he is a visiting superior from headquarters. What the hell have you done wrong recently? Did you screw something up?
"Sit down," he tells you. You sit.
"How did you get here today?" he asks.
"I drove," you reply.
"No," he says. "From downstairs."
"Oh," you answer. "I came up the elevator."
"The Mystic Elevator?" He asks.
"Yeah," you answer.
"How do you know about it?" He demands.
"I found a door on the first floor. It lead to a hallway, and at the end of the hallway was the elevator." You recount your discovery of the elevator for him and the strange the discovery that no one remembers you being at work recently, and that there is a strange rumor going around that you were murdered last week. All the while, he nods grimly back at you, slowly shaking his head.
"Damn it, Johnson." he says to himself. "He must have left the door open."
You don't say anything, just look at him quizzically, wondering what the hell this loon was talking about.
He takes a couple of steps forward and places a hand on each of your shoulders and looks at you in the eyes very seriously. "We have to get you off of this floor. Back through the mystic elevator."
"Why?" You ask.
"You aren't supposed to be here," he tells you simply, as though that's even an answer.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" You demand of him.
"Lower your voice," he tells you. You wait a bit before he continues, barely above a whisper. "The Mystic Elevator is still very experimental. We discovered someone two years ago who was like us, but also not like us. There were so many similarities that he had gone undetected in society for who knows how long. He was so like us. But there were differences. He lived off of human flesh, for one. He was carnivorous, his teeth all fangs. His tongue darted out like a lizard when drinking.
"He wasn't from our world. We had to torture him before he would talk. He lead us to what looked like an ordinary, if somewhat dated elevator. It was labeled 'The Mystic Elevator', doors and sign colored baby blue. It was a portal to an alternate dimension. That man-thing's dimension.
"We've sent a few men in to find out what they could on the other end of the portals, finding out what they could as inconspicuous as possible. We lost a few, but we now understand the enemy. There are more portals out there, and so far we have found three, this one being the third and most recent to be discovered."
You take a minute to try and understand everything. It's hard to believe, but it explains a lot. Regardless of how completely illogical the explanation, inter-dimensional travel and a world of carnivores, it somehow make sense. A vague comprehension starts to dawn on you.
The Mystic Elevator was more than just a dated piece of machinery. When you stepped from the elevator this morning, you stepped blindly onto another world; a dimension slightly off kilter from the one you know.
They've been sneaking through their portals and preying upon humanity for years. You wonder how long. Are these the tales of vampires? Are these the monsters of lore? Just how long has this been going on?
"What do you plan on doing with the portals you discover?" You ask.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you. I've already told you too much."
After a long period of silence, he opens his mouth to speak once more. "Now, you really must leave."
Undoubtedly, he is correct. But you start to wonder if maybe you wouldn't be of better use where you are. After all, you have already adapted a bit. It's not like you have anything to lose...
It's probably time to go back in, you think as you walk back to the door. Jim has always been a bit strange, but you're a bit surprised by this. Maybe he's on drugs again. He used to be an avid pothead, it's possible that he's just high.
With a shake of your head, you pull open the door and step into the cool air conditioned atmosphere of the office. As you are about to pass the break room, you realize that you need another Mountain Dew® and make a stop at the vending machines. You try over and over to feed the machine your money, but it keeps spitting it back out at you like you are offering it foreign currency. You reach into your back pocket and pull out your loose change, counting it. You don't have enough.
You start looking around the room to find someone who may be able to change your dollar. There is only the sweet old fat lady that you sometimes pass in the break room. She's nice, but you can never seem to remember her name, so you try to avoid using it.
You walk up to her table and smile. "Hi," you say, "Would you be able to make change?"
She smiles back, such a sweet woman, and starts digging in her change purse. She comes up with the right amount and hands them to you. You thank her and hand her the dollar before starting to turn away.
"What is this?" She asks from behind you
You turn around to see her holding the dollar you gave her up before her. "You giving me pretend money?" she asks.
