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.282Please respect copyright.PENANACfydy7LwwG
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!282Please respect copyright.PENANAvlRvLTNLVK
282Please respect copyright.PENANAwQMcVFtm9h
“Who would've thought we'd meet like this?” she said.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAC5eRmkfhSf
“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.” 282Please respect copyright.PENANA8hjVAOi1Bh
282Please respect copyright.PENANAPAO2HpDwEu
“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.282Please respect copyright.PENANAioRa5jRLb3
282Please respect copyright.PENANAhBO4PYRQWm
“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.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAgzzoi3BZcI
“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.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANALWSeszHchm
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAjlBujAmOZ2
Is she sleeping well?
282Please respect copyright.PENANArEmvokOBQn
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAkTApqySsGL
She said she hated the way they looked. What a surprise.
282Please respect copyright.PENANActgkQOsamQ
He shook his head and looked away. “Yeah, that’s why it’s in the past.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANA89ui8IiQA4
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.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANA1QfQ60Zqer
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAlNfGPYwj0w
His neck snapped towards her. “Jennifer…” Daniel glared dull daggers; traces of pain burned onto his face.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAWfqGxs5Dg6
“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.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAckP6PVeAHq
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAwCFw5bAkKe
“When do you think they’re going to come and get us?” Daniel asked, while tapping his finger against his arm.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAXPQSRn0bbE
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.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANApl7er7zLui
“Like?”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAEVyjKUbmlB
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANARwCE5ACvHo
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.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAPwqHWmPyJl
“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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAxAWFI0MIID
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAwJySv5zDnT
Is someone doing that for him now?
282Please respect copyright.PENANAIE0NBgyGG2
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAg0oxm07iId
Did I ever apologise for that?
282Please respect copyright.PENANALlRWOugnWk
Unspoken words lingered, wishing to be communicated somehow. Who knew that something so quiet could be the loudest if given the chance?
282Please respect copyright.PENANAPUjR51uTHc
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAoJsLCUhHJ9
Their eyes tugged at each other.
282Please respect copyright.PENANA96GPmjUllq
I want you to love me again.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAN8F9FVh91w
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAMGdQS8IQMh
“Why did you cut all communication with me?”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAapl7lDBcc3
Whirrrr. Clatter. Clatter.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAYioHpn9vQs
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAupsrXVGbxz
The intercom blared, “Apologies for the inconvenience. We have fixed the issue and operations will resume as normal.”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAI31dxlgD1G
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAGS9GUblPpo
Whissh.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAN6vCM01w58
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANA7VbmlJn8Zi
“Wait!”
282Please respect copyright.PENANAthHgpIO6zF
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANA6IxfvtAiTD
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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAMWM9EITuUQ
“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.
282Please respect copyright.PENANAKpgE8dxUgu
“A-After your meeting of course.”
ns 15.158.61.40da2