Benie & Bell: Leave003

Benie & Bell: The microstories of two souls in eternal orbit.

Leave003

"Evening." She smiles and enters the elevator.

"You're… going down?"

"Yes."

A beat. He is pensive a moment. He presses a button, stopping them between floors.

It's quiet. She's nervous. He's thoughtful.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

"N-n-no, I don't believe so," she stammers. "Sir, I'm just here meeting my date, please don't do me no harm."

Disappointed, he questions, "Harm?" Softly, "Say, what's your name?"

"Bell," she whispers.

"Bell," He looks her in the eye, with a tenderness. She isn't sure she should trust him, but she knows he wants her to.

She smells salt.

So does he.

His hands slide into surrender. "I am not going to hurt you. I mean you no harm at all." His voice stays gentle. Her breath deepens. "It's just… it's Friday night. Only certain folks take the elevator down on Friday night, all of whom I know personally. But I do not know you." Still gentle but with a whiff of firmness, he asks, "Bell, who told you to take the elevator down tonight?"

"My date. It's my first time here. My date said to take the elevator down to meet. But mister please, I don’t have to go nowhere you don't want me to in here. I just want to get home safely."

Thinking for a moment, he starts to reach into his pocket. Immediately he senses her tense and puts his hands up again where she can see them.

Softening more, he starts, "Bell," when the lights flicker. She screams, bracing herself. Instinctively he reaches forward to comfort her.

Something sparks. It's brief but it's felt, shared. She relaxes.

Slowly his hands cup her shoulders, reassuringly. He finds her eyes, toggling his between. The spark crests. He wants to linger but can't.

"Listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you." Compelled, like a wave insistent on the shore, he adds, "I will never hurt you." He pauses. She swallows, believing him. "Nobody here is going to hurt you. But you need to leave now and go straight home. I'm going to give you a card from my pocket to get you home without any issue."

Their eyes stay locked. He reaches into his pocket. He wants to pause time because this moment feels…whole. In a familiar and new way.

Whatever he tells her, she'll do. Not out of fear. She doesn't even know his name, but his eyes… she knew him. Somehow.

"Take this upstairs and find Russell. Tell him Benie said to get you home. I trust Russell with my mother's life. Bell," a breath in the pause, "you will get home safe."

She takes the card. He presses a button. The elevator starts. They watch each other as it rises.

And in this rickety elevator, the smell of ocean water pervades.

Benie & Bell is my first published fiction series. Microstory feels like a format within which I could practice my narrative brevity.

Thank you for being here to read it. I’m inviting comments (read: not foolishness) and sharing! What I love about microstory are all the unknowns readers can fill in, and I dig some good co-creation.

Question: What (or who!) do you think goes “down” here on Friday nights?