The Elevator: Part One (complete)

I’ve been coming to the True Love’s Kiss almost every day now. I can’t seem to leave the place alone, as if I am drawn to the building. I feel at home here, with an ease and comfort I can’t find anywhere else. 

I wander around each day, finding a spot to sit down. I people-watch for the most part, observing all the shapes and sizes of the folks that come through. I like to sketch, so I often draw what I see. I sketch the faces, the way people’s hands rest under their chins. I love to capture the shadows of their lashes against their cheeks, or the way their lips settle when their expressions relax. The True Love’s Kiss has no shortage of people. I rarely see a person more than twice. 

There is a particular couple I see quite regularly. They’re very handsome men, and I only seem to see them together. I have seen many a beautiful person in the True Love’s Kiss, but these two have their own unique brand of beauty. They’re like a force of nature, almost blinding to behold. They are always dressed in black, with never a hint of color to their wardrobe. It also seems like I only ever see them in the evenings.

On a particularly rainy afternoon, the lobby is packed with people who want to escape the damp. The bistro is slammed, so I forego my usual coffee and crueller and wander a bit more. I stop in front of the old elevator. There is a plaque beside honoring the original elevator attendant, Ostivo, and another name I can’t quite make out. The elevator itself is new, but maintains parts from the original, including the gold filigree metalwork on the doors. I’ve not gone past the first floor before, so I have never taken the elevator. But today seems like a good day.

As the doors open and I step inside, a chill goes down my neck. I feel a bit strange, even uneasy, as I look at the panel of buttons before me. Shakily, I try to decide where to go. I don’t know anything about the True Love’s Kiss beyond the ground floor. I choose the button for the roof, then take a step back.

Another part of the original elevator that remains is the old pully crank - now just a decorative prop, offering a bit of history. The back wall is a mirror, but when I lean against the glass, it feels like I am touching someone. I turn, glancing behind me, and see someone else in the reflection. I jolt away from the glass, and watch the woman where my reflection should be plummet, as if the elevator bottom has opened up. I hear her scream as she falls to her death.

I’m screaming too, and so hard I don’t notice the elevator doors open. I stumble backwards, falling out into a room. I selected the roof, but all I see above me is the beams of a high ceiling.

“Special delivery?”

I scramble at the sound of the voice, picking myself up off the floor. I look into the room to see it is an open-plan suite. The roof must have been converted into a penthouse, and the button was just never changed to reflect it.

A man comes towards me, dressed all in black and almost too beautiful to look at. “Royal, did you order something?”

“No,” a voice calls from somewhere in the back. “Why do you ask?”

I gape like a landed fish, still shaken by what I witnessed in the elevator.

The second man comes out to stand beside the first. “I may not have ordered it,” he says with a grin, “but I will certainly pay for it.” He steps forward and extends his hand. “Are you lost, by chance?”

“The roof. I was…” I gulp and shake my head. “I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to intrude! I was wanting to go to the roof, even though it’s…” Why did I want to go to the roof? It’s raining! What on earth was I thinking?

“Well, you’re partially right.” He takes my hand, closing it in both of his own. “But I think fate brought you here.”

The first man approaches, his long white hair swept to the side and hanging off his shoulder. Even indoors, he wears a pair of dark sunglasses. “Let her be, Royal. Don’t frighten the girl.” He nods respectfully. “What brings you to the TLK, Miss...?”

“Aggie,” I manage to squeak. “I don’t have a reason for being here really. I just like it.” I fidget with my heavy bag, trying to hide it behind me.

“Aggie, eh?” Royal says with a smirk. “Well, pleasure to meet you, Aggie. My name is Royal. This pale chap here is Desimir, but I call him Desi.”

Desimir sighs, and I can almost hear the roll of his eyes. “I believe I have seen you around, just sitting in the lobby.” he says. He rolls his wrist, gesturing. His nails are also painted black.

“I like it here,” I confess shyly. “I feel comfortable.”

Royal shoots Desimir a quick glance before he smiles at me. “And where do you come from, Aggie? Do you live nearby?”

I clam up. Looking at them too long is short-circuiting my brain.

“Don’t be rude,” Desimir whispers to Royal. Then he tells me, “If you aren’t busy, perhaps I could interest you in some tea.”

I shake my head. “Oh, no, really!” I let a nervous smile break through. “You don’t have to. I interrupted you in your home, you don’t need to…”

“Nonsense,” Royal grins. His golden hair hangs in soft curls around his face. “Come in, we’d love the company. We have had our own for far too long.”

“Oh... well then, if it’s OK.” I step closer, and they lead me deeper into their home. Everything is open - even their bed is exposed. It sits on a platform, and curtains drape down around it from the high ceiling. I look around, my mouth hanging open a bit until I am led to a bar. I sit down on one of the stools as Royal goes to the kitchen. Desimir comes up beside me and gives me a look, and I suddenly feel so scrutinized.

“Do you mind?” he asks.

“Mind?” I flinch.

