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May 20th, 2018
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  1. The Lift.
  2.  
  3. And not a fancy one, either.
  4. Plain, metallic walls enclosing what little space there was, making it feel even more cramped. As if that were possible.
  5. And plain, metallic floors giving me scant comfort in a box constantly plummeting down to a seemingly unreachable destination.
  6. That's right. The Lift never goes up. I don't know how I know that. This is the first time I've been to The Lift. But I know.
  7. There is no panel. It does not require one. I don't know why I know this, but I know.
  8. I know.
  9.  
  10. The rumbling stops. Not naturally. Not slowing down, bracing for impact. It just stops. As if I had just woken from a dream and the Lift never really moved at all.
  11. Ding.
  12. A man walks in. He is a scary looking man. His long, unkempt hair dangles over his face and obscures his features from view. It does not wobble out of the way when he makes his way out of the lounge and into the Lift, staring straight at me. Standing right in front of me. Silent. It simply stays in place. Like stone.
  13. I should be scared. He is staring right at me with eyes I cannot even see. But I know he's staring. I know. I should be scared.
  14. I'm not. Not at all. In fact, I speak. I speak to this stranger, not with confidence, but not with fear either.
  15.  
  16. "Hello."
  17. No reply.
  18. "What is your name?"
  19. No reply.
  20. "My name is--"
  21. I finish my sentence, but a loud rumble drowns out my words.
  22. The Lift is falling again. The Lift is rumbling again. Neither me nor the man with the unmoving hair is rumbling in tune. We stand still.
  23. No reply. I should be sick of his silence by now, but I am not. I continue.
  24. "How do you feel?"
  25. No reply.
  26. "Are you happy?"
  27. He shakes his head.
  28. "Why are you unhappy?"
  29. There is silence. It is not his silence. He is not being silent. But there is silence. I do not interrupt this silence. It is the normal kind of silence. He replies.
  30. "Everything." His voice is gruff. Deep. Like it had been dragged through sandpaper time and time again.
  31. "How unhappy are you?" There is not a hint of sympathy in my voice. Nor interest. Maybe that is why he did not reply for a while.
  32. "Miserable."
  33. "Oh."
  34. No reply.
  35. The man stops staring at me. He turns around and leans against the door. His head begins to bob, buried in his raised knees. He is sobbing.
  36. The natural silence returns, penetrated only by the rumbling and sobbing.
  37. Rumbling.
  38. Sobbing.
  39. Rumbling.
  40.  
  41. Ding.
  42. The first man lifelessly falls backward through the door, still crying.
  43. A second man enters The Lift.
  44. He is smiling. Truly so. He steps inside and stares me right in the face, as the other man did, but differently. As a friend would. A very close friend who was in a very good mood.
  45. He looked normal in every aspect of the word.
  46. The doors begin to shut. I watch them close in on the first man, but I say nothing. He is crushed. His lower half remains in the Lift. I do not care.
  47. I speak. I speak to this stranger with confidence, not with hostility, but not with warmth either.
  48.  
  49. "Hello."
  50. A reply. "Hey!"
  51. "What is your name?"
  52. A reply. "Call me--"
  53. He finishes his sentence, but a loud rumble drowns out his words.
  54. The Lift is falling again. The Lift is rumbling again. Neither me nor the man with the cheerful attitude is rumbling in tune. We stand still.
  55. "My name is--"
  56. I finish my sentence. Rumbling.
  57. A reply. "Nice to meet you!"
  58. "How do you feel?"
  59. "I feel awesome, man. Empowered. I can do anything. I could fly. Watch! Watch me fly, I can do it, man! I'll prove it!"
  60. He is getting more energetic by the minute. The Lift is still rumbling, but the confident man turns around and the door opens.
  61. There is impenetrable darkness, and a strong gust of wind fitting for an object falling at such a speed floods into The Lift.
