It wasn’t a great job, the pay was just okay, but he met some really great guys there and went out every night drinking and having a swell time. He now understood the allure of the great city, understood why his brother had wanted him to come and stay, and he fell in love with the Big Apple, then fell in love with a stunning brunette a year later.
Life was great.
With a final jolt, the carriage settled into place and the doors eased open.
Piece of shit elevator, he thought, but was relieved he had made it to the top floor.
He would tell the super tomorrow that it probably needed a good looking-over.
But for now, he just wanted to get into his apartment and…
Jackson let out a high-pitched whine when he saw them.
No no no no no no…
He froze inside the elevator and stared in incredulous horror at the sight that was presented before him.
Jackson had seen plenty of murder in his time, yet seeing the carnage that lay sprawled on the dirty orange and brown carpet made him feel ill.
It was unreal, like he was watching a movie — the woman on the ground, the man kneeling over her, cutting into her lifeless body.
The feeling of déjà vu was strong, as was the nausea and confusion.
Help me, Gloria. Please help me!
The killer stood up, turned and walked out of the shadows, towards Jackson.
“Leave me alone,” Jackson cried. He rushed over to the panel and hit the ‘down’ button.
Nothing happened.
He grabbed the red emergency phone and placed it to his ear.
Static rang loud. The receiver crashed to the wall as it dropped from Jackson’s grasp.
The killer continued forward.
“What do you want?” Jackson yelled. “Get away from me. I won’t tell. How can I? I’m the same as you.”
The killer stopped when he reached the elevator. Gazed in at Jackson.
Jackson gazed out at the killer. And saw…
(Who are you really? I don’t know. And I don’t think you do, either. You have two worlds, two realities. And now, as I’m standing here, I don’t know whether to pity you or hate you…)
He screamed.
An enormous grinding roar shocked Jackson silent. The elevator began to quake. Jackson backed into a corner and crouched down. Tears flowed from his eyes.
It can’t be, it can’t be, it can’t be…
He had to have imagined it — it simply wasn’t possible.
As the elevator continued to shake like some ride at a fun fair, Jackson came to the conclusion that what he had just seen was an illusion. Perhaps he had invented the whole thing — there was no body on the ground, no killer coming to get him.
Just my mind playing tricks, that’s all.
But what wasn’t an illusion was the elevator. It was having a major fit and Jackson knew he had to get the hell off of it before he got seriously injured.
Jackson wiped his eyes and stood up. He almost slipped, but managed to hold his footing.
There’s nothing out there, he thought. There’s no killer, no body; it’s just my imagination.
He readied himself, opened his eyes and looked out.
He gasped.
She was standing there, looking right at him. All alone. There were no knife wounds, no blood on her. She looked as beautiful as ever — soft, white skin, flowing raven hair. And those eyes…angelic, knowing eyes.
“Gloria,” Jackson muttered.
He hadn’t thought about her for years. Had completely pushed her out of his mind. Last time he had seen her was five years ago, yet she looked just as he remembered her. She hadn’t changed a bit.
“What are you doing here?” Jackson said.
“Your life has been a lie,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness. “And I’ve found out the truth, Jackson…”
The elevator was suddenly plunged into darkness. Jackson shrieked.
Sparks started raining down on him. The elevator continued to dance and there was a frightening metallic popping sound, followed by a downward shift.
Jackson hurried towards the corridor, but when he reached the open doors, he was thrown to the floor by an invisible wall that felt like gelatinous water.
It wasn’t going to let him escape.
“Help me,” he called out to Gloria.
“You were born in Belford, that much was true, but everything else you told me was bullshit. Your dad was a drunk and your mom a cold, uncaring woman. They didn’t run a pet store, but your dad did work in a funeral parlor while your mom brought home strangers passing through…”
“That’s not true,” Jackson cried. “My mom loved me…” Jackson slipped over as he attempted to stand. Gloria just stood and watched and continued talking.
“Your mom almost died giving birth to you, and she never forgave you for that. When you were a baby she used to leave you in your cot in her bedroom while she fucked the strangers. Your brother used to come home and catch her and take you away. He used to bring you into his room and shut the door and cry. Said that all you did was stare at the wall and rock back and forth. He loved you, Jackson, but he was worried about you. The only comfort you seemed to get was from a stray cat. But you killed it when you were five. Your mother found you with it, its neck broken…”
“You’re lying!”
“Your brother left home when he was sixteen, couldn’t take the abuse any longer. You never heard from him again. You remained at home with your drunken father and slut of a mother…”
“Bitch! I knew there was a reason why I left you.” Jackson again tried to stand, but was only rocketed backwards by the shuddering elevator.
“You grew into a very distant child. You had no friends at school and were teased and beaten up regularly…”
“I had a lot of friends!”
“Girls weren’t interested in you and you withdrew into yourself even more as you got older. You started setting fire to things when you were fifteen and your parents sent you to a reform school in Upstate New York…”
“No!”
“And they told you never to come back. You left the reform school when you were eighteen, and moved to New York where you did get a job in a meatpacking plant, however, you never stayed with your brother and you never had any friends…”
“For Christ’s sake help me, Gloria! Help me out of this elevator!”
“You were in and out of detention centers, even went to jail a few times. You were living a sad life of petty crime in some dump in Queens when you met me…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You had me fooled for awhile, made me fall in love with you and think you were something you weren’t. Told me a lot of bullshit stories about your bullshit life, but I found out the truth. I know the truth about your Uncle Walter, too. Why he really bought you those gifts…”
“It’s going to crash! Help me! I’ll die if you don’t help me!”
“But I didn’t think you were capable of raping someone, Jackson. Christ, look at you. I bet you won’t even remember this in a few years. I bet you wipe it all away and make up some fantasy like you always have. Well I hope you stay behind those bars and are never allowed out. Because I’d hate to think what might happen if you are released. Your weakness will be your downfall, remember that. Goodbye Jackson.”
Lying in the darkness of the elevator, sparks raining down, unable to escape, Jackson watched as Gloria began to fade. “Gloria, wait…” But she was gone.