Wiping the small beads of sweat from my forehead, I breathed in deep, looking around at the silent people. It’s been two hours since we got trapped in this place, and we’ve yet to hear any progress.
These two hours have been silent, and felt more like 2 years. It was so silent; you could hear the shear breathing of everyone in the elevator. Occasionally Zayn would snicker quietly to himself, for whatever reason. I didn’t really pay any mind to anything, though. I just closed my eyes and tried to sleep until this whole thing was over.
I let out a heavy sigh and looked at everyone around the elevator. They were all showing boredom, hopelessness, and anger through different emotions and facial expressions.
“I’ve got an idea…” Liam suggested slowly before looking up to me, with worried eyes.
I threw my arms up above my head, “Okay! Okay! We can play a game.”
His face instantly lit up and a big smile beamed across, “Alright! We’ll play a game I use to play as a kid. We’ll each take turns saying a letter, and then we’ll all say something about ourselves that begins with that letter!” He smiled as his eyes swept across the dim lit elevator.
“I’ll start,” Brooke volunteered quietly, “I,” She added.
“Pakistan is between Iran and India,” Zayn smiled cheeky.
“What does that have to do with you? You’re obviously from the UK…” I glared at him.
“My father’s from Pakistan,” He smirked. “What about you?”
“Instruments,” I sarcastically smiled, “I play 3. The violin, the piano, the guitar.”
I crossed my arms feeling pleased with my come back.
“Irish,” Niall raised his arm for a moment when he jumped in, “I’m Irish. From Ireland. Mullingar.”
I shot him a strange look, because... Why did we need to know all of that? Like honestly, he could’ve left it at Irish.
“I’ve been to Italy,” JB chimed in, with a slight smile.
“As a kid, I made an igloo,” Brooke gently smiled.
“Ehm..” Liam looked around a bit worried, “I… Uh… I like ice cream.” He smiled shyly as he looked around the group of us strangers.
“I’LL go next,” Zayn’s voice popped in, in a demanding tone, “I chose the letter-“Zayn’s words were interrupted by the lights that began flickering on and off in the elevator. Each and every button on the wall that the door was on, lit up, with the slight ding. After that, the rumbling and shaking began once again, followed by a loud CRACK. The elevator began dropping down every level, quickly falling. All of us were lifted into the air and sustained there for several seconds as the quick jolt of the elevator floor raised us to the ceiling, hitting our heads and backs hard. The air was cold and hard and it pressed all of our bodies upwards.
My life flashed before my eyes as everything went in slow motion. The bottom of the elevator hit the ground hard, with a loud crashing sound, but we were still floating in the air. All at once the slow motion left and everything went back.
I opened my eyes, on my knees and my face against the cold ground, it ached. A coppery taste coated my tongue. I gathered the energy in my sore body to raise my top half and examine my hurt face. I spat into the palm of my hand, blood filled it thick. I ran my tongue across all of my top teeth, and found that there was a large gaping hole in my inner cheek on the right of my mouth. My teeth must’ve cut into the thin flesh of my mouth.
I began panicking and tore a thin strip of cloth from the edge of my white dress, and quickly stuffed it into my cheek, hoping to stop the blood. Just as I did so all of my other senses came back to me, and I heard the groans and painful hisses of the others who were on this elevator with me. I quickly spun around, to see Zayn laying on his side close behind me. His hand was holding his shoulder firmly as hisses and curse words escaped his lips. Liam and Niall leaned over him, aiding his hurt arm. Brooke sat in the far corner of the elevator, her hand over her forehead as she took in deep breaths. Her face was pale beside a few new forming bruises on her forehead and chest. JB had her knees tucked up to her chest and her face hidden in them. She had a hand tussled up in her violet locks, while to other held her knees.
“Are-are you all okay?” My words were shaky, as I asked the stupid question.
Liam was first to look up and respond, his eyes were large and round, his cheeks flustered red, “Zayn’s hurt.”
I slowly crawled forward a few inches, leaning over to inspect the tan boys arm. It looked terribly bruised, but I couldn’t get a proper look, because Niall and Liam’s hands blocked it. Zayn’s eyes were closed tightly, and he clinched his jaw in pain, hissing. I tapped Liam and Niall’s hand, to signal them to move them away. As they did a large dark purple, nearly black bruise was revealed. The loosening of Zayn’s clinched jaw let me know that the pressure of Niall and Liam’s hands was only causing more pain to him.
“You guys were hurting him, more.” I looked up to Liam, whose worried expression dropped into a more devastated expression.
“Oh Zayn! Oh, oh my god. Oh Zayn! I’m sorry! I was only trying to help!” Liam stammered quickly as he looked down to Zayn, with a sorrowful face.
“Its okay, it’s fine,” I told Liam, as I slowly stroked my small hand across the bruise. I gently stroked it, back and forth, trying to sooth the pain. Zayn’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and he blinked several times, before looking around bewildered.
“What happened?” He moaned out in pain, as he turned his head to face Niall, Liam, and I, the large blue and green bruise shown from the side of his face.