"What?" You ask, confused.
"Do you have the dollar?" she asks.
"No," you say, pointing to what she holds before her. "You have the dollar."
She looks at you with a doubting grimace; one of those "why are you bullshitting me?" looks in her eyes.
She shakes her head and looks down at the table like she's disappointed with you. "If you wanted some change, you could have just asked for some, you know?" she says to you before waving you off and telling you to keep the change.
She must be going batty, you think as you thank her and walk back to the vending machines. You put the coins in and out comes your Mountain Dew®.
Next stop is your desk. You turn to walk out of break room but your way is blocked by an older guy that you've never met before. You smile and say "excuse me," but he does not budge.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asks.
"Getting a drink," you say. "And you, are you just here to stand in way?"
"I don't think you understand what's happening here," he says to you.
Has everyone one in this place gone completely mad? Is there a sane, rational person left here? What the fuck is with everyone today?!
"Come with me," he says. You follow him out onto the floor and then to one of the administrative offices in the back.
You start to dread that he is a visiting superior from headquarters. What the hell have you done wrong recently? Did you screw something up?
"Sit down," he tells you. You sit.
"How did you get here today?" he asks.
"I drove," you reply.
"No," he says. "From downstairs."
"Oh," you answer. "I came up the elevator."
"The Mystic Elevator?" He asks.
"Yeah," you answer.
"How do you know about it?" He demands.
"I found a door on the first floor. It lead to a hallway, and at the end of the hallway was the elevator." You recount your discovery of the elevator for him and the strange the discovery that no one remembers you being at work recently, and that there is a strange rumor going around that you were murdered last week. All the while, he nods grimly back at you, slowly shaking his head.
"Damn it, Johnson." he says to himself. "He must have left the door open."
You don't say anything, just look at him quizzically, wondering what the hell this loon was talking about.
He takes a couple of steps forward and places a hand on each of your shoulders and looks at you in the eyes very seriously. "We have to get you off of this floor. Back through the mystic elevator."
"Why?" You ask.
"You aren't supposed to be here," he tells you simply, as though that's even an answer.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" You demand of him.
"Lower your voice," he tells you. You wait a bit before he continues, barely above a whisper. "The Mystic Elevator is still very experimental. We discovered someone two years ago who was like us, but also not like us. There were so many similarities that he had gone undetected in society for who knows how long. He was so like us. But there were differences. He lived off of human flesh, for one. He was carnivorous, his teeth all fangs. His tongue darted out like a lizard when drinking.
"He wasn't from our world. We had to torture him before he would talk. He lead us to what looked like an ordinary, if somewhat dated elevator. It was labeled 'The Mystic Elevator', doors and sign colored baby blue. It was a portal to an alternate dimension. That man-thing's dimension.
"We've sent a few men in to find out what they could on the other end of the portals, finding out what they could as inconspicuous as possible. We lost a few, but we now understand the enemy. There are more portals out there, and so far we have found three, this one being the third and most recent to be discovered."
You take a minute to try and understand everything. It's hard to believe, but it explains a lot. Regardless of how completely illogical the explanation, inter-dimensional travel and a world of carnivores, it somehow make sense. A vague comprehension starts to dawn on you.
The Mystic Elevator was more than just a dated piece of machinery. When you stepped from the elevator this morning, you stepped blindly onto another world; a dimension slightly off kilter from the one you know.
They've been sneaking through their portals and preying upon humanity for years. You wonder how long. Are these the tales of vampires? Are these the monsters of lore? Just how long has this been going on?
"What do you plan on doing with the portals you discover?" You ask.
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you. I've already told you too much."
After a long period of silence, he opens his mouth to speak once more. "Now, you really must leave."
Undoubtedly, he is correct. But you start to wonder if maybe you wouldn't be of better use where you are. After all, you have already adapted a bit. It's not like you have anything to lose...