  62. The cheerful man is turning back to me, smiling. He gives me a thumbs-up, and then jumps out of The Lift. Into the darkness. The door closes.
  63. I do not see him again.
  64.  
  65. Ding.
  66. The door opens.
  67. A third man enters The Lift.
  68. He is worried. Incredibly worried. He is shaking on the spot, nibbling on his fingertips, avoiding eye contact with me. Everything. But he still faces me, just as the others did.
  69. I speak. I speak to this stranger not with curiosity, but not with impatience either.
  70.  
  71. "Hello."
  72. "... Hi... Sorry, I'm not intimidated by you or anything."
  73. "What is your name?"
  74. "... Why? Sorry, I don't mean to be paranoid..."
  75. "My name is--"
  76. I finish my sentence, but a loud rumble drowns out my words.
  77. The Lift is falling again. The Lift is rumbling again. Neither me nor the nervous man are rumbling in tune.
  78. "Oh..."
  79. "How do you feel?"
  80. "... I don't know. Why do you want to know? Sorry... I mean, I'm not afraid of you... I'm not, sorry, I just... What was your name again? Sorry, I'm not usually this forgetful, please don't judge me... Did I tell you my name? I didn't, did I? I'm sorry, I'm not usually that impolite... I'm... I'm sorry.
  81. I'm sorry, alright!? Just leave me alone!"
  82. The man is screaming now.
  83. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
  84. He turns his back to me and begins to claw at the door. Viciously. Like a rabid animal. He repeatedly looks over his shoulder at me, as if checking to see if I am giving chase. I do not care.
  85. He begins to bang his head against the steel surface. Over and over. Hard. Crunchy thuds resonate within The Lift. Blood begins to stain the otherwise spotless walls.
  86. He drops to the ground in a heap. He is dead.
  87. I do not care.
  88.  
  89. Ding.
  90. The door opens. There is a man standing in the Lounge.
  91. The Lounge is gray, as always. Gray as far as the eye can see. There are chairs littering the hall. All but a few are occupied. The people sitting down are not like the people I see in The Lift. I can tell. I know. I don't know why I know, but I know. They are all gray. Their clothing, their faces, everything. Some are darker than others. Some are lighter. All are gray.
  92. The man does not enter The Lift. He stares at me from outside.
  93. He is gray too. Pure gray. Not light, nor dark. Gray.
  94. He speaks.
  95. "Hello again."
  96. "Hello."
  97. "Are you ready to come out, now?"
  98. "Not yet. Maybe later."
  99. "Okay. Thank you for riding The Lift."
  100. "Yes. Goodbye."
  101. Natural silence. Nobody in the Lounge speaks. Ever.
  102. The doors close.
  103. The rumbling begins anew.
  104.  
  105. I have been in this Lift for as long as I can remember. I am not sure if that means it has been a long time, or if my memory is simply failing me.
  106. It is the same every time.
  107. Three rides on The Lift.
  108. Three different visitors.
  109. Three deaths.
  110. One visit by the Pure Gray Man.
  111. And then it starts all over again.
  112. It is always the same.
  113. There are countless corpses in The Lift.
  114. The lower-half of the Miserable Man and the broken skull of the Nervous Man are but two of millions. I don't know how there is still room, but there is. The corpses never go away. They never stop building up.
  115. But I don't care.
  116. I don't take pleasure in it.
  117. But I don't care, either.
  118. I can't, really.
  119. If I care, or take pleasure in the never-ending death's of the visitors, I will change.
  120. Color. I will change color.
  121. I will become bright, or perhaps dark. And then I will leave The Lift.
  122. And then I will lose. I will become like everyone else.
  123.  
  124. I don't know what happens when people lose. I don't care, really.
  125. But I have to win. I have to ride The Lift to the bottom, even if it takes forever. And ever. And ever.
  126. I have to win.
  127. I care about that.
  128.  
  129. Ding.
  130.  
  131. "Hello."
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