Page 41 of Tell It To The Waves

I see the metal bar poke back between the doors as they push on one door, forcing it open, the metal bending under their force.

Finally, light shines, and I can see them, and yep. I’m stuck right between the fifth floor.

“I’m going to help you come out. I’ll be holding onto both your hands. Use your feet to climb the cement the few feet up,” I’m instructed.

“Okay,” I shakily call out, raising my hands through the door. I feel them pulling; my arms sting with their force, but I ignore it.

Placing my feet on the cement wall, pushing up, and with one good pull, my head is out, and they hurriedly pull me the rest of the way out into the hallway. My stomach scrapes, my legs bang into the concrete, but I’m finally free, laying on the cold hallway floor. Leaning myself up, I hear commotion behind me. “Move. It’s going,” a man screams. The noise of the elevator falling is something I never want to hear again. Loud, metal, and uncanny. Sounds fear is made of. The impact is loud, and I swear I can feel it.

“Oh, fuck,” I repeat. The reality is slapping me in the face that I was just in there, and my body begins to shake violently.

“Do you need medical attention?” I’m asked, but I can’t see which one spoke the question.

My eyes pan the crowd of first responders. “No, I’m okay. I just want to go to my apartment.” I feel my shoulder for my tote, but I left it in the elevator. My hand flies back to my back pocket, sighing when I feel my phone.

I don’t remember walking the two flights of stairs to my apartment, but Luna greets me when I enter, as the firefighter tells me goodnight.

My whole body is trembling from the fright, and the comedown my body is trying to do.

I don’t stop until I’m lying in my bed, clothes still on. When my phone blares through the quiet apartment, startling me.

“Are you okay?” I don’t even get a word in before Baylee is in hysterics. “What the hell happened?”

That is when I burst open, crying and telling her what happened. My words fly out, getting caught by hiccups from me crying so hard.

“Oh, August. Oh, my god. I’m sorry that happened to you.” She tries to console me, but it doesn’t help.

I just had the life scared out of me. “I love you, Baylee. I’ll call you in the morning,” I say through muffled cries.

“No,” she begs, but then she gently tells me, “Okay. As soon as you wake up. I love you.”

Hanging up, I curl into a fetal position and cry myself to sleep.

I didn’t sleep well. I woke up in fright too many times to count. Feeling like my stomach was falling out of me, or my heart was going to pound out from behind my rib cage.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I’ve been up since before the sun rose, impatiently waiting for the leasing office to open for the day.

What I’m fixing to do goes against everything I said I wouldn’t do for the last eight years. I’m going back home. Well, one hour I am, and the next I’m not. I know that if I talk to the leasing manager before, I can chicken out, but I might actually do this.

After last night, there is no way I can step foot on that elevator and be comfortable. Everything happens for a reason. And I think last night was my reason.

Looking down and seeing it’s eight am. I hit the contact for the leasing office, letting the phone ring, and finally they answer.

“Good morning, this is Jewels.” Her voice is anything but chipper.

“Hi, Jewels. This is August Graft in apartment seven thirty-three. I was the woman who was stuck in the elevator last night and barely got out before it crashed to the ground floor. I’d like to speak to the leasing manager,” comes out fast.

“This is her; how can I help you?”

Breathing deeply, “I have three months left on my lease. After last night’s incident, I don’t feel safe. I’d like to see whatwe can do to help me get out of my contract. Especially because of the faulty elevator, and with this not being the first time it's gotten stuck.”

“Okay, if you could come to the office so we can talk about this in person. Also, we have your purse from the elevator.”

I sigh in relief at knowing they have my tote, but huff to her. “Sure, I’ll walk down the seven flights of stairs so I can come talk to you,” I tell her annoyingly.

Before twelve that afternoon, after sitting in the leasing office arguing back and forth, I’m let out of my contract without having to pay. I never say I’m going to sue someone, but this is a whole unique thing. And said what needed to be said.