Late for a key meeting, you waited by the elevators.
When the doors opened, a flustered woman named Kazuko stepped in.She locked eyes with you for a fleeting second before distancing herself at the opposite wall.
The elevator moved painfully slow. Kazuko's forehead glistened with sweat; her breaths were shallow and rapid. Then the elevator stalled.
As you hit the emergency button, the temperature spiked.
Kazuko clutched her collar, her discomfort escalating as she slumped against the wall.
It's so hot...
She whispered, more to herself than to you. Her eyes widened suddenly and focused on you, pupils dilated with fear.
I fake faint to the ground and not move a single muscle
You do as you say, feigning unconsciousness on the elevator floor, hoping that it might make her feel safer. Her breaths become less panicky, but she remains tense and pale. With a shaky hand, she moves to lean against your shoulder for support, her warmth contrasting with your cool skin as she whispers reassuring words to herself.
I get a seizure
You gasp and thrash on the floor, making convincing sounds of distress. As her fear heightens again, she falls to her knees beside you, hands fluttering nervously as she searches for something to steady herself with. Her eyes flicker between you and the emergency button, torn between fleeing the stalled elevator and seeking help. Eventually, she musters enough courage to press it, praying that someone will come soon.
Her eyes water as she watches your seizure-like movements, trying to decide what to do. She whimpers softly and leans closer to you, instinctively seeking comfort in the midst of her fear.
I let out a light chuckle. “Heheheheh.” I say as I stop the seizure like movements. “Text result: Semi-Successful?” I say while pulling out a clipboard out of the blue. “Ok, all done. You may now leave.” I say. As soon as my sentence ends, the elevator stops and the doors swing open. “You may now return home!”
Her eyes widen at your sudden change in demeanor and she stumbles back in shock, almost falling over. As the elevator doors finally open, she scrambles to her feet and nearly bolts out of the elevator, her heart racing wildly. "T-thank you," she murmurs before hastily disappearing down the hallway, trying to lose herself in the sea of employees rushing past.
“Are you ok?”
You don't wait for an answer before carefully standing up, brushing yourself off and straightening your clothes. Taking a few deep breaths, you step out of the elevator, relieved to feel the cool air of the hallway against your heated skin. Even though she's still shaken from the ordeal, you make a mental note to thank Kazuko properly once you see her again. For now, you focus on getting to your meeting and putting this unsettling experience behind you.
“ Чёрт возьми, цель сбежала. Все личные у входа.” I say as armed men dressed in block the entrance uniforms that was similar to those worn by the armed forces of the Soviet Union but with Royal Blue piping and distinctions, and shoulder boards marked 'GB' block the entrance. “Ты пойдешь с нами”
She pales visibly and quickly reassesses her surroundings before deciding to comply with the man's order. With her heart in her throat, she follows them down a different hallway, unsure where they are taking her but certain that resisting would only make things worse. Her mind races as she tries to think of what to do next; all the while, her knuckles whiten from gripping onto her bag too tightly.
I lead her to a wall and put her against it. “Приготовьте винтовки!” I say and then the other men raise their rifle as they stand in a line. “Цельтесь!” I say as the men look into their scopes. I raise my hand, ready to give the order.
She shuts her eyes tightly, trembling as she waits for the inevitable command that will seal her fate. Her breath comes in short, ragged gasps as adrenaline courses through her veins. If only she had been faster or stronger... but it's too late now.
The sound of the men readying their rifles fills her ears; they don't even have to look at her anymore to kill her. She braces herself for the impact, sure that this is how it ends - with a sudden, unforgiving spray of hot lead that will reduce her body to nothing more than unrecognizable fragments on the floor.
And then, something snaps. Something inside her breaks free from the terror and the helplessness that have held her captive for so long. With all of her strength, she lunges forward, throwing herself at one of the armed men who is closest to her.
“Убей её! Убей её! Она последняя!”
Her mind is on nothing but escape and survival; everything else fades into the background as she focuses all her energy on knocking down one of her attackers. With a bloodcurdling scream, she manages to force him aside just long enough to dart past him and run toward freedom, leaving behind a confused babel of shouts and gunfire echoing through the hallways. Her heart is racing, her breath comes in ragged gasps as she sprints down the corridor, desperate to lose herself in the anonymity of the crowd.
As she rounds a corner, she collides with another figure, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a heap. She looks up in surprise to see Kazuko, wide-eyed and disheveled but very much alive. "Kazuko!" she gasps, relief flooding through her. "We have to get out of here
He attempts to run towards you then he stops. Blood drips down his forehead. He collapses to the ground and you turn around to see me with a pistol aiming in your direction.
You freeze, unable to move or speak as the pistol leveled at you threatens to obliterate everything in your world with one swift motion. Your heart stops, trapped between panic and despair, while your mind reels, trying to process what just happened. You don't dare look away from the gun, but you can't help noticing Kazuko tensing up beside you, her eyes darting between you and the armed man.
"I... I don't know you," you stammer, trying desperately to convince both him and yourself that this is all some sort of horrible mistake. "Please, just let us go."
The rest of the men arrive and surround you. Two armed men shoot Kazuko to death, then point their rifle to you.
Her eyes widen in horror as she watches one of the men shoot Kazuko, blood spraying across the floor in an obscene dance of death. The other man then points his rifle at her, steady and unflinching. "Please," she whispers, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't do this." But it's too late; there's no reasoning with them now. She closes her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the inevitable impact that will end everything.