Apologies, if you've seen this before, but coincidentally this also fit prompt #1 and maybe my writing can reach some of the others who haven't had a chance to read it.326Please respect copyright.PENANAnTZWj3AQca
If you enjoy what you read please take a look at my other work! I'll be posting more writing prompts and short stories.
Enjoy!326Please respect copyright.PENANAherZywlwI4
326Please respect copyright.PENANA8OmW75dmBW
“Who would've thought we'd meet like this?” she said.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA6Sg4RCFn7Y
“Don’t ask me about it. I pressed the close button so many times, but clearly it didn’t work.” A beeping noise echoed in the small, enclosed space. A sigh could be heard. “See, nothing.” 326Please respect copyright.PENANAAj3F7otB8f
326Please respect copyright.PENANAvVs3eljtdZ
“Why are you pressing the close button? Shouldn’t you be pressing the open button at least? That’ll probably have a better chance of opening these doors, so I don’t have to be stuck in here with you.” The woman pushed him away and the same beeping noise echoed again. Another sigh could be heard.326Please respect copyright.PENANAqGm9ApkwGo
326Please respect copyright.PENANA8pOvPTT95K
“You really want to nag me now? You really haven’t changed. And it doesn’t matter what button we press, we’re stuck. I was just showing you what I did when I saw your dumb ass run towards the elevator.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANA2YNhUgtXM0
“Dumb ass? Do you think I actually wanted to see you again? I couldn’t afford to miss this meeting. Otherwise, I would have caught the next one.” She glared at him before mumbling under her breath, “And… you loved this dumb ass.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANAcqgFa6llpp
Daniel flinched before slowly looking over at her. She still looked the same from the last time he saw her around 2 months ago. The same shoulder-length hair and pale skin; they made her eye bags obvious whenever there was an upcoming deadline.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA8e1FzM4X9w
Is she sleeping well?
326Please respect copyright.PENANAwZLBB7eun5
Her unpainted manicured nails: she said she hated painting her nails, but it was because she bit them whenever she was stressed, and those black heels; he would have to massage her feet whenever they got home because of them. She was still even wearing those golden stud earrings he gave to her when she was promoted.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAq0KzlnW0ki
She said she hated the way they looked. What a surprise.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA9f0gH6TuX4
He shook his head and looked away. “Yeah, that’s why it’s in the past.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANADKBdNSeFx2
Daniel didn’t see her hand ball up into a fist or the shudder of her shoulder. Jennifer felt the hairs on her skin rise. “You know what else I remember too? Someone crying and clinging onto me, begging for me not to leave them.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANAgma2ARbOHn
Instantly, Jennifer was dumped in cold water and paralysed by the numb shock, unsure of why she even said that. After all, she knew they were already non-existent in each other’s lives.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA5RQFo7z6wB
His neck snapped towards her. “Jennifer…” Daniel glared dull daggers; traces of pain burned onto his face.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAyqGUfXDN5X
“Ah…” Jennifer stared back; there was an inexplicable understanding between the two before she turned away. Jennifer could see her own eyes, murky and water-like, reflected off the metallic surface of the elevator. “Sorry.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANA6A7d2mYfJ9
The humming of the fluorescent light was suffocated by the silence. Daniel glanced at Jennifer before turning and leaning onto his side of the elevator. The coolness of the metal didn’t help disperse the heat that was building up. Even though they were a couple of meters apart and unable to look at each other, they felt as if they were shoulder to shoulder, trapped with barely any space to move.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAJirFVy3v3T
“When do you think they’re going to come and get us?” Daniel asked, while tapping his finger against his arm.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAGPukHJsq9e
Jennifer glanced at Daniel’s reflected distorted figure before looking back down at the ground. “I don’t know, but hopefully sooner rather than later. Or else… I have a feeling something bad is going to happen.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANANJr5W3Z7ln
“Like?”