“Your hair.” He reaches out and captures a lock in his hand. “My profession is hair and makeup.” He starts gathering my hair into his hands. The deep red of my hair seems brighter against his milky-white skin. He combs his fingers through my locks, and his nails touch the back of my neck, sending an electric shiver down my spine. “You have very beautiful hair, Aggie,” Desimir murmurs. “But you have some split ends. I could take care of those for you.”

“You don’t have to,” I shake my head. “It’s really OK.”

“No one in the world is better at hair than Desi.” Royal sets teacups down on the bar. “People in the True Love’s Kiss fight over the privilege of having him paint their lips, let alone make their hair into a work of art.”

Desimir sniffs. “You flatter me, dear Royal.” He works his fingers through my hair, plaiting it into a french braid. He works so fast, I barely realize he is done in minutes. 

“And what do you do?” I glance to Royal. “Do you do the same thing?”

Royal laughs. “Oh, heavens no.” He takes the kettle off the stove and pours the water into a teapot. “For the most part, I am a lazy housecat.” He moves the teapot over to the bar. “I retired ages ago, but I do photography to make myself feel useful.”

My eyes open wide. “Retired? But you look so young.”

“Look around his eyes. You’ll see it there,” Desimir teases.

Royal sticks his tongue out at him. “I used to act, but I gave it up.” He pours tea for me, filling one of the dainty cups. “What about you, Aggie? What do you do?”

I look into the teacup as it’s placed before me. “I’d like to hear more about your acting,” I say excitedly. “I’ve always been fascinated by the stage. Or did you do more movies?”

Royal’s slight smirk fades into contemplation. He shrugs, pouring another cup of tea for himself. “I’ve done all manner of things. Stage, screen - you name it, I’ve done it. But after a while it held no allure for me anymore. Something happened, dear Aggie, that changed in me. I do photography now as my creative outlet.”

I nod and blush slightly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“You had no way of knowing,” Royal shakes his head. “It’s quite all right.” He takes up his teacup and sips at it. “I like what I do now. I work for the TLK, much like Desimir does. It’s really quite fun.”

“What exactly do you take photos of?” I tilt my head to the side.

The grin that spreads across his face is dangerous and gorgeous all at once. “Depends,” he purrs. “It all relies on what the customer wants.”

I furrow my brow. “Why, the way you talk, it sounds as if you’re hinting at something salacious.”

“He is,” Desimir scoffs, still playing with my hair. He’s taken it out of the braids and is now curling it around his fingers. 

“Some of the best art in the world contains nudity,” Royal scoffs. “How is mine any different?” 

“Okay,” I bite back my smile. “So you take nudes?”

Royal rolls his bright violet eyes. “I capture life in all its forms. Nudity is how we enter this world! It is the most natural state to be in.”

“You’d best run now,” Desimir whispers to me. “Or he’ll have you naked on the bed as well.”

Another electric shiver goes down my spine. 

“I most certainly would not!” Royal scoffs. “I would have to earn such a vision.” He winks at me, and my temperature spikes through the roof. “We both would, Desi.”

Desi has released my hair. “If you want me to shoo him away, just ask, Aggie. I do not mind giving him a scolding.”

“So, you two work together as well?” I touch my cheek, hoping I’m not turning too red.

“Of course. We have for a long time.” Royal pours himself another cup of tea. “He is the only one I allow to style my models, or else I feel as though the picture will not reveal its greatest beauty.”

“He has talent, do not get me wrong.” Desimir smirks. “I simply love to try and get his goat.”

“Daily,” Royal scoffs.

“I’m curious,” I say. “I would love to see how you work.”

“You can see it firsthand if you want.” A curl falls in front of Royal’s eyes as he says this, and the look he gives me makes me quiver. “When is the last time you had two men fawn over you, Aggie?”

My voice catches in my throat, and I giggle uncontrollably. “Why do I have the feeling that you two are just trying to torment me for coming to your apartment?”

“Certainly not. We know not to play with our food.” Desimir’s fingers brush up the back of my neck, making me bite down on my cheek.

I give in a little, allowing Desimir to cut and style my hair and paint my face. Staring in the mirror, I feel as though someone else is looking back at me. I look like a sultry vamp, her sharp eyes lined with black ink to give her the glare of a cat, her red hair coiffed and fluffed into a cascade of liquid ruby falling from a knot at the top of her head. Who is she? Why is she looking at me that way?

Desimir dresses me in a sheer blue robe with fur lining the collar and sleeves. Underneath I am naked, but when I look at my reflection, I see that woman I do not know. She is beautiful, sexy, and powerful.

“Come, come.” Royal pats a chair for me to sit in. He moves my body, posing me as well as the robe. “You don’t mind do you, Aggie? I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

I shake my head. “Not at all. Go ahead.”

His strong hand slips up my leg and thigh, spreading my legs so that the red curls of my mound are visible. I am growing wet with arousal and fear I may ruin the beautiful robe, but the more Royal moves me while Desimir plays with my hair, the more I am drenched with desire.

Desimir and Royal move away, behind the camera. Royal takes several pictures, then comes back and poses me again.

“It’s okay, isn’t it?” He breathes. “You don’t mind?”

“I’m comfortable.” My loins ache with need, but I keep playing. “You can do whatever you need.”