“Oh!” I gasped, throwing myself to the other side of him, and placing my hand over the bruised cheek of his. It was warm, and pulsed slightly beneath my palm. He gazed as me wildly; confusion flooded his dark brown eyes.
I felt Liam pull my hands from Zayn’s cheek and arm, as he pulled me away from the tanned hurt boy.
I stood to my feet, fixing my white dress that was now a mess with dusk and dirt from the ground of the elevator.
A loud scratching noise came from above, and we all looked up quickly. A large square from the center of the ceiling was being pulled to the side, and the smiling face of a fireman gleamed in at us, “You all alright!?”
“We all just crashed into the ground at 100 miles an hour… we’re all just peachy!” I sarcastically shook my head at the fireman, who stared down at us.
Brooke stood to her feet, dusting off her legs, and adjusting her sweater. She then walked over and grabbed hold of JB’s hand, pulling her to her feet, who also dusted the dirt from her clothing.
The fireman picked up a walkie-talkie from his hip, “We’ve got a young man down here hurt, call for a paramedics, just in case.”
Liam and Niall grabbed into Zayn’s hands and pulled him to his feet, swiftly wrapping their arms around the back of him, lending more support.
The fireman then suggested we help boost each other up to the hole, and beings I was shortest, I was sent up first. On top of the elevator there were loose wires and chords strewn everywhere. It was no surprise that the elevator crashed; it was junky and a terrible mess up there. It I weren’t careful where I stepped, I would’ve been electrocuted for sure. Weaving through the heaps of randomly colored and stray wires, I made my way to another large hole, but this one was in the wall, and accompanied by a small stool to step upon and get through the hole. As I climbed through the hole, the bright lights of the hotel’s hall blinded me momentarily. A paramedic and a few police were quick to my side, asking questions so quickly I didn’t even have time to answer. I raised my hand up, and called out, “Guys, please. Stop. I’ve a head ache. Please no more questions.”
I heard the sound of stumbling footsteps in a near distance behind me, and I looked through the hole in the wall. Brooke and JB were now standing on top of the elevator, looking at the heap of wires. A worried and troubled expression on their face told me that they were confused as to what to do and where to go.
“Step into the tiny space between them,” I shouted down. They flinched a little, and looked up, surprised by my voice. “Heh. Sorry.”
“Not everyone has as small of feet as you do, Trinnitie,” Brooke called up, as she shifted onto her tip toes, weaving the many wires that were all over the place in a distressed mess. They took tiny leaps to get through the mess, and they quickly made their way to the stepping stool and the hole in the wall.
Climbing through, Brooke came first. She stood there, taking in the fresh air of the hotel and rubbing her eyes. She looked around at all of the people who chatted loudly as they waited for the rest of us to be rescued. She crossed her arms over her chest, hunching her shoulders forward she shuffled over to me.
“What are all these people doing here?” She asked.
“I’m not sure.. I don’t think the chefs of the hotel, or the maids should be needed to help us. Only the police and firemen should be here,” I responded in a low voice. She nodded.
“Hey... What are you doing after this is all over with?” She looked up at me with a shy face.
“I’m not sure... My sister is waiting for me back at our room. She’s probably a worried mess,” I said, “Why?”
She twisted the tip of her shoe in the ground, “Oh. I’m here alone, and wondered if you’d want to hang out or anything. Like down in the lobby, or in the arcade.”
“Maybe, we’ll be here a few days.”
“What floor are you on?”
“I’m on floor 13. You?”
She grinned big, “I’m on 13, too!”
JB walked up, her cheeks red with what I assumed was anger and frustration. Her arms were crossed across her chest as well, “People can’t leave you alone. Ugh. We just got off an elevator of 2 hours, we don’t want to be drowned in questions,” She spat, looking over her shoulder at the many people who were all full of unnecessary questions.
When Liam, Niall, and Zayn stepped out of the hole, the crowd who surrounded the area erupted into cheers. My arms then crossed my chest too, as annoyance fogged my mind. These boys weren’t even that great. The blonde one was quiet, and when he was talking, it was only laughs. The dark haired one was a bit of a pervert, and seemed quite rude. The one in the marvel shirt wanted nothing but to play games. What was so fantastic about these boys? Sure they’re in a boy band, but there’s plenty of other boy bands in the world.
The boys smiled and waved as the ladies of the crowd cheered the loudest. Seeing enough of the sight, I turned my head towards Brooke, who was glaring at Liam with rosy cheeks again. I nudged her side with my elbow, “Go talk to him.”
“Are you mad?!” She shouted in a whispered voice, “There’s bound to be paparazzi anywhere!”
I snorted, “So? Go talk to him. I’m going up to see Carmen. Let her know I’m alright.”
I then turned to JB, “What’s your real name?”
She shot me a confused look, “Jenna.. Jenna Bella… Why?”
“Just curious,” I shrugged, “I’ll see you two later,” I smiled looking between the both of them.
And with that I walked off towards the stairs.