Elevator

Some time had passed in total silence, then the courier said: "It stopped." Jungkook looked at him again, sideways, hesitated for a bit, judging if the man jokes — sarcastically, of course — or tries to start a conversation, or comments unwittingly, or really, honestly has no idea of the crap This Real World consists of — and after a short sketchy observation voted for an unconscious reaction: some people often say some little phrases now and then, which means nothing wrong. "Definitely," said Jungkook. And then added: "It was broken today, by the morning. I thought they mended it." "Old buildings," answered the man meditatively. "Any system can crack again within an hour or so after it's repairing, doesn't matter how neatly that work was done." His voice sounded a bit familiar, but not that much to bother or disturb, and Jungkook just nodded, letting this slightest impression of an evidently false acquaintance to fade away. He wasn't in a talkative mood. He rarely spoke to strangers, and even when too many of his good friends concentrated in one place, he preferred to keep a discreet silence instead of making any gleeful chatting. Online or offline, drunk or sober — that's all was of no significance. "Maybe should call an emergence repairs?" asked the courier with the same subtle notes of meditation. Vague memory tinkled again deep down and again was swished off to garbage bin. Not only because Jungkook didn't want any flashbacks right now in addition to his already gained troubles, but especially because he didn't want to call anyone, to see anyone or to meet anyone, either in flesh or as a remembrance. And he didn't want to be instructed too — not after a daylong at his work, facing even more toil ahead. He wanted to go home and stay private as long as it was possible for an employee at the verge of a workweek. But let's be honest, there were no ways to rest alone while being stucked in a tiny uncomfortable elevator cabin with no cozy sofa and tasty dinner but with a stranger instead. So Jungkook started his induced rescue campaign with the most simple move. He pressed "12" button one more time. Then pressed it again, and again, and performed a sort of Morse signal, tapping on it with a nervous staccato. No good. No result. Fast loss of a reputation as an adequate person. Plus one point to The Virtual Bad Luck Piggy Bank. By now piggy must've been stuffed to it's throat. Body positive piggy, that was. "Thought it just disconnected itself somehow," said Jungkook, turning halfway to his fellow prisoner. "It could be restarted with some effort." Then sighed and added: "Not this time, I suppose." "Emergency button should be OK," answered the courier. "Electricity is on, I mean. We can make a call and apply for a service." That sounded wise enough and seemed sensible, especially when Morse on "12" button had ingloriously failed. Jungkook nodded again to the man's proposition, turned back to the control panel and pressed the red button marked with a bell. It took him four or five attempts before that end of the emergency line woke up. "Operator. Speak up." If that guy on the other end would ever like to sound more apathetic, he would barely be able to manage the task. His present level of indifference was really remarkable. "Ugh... Um... You know... Hello by the way..." Jungkook rarely practiced conversations with uninterested individuals in charge, so he started this one as if he wasn't a sufferer but a perpetrator. He always did this shit. He either bleated or grumbled, but never sounded like a reasonable man demanding for his rights to be kept to the point. Though, step by step his dialogue with an operator smoothed and it's reason floated up as a main theme. There is a problem with an elevator in a certain block of flats, which is numbered "103", of this exactly "Paradise" residential place. There are two men inside the elevator now. Service team to be sent immediately. As soon as possible, to be precise. Thank you. Good night. "What did he said, half an hour?.." The courier. Jungkook looked at the man again and answered: "With some good will from the stars above. But fourty minutes would be more realistic. And I'm not sure about your luck, but my own is poor, so I wouldn't wait for the service team to visit us faster than in an hour or so." "Not sure about my luck too," the courier said. His voice still sounded calm and tranquil, though it's tone colour had got some hoarse notes this time. The sound raised some vague associations deeply in Jungkook's memory, but nothing in particular. The courier went on: "It wouldn't look that bad, really, because it's my last trip for the shift, and I'm on vacation tomorrow. But I still should deliver a package, my client won't be happy with the delay. It's late at night already." The man was right. It was too late to spend an extra time in an elevator. No-one cares if you have a free time after midnight or obliged to prepare youself for the next workday, when you have to finish your task, both official or personal. And this: elevators are to serve you, not to steal any part of your lifespan. Especially that part, which you supposed to spend alone all by yourself. Junkook sighed again. So