It was dark inside the elevator. So dark in fact, Oscar couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or not, so he blinked a few times to make certain. Cheryl, on the other hand knew what was happening. Ever level headed, she instantly began groping about the pitch darkness for her purse.

As Cheryl started to rummage about in her purse, Reality began to wash over Oscar like a tsunami. He possessed a debilitating fear of small dark places ever since his older sister locked him in a closet when they were young. Cheryl could hear Oscar’s breathing become frantic.

“Hey, just take it easy, buddy. Everything is going to be okay. Give me just...one...aha!” With a flick, Cheryl cast a light from a tiny lighter. The modest flicker cast its light up Cheryl and Oscar’s faces. Oscar’s was dripping with fear and perspiration.

“Th-th-thank you,” stammered Oscar, still hyperventilating, but noticeably less frantic.

“Let’s see if the phone still works,” said Cheryl with a soothing calmness.

Cheryl directed the tiny light source toward the elevator’s control panel and found the red telephone. Cheryl picked up the emergency phone and heard a recording answer on the other end.

“We are experiencing unprecedented power outages. Please remain calm and stay on the line.”

“Wh-what did they say?” Questioned Oscar, panic painted his voice.

“They said there’s power outages all over the city and we should remain calm,” replied Cheryl.

“Calm. Calm. Remain perfectly calm.” Oscar repeated this over and over to himself with minimal success.

“Are you gonna be okay? Hey. Everything is going to be fine.” Cheryl tried to sound reassuring.

“Yeah. Yeah. Everything is. Calm. Just stay calm.” Oscar stammered, gripped at his collar and let out a whimper.

“My name’s Cheryl. What’s yours?”

“O-O-Oscar.”

“Nice to meet you Oscar.”

“I-I-I don’t like the dark.”

“I can tell,” Cheryl tried to lighten the mood.

“D-d-don’t like sm-sm-small sp-sp-spaces either.” With this Oscar let out a heavy, exasperated sigh which blew out Cheryl’s lighter, plunging the elevator into darkness.

At this, Oscar screamed at the top of his lungs.

As she lit the lighter again, Cheryl did her absolute best to calm the frantic Oscar down.

“Hey, hey, Oscar, listen to me. I need you to calm down. I know that’s easier said than done right now, but freaking out like this isn’t going to get us out of here faster. Okay, buddy? You mind if I call you buddy? There, there. You’re gonna be perfectly okay. We both are. I’m sure it’s just a freak summer blackout, you know how those happen. Just keep breathing.”

“I-I-I can’t keep breathing, we’ll run out of oxygen and suffocate in here. We’re riding in a steel casket that will choke the life out of us eventually,” ironically, this made Oscar breath with more fervor and frequency.

“Oscar, buddy, elevators aren’t air tight. Here, you feel this?” Cheryl held Oscar’s hand up to a vent, he felt a tiny draft of air and Cheryl felt him become less frantic. “You see? Plenty of air. Until one of us lets one rip; hope you didn’t have beans for lunch today, Oscar.” Cheryl was trying her best to bring levity to the dark elevator because she, too, was starting to slip.

Apparently jokes about flatulence are a panacea in panic, because for a brief moment Oscar was too busy chuckling to remember he was having a panic attack.

“Hello? Hello?” A voice from the emergency phone spoke.

“Hello! We’re stuck in the elevator! 620 Broadway! The power has gone out!” Shouted Cheryl into the phone.

“Power is out across the whole city,” said the phone voice. “Push and hold the emergency stop button, the elevator should drop and open on the ground level.”

Cheryl did as instructed and the elevator did indeed descend and open on the ground floor. Cheryl and Oscar stepped out into the dark lobby and stared out into the blacked out street.

“You gonna be okay?” Asked Cheryl.

“My studio is going to be just like the elevator”

“Here, take my light,” said Cheryl “think of me as your personal Prometheus.”

“Thanks,” replied Oscar, moved almost to tears, as they headed out into the darkness.