Uplifted

“Not so fast, Eddie!“, his mom warned him, as she closed the door shut to their room, making sure it’s closed properly. They were staying at the Queen’s Pier Resort for Spring Break. Eddie was so excited, staying in such a big place. He was amazed by it all: the big walls, the high ceiling, the long corridor. The floor was layed with red carpeting. Walking on it made him feel like a superstar on a red carpet. Confidently, he strutted down the hallway, holding his action figure to his chest, pretending to be an actor who had just won an Oscar for his big blockbuster film. Eddie loved the superhero films, but unlike his friends, he didn’t want to play out the plots, he would much rather pretend to be the actor behind the role, doing interviews and engaging with fans. It’s not that Eddie was lacking imagination, not at all, he just knew that the films weren’t real and that those were all special effects.

“Over here, Eddie! Look here! Mister Eddie!“, he mumbled to himself, posing with his imaginary award, while practicing his badass strut. Behind him, he could hear his mom’s footsteps getting closer. When he finally reached the lift, he pressed the button, watching it light up. The lift was arguably the best part of the entire trip. They were from a small town, so he never really got to see any before. He liked pressing the button. It was mundane, but fun. He could hear the noises the lift made as it came closer. They were loud, mechanic sounds. He didn’t take much notice of them, until his mom told him they used to scare her when she was his age. “I guess girls just get scared easily“, Eddie thought. Before the doors of the lift opened, it made a little sound. Ding! The doors opened and the tacky elevator music started playing. Eddie looked up from his action figure, only to be met with his reflection in the mirror. “Mom?“, he asked turning around. All he could see was an empty hallway. He was alone. “Mom!“, this time he shouted. He heard the elevator doors close behind him. Quickly, he began walking back to their room, assuming she must’ve forgotten something. As he walked further, he felt the air get colder. He was a little scared, so he began to jog. When he got their room, he started banging on the door. “Mom? Are you in there? Mom, it’s me, let me in!“. Somehow, it kept getting colder. Eddie kept looking around as he banged on the door relentlessly. He knew he shouldn’t be so loud. It might disturb the other guests. But in that moment, he didn’t care. “Mom!“, he screamed over and over again. All of a sudden, the lights went out. “No, no, no!“, Eddie whispered. He banged on the door even harder now. He kept on shouting “Just let me in already!“, but nothing happened. It was when he gave up on the door that he noticed the music. He dropped his action figure. Slowly, he looked around. He thought it might be coming from one of the rooms. Carefully, he guided himself along the walls. As he got closer to the rooms surrounding him, he realized that’s not it. He couldn’t think. Not like this. Not in the fucking dark. He put his head in his hands, rubbing his face. Eddie was trying to calm himself down. His breathing had gotten too heavy. He could hardly even hear the music anymore. The music. There was something about it. It seemed…familiar? Bewildered, he raised his head. “No fucking way.“. It was the elevator music. It made no sense to him, how the music was so loud, even with the doors being closed. Slowly, he made his way towards it. All he could see was a tiny light coming from above the doors. The closer he got, the more he could make it out. It was a small display, showing which floor the lift was at. Eddie was confused. “Wouldn’t an elevator have to stop, if the power goes out?“, he asked himself. The changing numbers on the display answered his question for him. At first they changed normally, in a slow manner. But as the floors got higher, the pace fastened. Eddie could hear the music get louder as the lift got closer. His breathing picked up immediately. He could hear the mechanical noises again which the lift produced. This time they were accompanied by the sound of the elevator against its cables. It sounded kind of like the wheels of a train squealing against the rails. He could practically hear sparks flying. The music had gotten too loud now. Eddie’s hands jumped to his ears, holding them shut. With his heartbeat racing, he watched the number on the display change. 13. Eddie’s heart dropped. There is no 13th floor in hotels. It was the first thing he told his mom when they had arrived. Before he could even register what had just happened, he heard the noise again. Ding! The doors of the elevator opened right before him. Suddenly, the music stopped completely. All Eddie could hear was the sound of his heart going what felt like a thousand beats per minute. Right there, in front of him, was the mirror again. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. What he saw in that mirror, was nothing. He couldn’t see himself. Eddie had no reflection. But there was a dark shape at the end of the hallway. Quickly, Eddie turned around to check, but the elevator doors closed again. It was back to pitch black. He couldn’t move. All he could do was just stand there waiting for whatever it is to get him. He sobbed quietly, hot tears streaming down his face. Out of nowhere, the lights began to flicker. There was no scary murderer in sight. Eddie relaxed a little. Afraid of the elevator, Eddie walked towards their room again. It was still freezing cold, but at least the music had stopped and he could see a little again, even if it was only a few moments at a time. He really didn’t know what to do. Once he had reached the door, he decided to knock again. Before his fist could reach the door, he felt something wet at his feet. Eddie looked down. His shoes were covered in blood. It came from under the door. His breathing picked up again. Eddie stepped back quickly. The door swung wide open. Eddie’s eyes filled with tears. “Hello, Eddie!“.

Aine Clifford / 28.02.2021