fantishu
[16] b
As I arrived at the elevator door leading to the lobby, I thought, this is a good opportunity, right? No one is following me home as usual. I can finally execute my plan to take the emergency exit stairs when I come home from work. Not for exercise, but to make my body tired. So, I decided to push the emergency exit and climb the stairs one by one.
My laptop bag, work bag, and a tote bag filled with financial documents were hanging on my finger, and don’t forget my other hand that was already crowded with stuff. I carried my high heels. Slowly, I walked in this rather dirty stairwell. When I saw the floor sign in the corner, it showed number five. I was halfway there to the tenth floor.
My breath only reached my throat. My forehead was drenched in sweat. Occasionally, I wiped it with the back of my hand that held the laptop bag. I was certain that my shirt and bra were soaked. Sticky, due to the sweat that had come out. There was no fresh air coming in and out here, right? It was stuffy, hot, and the struggle was entangled within me.
But I couldn’t give up. I kept taking slow steps because this was what I wanted. The silence here made me shiver a bit, though. But I was sure nothing weird was going on. It was just quiet, and the sound of my heavy breathing probably made me a little scared. When I saw the number nine as the indicator of one more floor to go, I sighed in relief.
Although tired, I was still glad that I could do it. Now I just have to feel the effects of this crazy activity. Tomorrow, I’ll do it again as often as I can. I’ll just pray that Cedric won’t escort me all the way to the door. Why didn’t I just kick him out? Well, in the past few days, the situation didn’t allow for it. Dona and Naomi were there. I couldn’t just kick Cedric out like that.
Well, it’s not a bad idea as long as I can carry out my plan. I tilted my head back slightly when I reached the last flight of stairs leading to the tenth floor. I didn’t count how many steps there were in one floor. All I did was recite a strong mantra to get to my destination. I smiled triumphantly. I wiped the sweat that was dripping slowly.
As soon as I saw the steel emergency exit door, I immediately pushed it with all the remaining strength I had. But it didn’t open. I pushed it again, but the door didn’t budge at all. Panic started to set in. My mind suddenly thought of strange things. I put down all my belongings so I could push it more freely. Still, it wouldn’t open. Oh my God! What’s happening?
I continued to exert all my strength to push it, but it was futile. Panic began to overwhelm me. There’s no way I slept in here, right? Or maybe the security has started locking each exit door? They never do that, though. I’m sure of it.
Wait… am I just being presumptuous?
What should I do? Seriously, I’m starting to panic.
***
“Thanks, sir. Sorry to bother you,” I said with a relieved smile. The security guard on duty tonight did the same. Maybe it’s part of their responsibility while working.
“Yes, ma’am. If you want to exercise, just go to the park at the back,” he joked.
I chuckled. Honestly, this is such an embarrassing situation for me. It’s embarrassingly awkward. I’ve tried pushing the door multiple times, but it didn’t budge. I suspect it’s locked. At first, panic immediately struck me, and I thought about going back downstairs to the lobby.
But that’s just silly. Even though I might get tired, I don’t want to end up fainting in the apartment lobby. That would cause a commotion. After calming down a bit and my mind is not completely blank, I called the reception desk. The residents of this apartment must have their phone numbers.
I informed them that I’m trapped in the emergency exit on the tenth floor. Desi, the friendly receptionist I know, was surprised by the news, but I didn’t care. The most important thing is that someone opens this door, and I can get out soon.
And here I am now. I’ve made it back inside my unit. After making sure the two security guards turned away and left, I closed the door with a sigh of relief compared to when they confirmed that I was behind the locked door. Thankfully, I didn’t go overboard and scream as if I were in great distress.
I don’t really care about my belongings right now. I just left everything on the sofa and decided to head to the fridge. One glass, or maybe two glasses of cold water, would help ease my fatigue a bit. And it did help; my thirst was quenched. Then I plopped down on the carpet near the sofa. My feet were a bit stiff, and my heels hurt.
I guess that’s because I’m not used to moving around and then climbing so many stairs all of a sudden. I did consider this possibility, but now that I’m experiencing it, I slightly regret it. It’s almost like self-torture, isn’t it? Even reaching for the bottle of eucalyptus oil in my bag was so tiring. So, I chose to massage my feet gently without any ointment, hoping that the pain would subside.Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
Gradually, the living room started to feel cool with the air conditioning on. My clothes were wet from sweat, making me feel sticky. So, I decided to unbutton my shirt and remove my bottoms. It seems like I need to take a shower. My shirt is damp, and I’m sure my bra and underwear are wet from the sweat too.
Reluctantly, I dragged my stiff feet to step into the bathroom. I filled the bathtub with warm water, sprinkling some bath salts, and lit scented candles. But I didn’t immediately get in; my body was still damp, and I needed to remove the remaining makeup from my face. I also had to tie my hair properly because I didn’t want to go to bed with semi-dry hair.
After ensuring my face was clean, I started to get into the bathtub. I dipped my toes into the warm water I had prepared. Inhaling deeply the soothing aroma to calm myself. Ah, I even played some calming music, Kenny G, to accompany me. I’m not a big fan of him, but I appreciate how he plays instruments and produces melodies that make me feel comfortable.
I lay back, supporting some part of my neck and head with a small pillow. Closing my eyes, I felt the warmth enveloping my skin. Occasionally, my palms played with the foam in the water. Ah, it was truly an activity that made me so much more relaxed, and my fatigue suddenly vanished.
In my head, plans started to form about what to do next. Maybe a glass of milk and a couple of slices of bread would be nice to accompany me while I work late. This afternoon, I already sorted out some parts of the report I brought home. Tonight, I will review it more thoroughly. It’s not easy, considering the large amounts and various items that need checking in one table.
I wouldn’t be able to do double-checking at the office. Krystal would probably call me for this and that. So, rather than taking any risk, it seemed better to bring the report back to the apartment.
I ended the soaking session after ten Kenny G songs had played. That meant I had been in here for more than twenty minutes. As I stood up, I felt a strong earthquake strike. My hands gripped the edge of the bathtub tightly. My heart raced, thinking I wouldn’t survive this.
But before I could recover from the shock of the earthquake, my stomach was suddenly overwhelmed by intense nausea. I staggered, trying hard to get to the sink quickly. I vomited, not caring about the earthquake. This was more important!