Short Story -"Unlucky"
 

“It is hypothesized that the 13th Floor does indeed exist, created by the dread of it in the country’s collective unconsciousness. Apparently, the key that opens the elevator on the 13th floor is entirely the product of the mind; specifically, the psychological constitution of the person(s) in the elevator.”

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Left...right....left, right....left....right....
It's Friday again. Friday as usual. Or perhaps not so usual. On any usual Friday I'd be headed north of here on my way to see doctor Campbell. My usual doctor. But today is unusual. Today I'm headed downtown to see a new doctor. I hate going anywhere on Fridays. It's just not good. Maybe I should have rescheduled....
Red light.
This walk is a bit longer than I thought it would be.
I feel drowsy. Luckily I have my favorite amber necklace on today.
I wonder what this new doctor is like. Doctor Campbell was always nice. For my birthday last year he gave me this rabbit's foot. It's still in my pocket, right next to the acorn.
I don't want a new doctor. I don't want anymore pills. I don't need them anyway. I just need someone to talk to, that's all. Doctor Campbell was really good at just talking. And when we were done he'd always say "I look forward to seeing you again next week Rane." If it weren't for the nice chunk of cash I shelled out every time his bill came in, I'd say we're like close friends.
Red light.
Look at all these people walking the streets today. Don't they know it's supposed to rain? Not a single one looks prepared. I'm always prepared for anything. Got my rain coat, got the umbrella, got the boots...When it rains I'll laugh at them all.
I wish I were back home. I don't feel like being out in public today. It's just not safe.
Red light.
Only one more block to go. There's an ambulance down the street. If I close my eyes as it passes, does that count as not having seen it? If so maybe the same thing would work for black cats...maybe, but I shouldn't push my luck.
This must be the place. It looks all official like. Tall buildings like this scare me. You never know what could happen in a tall building. There could be a fire while you’re trapped on the top floor. Or an earthquake, or tornado, or any number of bizarre occurrences that might force one to jump out a 10th story window. Apparently the architects of this building didn’t take this into consideration.
The air in here is stale….hospital like. It’s making me ill. I think I’m going to vomit. They should have more windows on the ground floor. Then again, that’s probably not a good idea…Maybe more doors would be a better idea. I’ll have to remember which door I came in through when I leave.
The office is on the 14th floor. That’s pretty high up. Should I take the stairs? After all that walking I really don’t feel like climbing fourteen flights of stairs….God, I hate elevators. Oh well.
I wonder how many germs are on the elevator call button. That’s a scary thought. How many people have pushed this button? Ick. I’m going to wash my hands as soon as I get up there.
Elevators are so slow….
Good, it’s empty. Just me.
I suppose when I get up there the doctor will greet me in that false “I’m so glad to see you” manner. Then there will be that awkward silence. And then I’ll have to tell them about myself. I hate talking about myself. I always feel like people don’t care anyway. It’s just a waist of time. They’ll just look down on me even more. And worse, they’ll know things! They’ll have something to pick out and go “oh my god, you’re a freak!”
I hate people.
Third floor….someone’s getting on. Oh god, it’s a whole group. Maybe they’ll get off right away….please say they’ll get off right away….they’re not getting off. They’re going to the eleventh floor….I feel sick. I want out of here. Why did they push me in the corner? Why did they all have to pack into the same damn elevator. I think I’m getting Claustrophobic….I’ve got to stop fidgeting, they’re all looking at me funny.
Just smile at them Rane. Just smile and be normal.
I hate you. I hate you all.
I can’t breathe. They must be taking up all the oxygen….are they trying to kill me? Look at them, they’re all gulping the air like big ugly fish. Big stupid ugly fish.
Calm down Rane. Remember what doctor Campbell said….just think of something else.
I wonder what I should say to this new doctor. What kind of questions will they ask? Doctor Campbell always asked me about my childhood. I told him everything I could remember. I told him about my mother. She was crazy. She tried to drown me once. She said I was an unlucky child. She said I was evil. Maybe it was because I was born on a Wednesday. You know what they say about children born on Wednesdays. “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.” Why couldn’t I have been born on a Tuesday, or even a Thursday? Or any other day of the week for that matter. Then maybe mom would have loved me. Then she would have treated me like she treated my bother and sister. She loved them. They were good children. They were pure. They had a different father. I was the middle child. A shameful mistake. Living proof of my mother’s unfaithfulness to her husband. The man I called Daddy, even though it wasn’t true. He told me so himself when I was seven years old. Said he hated my mother for what she had done. Hated the man that created me. He said he’d never forgive her.
That’s why she despised me. She wanted me to just disappear. I’ve often wondered what that would be like. What would it be like to just disappear? Where do people go when they vanish? As a child I remember playing in the yard. I’d pretend I didn’t exist. Daddy would talk to me and I’d just stand there and stare at him and pretend I wasn’t really there.
Daddy didn’t seem to miss me much. I wonder who would miss me. Would anyone? Do I really belong here? I’m sure no one in this elevator would mind if I just ceased to exist. Right now. Just up and vanished. Hell, they’d be happy wouldn’t they? More arm room. More air to gulp up into their greedy lungs. Well fellow elevator occupants, I assure you, the feeling is mutual.
I don’t know how much longer I can take this…Eight floor….three more to go.
Hurry up elevator. Hurry hurry hurry. Faster, go faster.
They’re all staring at me.
They all have that evil look in their eyes.
I hate them.
Go away.

I think I’m going to collapse.

Eleven. Finally. Now all you people will leave. I should push the button again to make sure no one tires to get on until I leave. No one will stare at me anymore. No one will be here to wish I weren’t.
You’re all like my mother.
Twelve. Good, still no new passengers.
Is this elevator getting slower??? What’s going on? Why is it stopping? What if there’s a power outage?? One more floor! Keep going one more floor so I can get out!! What if I get stuck here?
I feel faint.

I don’t want to disappear, mom.
I don’t want to.


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The elevator pinged as it opened it’s doors to the hallway of the clinic’s fourteenth floor. Nothing appeared from the inside. Not a soul could be heard trying to collect themselves from the ride in preparation of stepping out and continuing on to their final destination. All that was left inside was a lonely umbrella, lying open and upturned in the corner.