Before I am Famous

literature is something we infer after the story is told

Last Request

Posted on | June 11, 2008 | 1 Comment

The thick smoky air engulfed the pair. The woman, a robust black haired woman with tattoos down her arm coughed and faced the man, a skinny non tattooed man. They heard the firemen yell for people but the building was coming down. The elevator shrieked in protest from the unsteady building. They both knew the firemen were standing 2 floors above them the doors opened.

“Will you do it?” he asked her once more.

“I don’t know,” she coughed again, “why not you?”

“I want you be rescued. I owe you that much after how I treated you in the conference room.” he hacked.

Something metal hit the roof of the elevator, the box scooted down another a couple fo inches. The pair wanted to scream but their lungs ached with each breath. They laid on the floor of their death box. She looked up to the escape hatch and hoped they firemen big and strong and fearless would rescue them both.

Her day started as any other coffee and a muffin. Then off to city hall to have the zoning board approve a new dance club she wanted to open. Her heart fluttered as she presented her idea since she has never done this before. Then a man walked in, a member of the zoning committee, a man she knew from way back when dreams were fluid and laughter and love is something they shared with each other. Recognizing each other after 20 years the air turned to ice, she stumbled over her words, she dropped her proposal. His eyes used to be a blue that invited her to play now they were sterile hard and cold.

Once he received a disheveled copy of her proposal he laughed and told the others that her idea was the worst idea that he has ever seen. “what kind of business would she run if she can’t get her act together in front of the zoning committee?” He asked the other members. They seemed to agree. He flashed her a wicked grin and his eyes bore into her soul. She thanked them for their time and her heart broke twice over. Her hands shook out of rage as she hit the button for the elevator. Squeaky footsteps reached her. He stepped inside the elevator and the doors shut.

They made it only three floors when the elevator stopped. Minutes passed and the high pitched siren sounded. More minuted and smells of burning plastic and wood entered their box soon wisps of smoke entered.

He reached for her hand, “I’m sorry about everything,” coughed his throat burned, “I saw you in there and I don’t know what happened. Please do this one thing for me I know I don’t deserve it.”

“What if we get out of here, you’ll be ruined.”

Footsteps resounded on the metal above, the trap door opened but there was no reprieve.

“Make the world right, make me right before I go. I’m not …” he was interrupted by gasping.

A fireman dressed in yellow scooped up the woman in his arms and another pulled her out of the elevator. Seconds that seemed like hours passed and she breathed real air, city stink and all and it never felt so good. Shortly after her, he was pulled out and laid on the stretcher. A sweaty paramedic pulled a sheet over him.

The tears wanted to fall but there was none. As she breathed oxygen she considered his request about righting his wrongs. He wanted salvation and she wanted revenge and thought his last request would do both. She asked to the see mayor because she had information to share with him.

Category: simply stories

Comments

One Response to “Last Request”

  1. chinaman
    September 18th, 2008 @ 12:10 am

    Hi
    You shoud be the journalist with your nice talent

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