326Please respect copyright.PENANA3qXWiBV6UY
The emptiness of the elevator didn’t help the increasing number of thoughts that rebounded in both of their heads. Jennifer opened her mouth, but no witty comment came. Instead, something she promised she wouldn’t let happen again occupied her mind.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAwq6LwvYw2s
Daniel once again looked at his reflection. His mouth drew a thin line across his face, and he couldn’t make out his eyes, but he was sure he knew what they were saying. “I think what you said before is a good example of what will happen. Completely unnecessary.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANAkCOhmDtMlI
“I already said sorry. What else do you want?” Jennifer turned her head giving him the side-eye. The ruffling of her clothes filled the space as she crossed her arms and looked ahead. Silence filled the void.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAnSrC7zEnoC
In the corner of her vision, Jennifer saw Daniel leaning against the wall. He didn’t look incredibly different from when they last saw each other. He still had his clothes neatly ironed and tie properly done; a surprise to her because he was a mess when she first met him.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAKqMujIbPRx
Is someone doing that for him now?
326Please respect copyright.PENANAmrtCIzedt4
The calluses on his hands: she always complained about how rough they were whenever they held hands, but it gave her an odd comfort; it was because she knew that the hand she was holding was his. And the burn mark on his neck. Jennifer remembered her attempt to make her mother’s signature noodle dish which somehow ended up as a trip to the emergency room.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA49NUNaDKgB
Did I ever apologise for that?
326Please respect copyright.PENANAnI3MuR1BEC
Unspoken words lingered, wishing to be communicated somehow. Who knew that something so quiet could be the loudest if given the chance?
326Please respect copyright.PENANAZTdejZUuS4
Daniel closed his eyes and massaged his temples. He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath in before mumbling something to himself. The thumping of his footsteps could be heard as he traversed the small distance between them. Jennifer slightly tilted her head up in alarm, an action her body instinctively remembered from all the times they were close together.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA9zYRHYTp3l
Their eyes tugged at each other.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA7wYoLaAaJe
I want you to love me again.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAnEi1p3NcqT
Those words tried to make their way, unsure if they would even complete the journey. It travelled along the fine, fragile threads that remained, dancing, hesitating and teetering on this incredibly thin tight rope; the same incredibly thin tight rope that would not let either of them go.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAeXFNHFf8BE
“Why did you cut all communication with me?”
326Please respect copyright.PENANAwqrhQHBOs6
Whirrrr. Clatter. Clatter.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA1gtxgIkZ05
The whirring of the gears could be heard again as they began to feel the elevator move. They both felt the vertigo from the sudden movement but were unsure if that was the reason behind their nausea.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA7GdBdwoakk
The intercom blared, “Apologies for the inconvenience. We have fixed the issue and operations will resume as normal.”
326Please respect copyright.PENANAp00DPbvrHv
Jennifer couldn’t look Daniel in the eye, and she prayed that they would go up quicker; that the gears would somehow cycle faster, and the ropes would somehow be pulled harder. She couldn’t bear to see the look on his face. She didn’t want to see the look on hers.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAnyu7BN31NH
Whissh.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA3mwpy7oWkT
They both heard the rolling of the elevator door as it slid open. The fresh air hit both of them in the faces, and they found it hard to breathe.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAcnCYqbT93T
“Wait!”
326Please respect copyright.PENANAsO1xT6OQOD
Jennifer ran out of the elevator; she wanted to run somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t near him. However, she suddenly realised she could see her heel wedged into the gap between the elevator and floor. She realised she was falling.
326Please respect copyright.PENANA3qt9AA71jK
Daniel grabbed her arm. Jennifer grabbed his arm. Both of them held each other as hard as they could, pulling as if there was a rope latched onto both of them, a rope that could snap at any moment.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAs0mbbFNAfa
“Are you free for coffee later?” They couldn’t look each other in the eye. Daniel cleared his throat, but still struggled to get his words out.
326Please respect copyright.PENANAjMHRNlO30x
“A-After your meeting of course.”
ns18.119.29.40da2