Elevators

...are scary.

Ever since I lived in a 7th floor dorm room in college and had to take an elevator several times a day, I have had reoccurring nightmares of being trapped in free-falling elevators and perishing. I told Erik about it once, and he informed me that dur, elevators have emergency brake systems AND some sort of apparatus at the bottom to absorb the impact. After that, I stopped having the nightmares.

Of course they came back with a vengeance though; logic and reason didn't squelch these nightmares (when I hear "nightmare" I always picture these creepy red-eyed lady horses hanging out in a forest, 'cause you know, mares in the night?). Last month I started my internship at the zoo, and because I take the lightrail, guess what I get to ride on from the tunnel up to the zoo!

When it's 5 o'clock and I am forced to leave my cozy desk area (which I love because it came pre-decorated with wolves and wolves are AWESOME), I put my rainboots on all slow because I just know today's the day I'm going to die in that elevator. I pass by the zoo entrance with all of the Christmas lights and I think, "well, at least this is a good last scene." I cross the road, get up to the elevator door, press the down button, and shiver because it is the button of doom. And also it's cold out.

I always try to look for "Otis" written somewhere, because I want it to be a brand name elevator. If it has a brand name, it's legit and thus safer, right? Of course, this one seems to be a no-name brand. "T" for tunnel lights up and then you free fall 243 ft (there's a diagram in there of how you're going to die) and your ears pop and your guts get all discombobulated and sometimes it's fun to jump and feel all light, but mostly you're trying to think of something cool in your last moments because what was that loud noise and does it always fall this fast?

And then the doors open and I high-tail it out of there, chuckling to myself and wondering why I have to make elevator rides so dramatic, but also I'm so happy to be alive.