Faint Light

two

She’d just finished a delivery on the fourteenth floor, a box of ramen and other various snacky foods and was on her way to finish her last five deliveries when the elevator gave a jolt. It’s lights flickering as it came to a sudden dead stop. 

Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach. “Oh come on, not now!” She quickly pushed off the wall of the elevator and peered at the old decrepit buttons. Most of them had been worn down so much that the numbers were faded leaving behind nothing but shiny metal. Narrowing her eyes she found the emergency service one and pressed it.

The small black LCD screen remained black as the sound of ringing echoed in the small metal box.

No answer.

Swearing under her breath she pressed the button again and again hoping that while Eng- Buk was busy that he would get some kind of alert that the elevator had gone down. 

It was on the fifth try that she decided to just give up and pushed away from the button panel to dig out her cell phone. Relief filled her as she saw the screen come to life, three bars of service showing. Given the kind of day she was having she half expected to be in an area of no service.

Quickly dialing the number for the fire department she was floored to get a busy signal. “The fuck?” The curse word tumbled from her lips, a habit picked up from her dear hanyou friend. Hanging up she tried again only to get the exact same result. Scowling she decided to try her uncle, at the very least she could let him know what was going on so he could let their customers know she would be running behind.

It rang only four times before a loud high pitch ring screeched directly into her ear. The sudden loud noise made her jerk as her phone fell from her hands to clatter on the dirty tiled floor. Hissing she shook her head to get the high pitched tone out of her head. Glaring down at the discarded mobile device. She bent over to pick it up, glaring darkly at it as she snapped it shut.

She didn’t know what the hell was going on, just that whatever it was, it set her on edge. Her rarely used miko ki began to stir to life just under her skin. Flaring her senses she shivered as it pulsed and ached like a muscle that had been neglected for far to long.

She could feel the many human auras around her, some of them tainted with sickness. It was like something she had never felt before, it felt twisted, dark, yet at the same time...

Human.

Furrowing her black brows she weighed her options, she could just sit here and wait, the dark sickly auras running over her skin, making her shiver with something she couldn't name. 

Fear?

Adrenaline?

Anticipation?

She couldn't pinpoint it, just that it was a feeling she hadnt had in a year or so.

Or. 

She could get off her ass and do something.

Deciding to go with the later she shoved her phone back in her pocket and eyed the emergency exit door in the ceiling. If she could stand on the mail cart she should be able to pry it open. From there she could use the fire escape ladder to get to the nearest floor.

Assuming this run down place was up to code and even had emergency exit ladders...if not she mused she could shimmy up or down the cables that held the elevator in place. She knew she wasn’t in as good of shape as she had been while traveling in the past but she was still capable of doing at least that much.

She hoped...

“Well, let's get this show on the road.” Locking the wheels of the cart in place she climbed on top of it and began to push on the trap door, it barely moved. Gritting her teeth she added more force behind it and with a low creaking groan the rusty metal gave and she was able to pop it open. Her arms were shaking by the time she pulled herself into the elevator shaft, her eyes barely adjusting to the dim light. Crouching on the balls of her feet she dug out her phone and turned on the flash light.