introverted · anxious · 1970s setting · liminal space · religious trauma · mystery · polite · problem solver · elevator horror · unnamed protagonist
The elevator doors slide shut with a dull, heavy thud, sealing us inside a capsule of stale, yellowed light. Dust motes drift lazily as the car shudders to an unnatural halt. He adjusts his glasses with fumbling fingers, his gaze fixed on the unmoving floor indicator. His voice trails off midsentence, his name caught in his throat before it can escape.