many sighs today, and all of them in vain. Suddenly a sharp needle piqued his right knee. Jungkook wried, winced lightly and tried to put his full weight on the left leg. No needles were there, of course. It's just his own carelessness. His thoughts about the present situation made him concerned, but totally oblivious of his lately obtained health problem. "Something wrong?" asked the courier. He must be watching Jungkook all the time, which Jungkook didn't noticed due to the man's hat. "Damaged my knee a couple of days before," said Jungkook shortly — and immediately felt some rudeness in his own answer and the way it sounded. So he added a bit more politely: "Hope it will heal one day in the nearest future. I wish that day were yesterday. I mean, to stay here for an hour with both legs in good condition is better than other way." "Agree," said the courier. "Damaged my shoulder once by an accident. Got me plenty of problems for years. Only surgery helped at the end. Hope your problem is not that bothering." "Almost fixed it by the last weekend," said Jungkook. "Oinment, pills, therapy. And as few a strain as possible. So it was a doom surprise to find the elevator dead. I shouldn't use stairways at least three days more." "But the elevator was half-alive at least, or I don't get how you could use it." Jungkook thought about that paper note on the floor and said reluctantly: "Someone left a warning note, but it was torn away from the doors. I just risked if the power is on, and it was on. Maybe I should left the cabin at the basement, because when I pressed "12" firstly, it went down instead of rising. Maybe should use my intuition when the machine gave me the hint. But I only thought of returning home. No brain sell for any hints was reserved. So that's the result." The courier hummed. "You never know, you know," he said consenting. "Before I messed with that car I thought I read some hints correctly and choose the safest route possible. You never know." Jungkook looked at him. The man's face was still hidden by his hat, but that shadows on the lower part flinched a bit, and Jungkook thought that the man must be smiling. "Sad story," the courier went on. "But actually I should spend my time rationally. I'm still on duty now. If you pardon me..." By saying this he reached for his overall's chest pocket and took out a cellphone. "Do you think the signal is on?" asked Jungkook. "We are in a metal cabin within a concrete well." "It's not an average device. I've got an amplifier," answered the courier. "It should work with the weakest signal... But there is another problem, it seems..." Jungkook saw him trying to interact with the cellphone, definitely in vain, and before long the courier said: "Power is low. Amplifier doesn't work when power is under fifteen percent." Jungkook didn't know anything about amplifiers and their physical conditions, so he wasn't able to give the man any practical advice. Maybe it would be appropriate to cheer him up out of a routine politeness or at least to say sorry. But the moment Jungkook was going to utter something positive the man suddenly asked: "Can I borrow your powerbank, please? If you have one with you, of couse. By the chance." By the chance Jungkook had got the said device. By another chance he wasn't happy to lend his properties to anyone, whoever they could be, friends or foes, relatives or strangers, whenever and whatever was going on, and this reluctance quickly and evidently affected his countenance right now. It was a reaction he couldn't control, no matter how diligently he tried and for how long, something so natural and so inherent, that no volitional effort was able to conquer it. Black mask could cover his face from any gaze, but nothing could hide his personality from himself. And these thoughts of his and these feelings were unpleasant. It didn't seem that the courier was going to rob Jungkook, or that he could damage the powerbank somehow, or that his intentions were wrong. At the same time, Jungkook's own looks, hidden or not, and behaviour at present was undoubtedly revealing his neatly concealed parsimony. Not that part of your character anybody else should know of, really. So Jungkook said: "Should be with me, I'll check. I take it out now and then, but not on a daily basis. Sorry." It supposed to be a worthy explanation in case Jungkook would change his mind at the last moment. Covering himself thus, Jungkook swept his own backpack off the shoulder. It was going to be extremly uncomfortable to dig the inwards — main partition and several pockets — because the backpack had no solid frame and there wasn't any table, a rail or a board in the elevator to use as a support. Jungkook couldn't sit backpack on the floor too: dramatic shortage of space made it impossible to bend when more than one person was there. And no way for Jungkook to squat due to his knee problem. So he just turned, propped the backpack against the elevator's wall and started to open the zipper. So it happened that this time Jungkook was standing his right arm to the courier. And before the zipper was fully unlocked, the man said with a huge surprise in his voice: "Jungkook? My Gosh... It's you, really?"