Royal opens the robe, exposing my small breasts. I gasp softly, not in alarm, but because his expression is hungry. “Very beautiful,” Royal murmurs. “But I would like the nipples a bit harder.” His eyes flick up to mine. “Do you mind?”

“Please,” I pant.

Royal’s mouth sinks over my breast while one hand plays with the other. He pinches and twists before switching. His teeth nip and pull, sucking all the while. I feel dizzy, elated, totally overwhelmed. I know I am soaking through the robe to the chair beneath now. I need to be touched, or I will go crazy.

The camera snaps, and I look up in shock to see Desimir operating it. “Keep going,” he whispers.

“Is this all right?” Royal asks again. “May I keep going?”

I nod, and red curls fall into my eyes. “Yes.”

I am swallowed up by his kiss. It is heavy and hungry and I cling to his body. Desimir takes another photo. I rip away Royal’s clothes, touching the golden curls on his chest and kissing there. His fingers sink into me, spilling more of my nectar while his mouth burns against my skin. Desimir takes another photograph. 

“Sit still,” Royal pants. “Lean back.” He moves away from the chair, leaving me splayed, hot, and vulnerable. Royal takes a picture, naked himself, his thick cock rolling up his thigh.

“Let me fix your makeup.” Desimir approaches this time. He smooths his thumb over my lips. The red lipstick has become smudged and melted from Royal’s kisses, and Desimir’s tongue darts over them before planting his own kiss. He smudges more lipstick down my chest, leaving a red stain between my breasts. His hands clamp on my open thighs, and I shudder.

Royal breathes in excitement, taking more pictures as Desimir kneels between my legs. I throw my head back as his tongue touches me. His fingers and mouth work over my aching slit, licking me clean and making a mess all at the same time.

“Good,” Royal moans, stroking his cock while he watches. “Having fun, Aggie?”

“Yes!” I cry out, grabbing Desimir’s long white hair. 

“Then let’s move this to the bed.” Royal bites his bottom lip. “I need some landscape shots.”

Desimir growls against me, not done with his feast. He rises, his mouth open in an odd way and his blood-red tongue hanging out further than it should. His glasses are fogged, and he takes them off, revealing bright pink eyes. His tongue laps at the corners of his mouth, and he smirks at me. “Everything all right, Aggie?”

I look down, seeing his cock bulging through his pants. I look back into his eyes and nod shyly. “You should get comfortable too.”

I’m led to the bed, where Royal pins back the curtains. He sets up his camera again then poses me laying down on the bed. He kisses me while his fingers slip inside. I whimper into his mouth, taking deep breaths as he coaxes molten liquid from me. He lies on top of me, spreading my legs before wrapping them around him.

“It’s been so long.” A voice I don’t recognize comes from my lips. 

“I know.” Royal moves into place. His thick cock stretches my labia, parting me open so his heat melts into mine.

My back arches off the bed as Royal fills me. I toss my head, moaning out loud. He breathes against my skin, pulling out before he plunges in deeper. I grunt, biting my lip to keep my voice down. I look across the room to see Desmir standing by the camera. His erect cock is long and white, with a bright pink head. As he strokes it, precome coats his fingers. 

“Agatha,” Royal moans into my ear.

I look up into his eyes, seeing a shimmer inside them. “What did you say?” I whimper.

Royal kisses me, and I rake my fingers down his back. He rises up, plunging deep inside me as the camera clicks. Desmir moves in close, painting more lipstick onto my mouth. He turns my head, pressing the head of his cock to my lips.

“I know,” I moan against him, using that voice I don’t recognize. “It’s OK.”

His cock slips into my mouth, pulsing on my tongue. As he pulls away, the red lipstick leaves a ring around him. He pushes in again, going a little further, nearly touching the back of my throat. To my surprise, I love the feeling, and I like it even better when I see the ring of lipstick around his shaft.

I feel as though I have been here before. There is a flicker of a memory in my mind, one that burns like the flame of a candle. The more that Royal and Desimir touch me, pleasure me, the more I see the woman from the reflection. She’s the same one I saw in the elevator, the same one I saw when Desimir painted me. She comes through my memories, but I am looking through her eyes. 

I wake up in the cold, staring up a shaft of pale light coming down through an enclosed space. My body is twisted on the cold floor, my back bent over something I cannot feel. There is the carnage of twisted metal and sparking wires around. Above, a cord dangles with the ends frayed and tattered. I can’t feel anything. All I can do is look up as the world goes cold around me. I rise up and float. Around me, debris levitates and comes together like pieces of a puzzle. It forms an object - a box - and I am in the center. I am warm, a bit too warm actually.

The elevator doors open, and the elevator attendant turns to me. “Which floor, Ms. Agatha?”

“Oh please, Ostivo.” I beam as I look at him. “You know it’s Missus.” I pat his arm. I look up, seeing Royal and Desimir across the room. “Hold the elevator for a moment, would you, love?”

I walk out to greet the two men, kissing them both. Royal’s hair is coiffed and slicked back so only one curl hangs on his forehead. Desimir’s hair is short as well, parted harshly down the middle and combed to the sides.

“We’ll be upstairs in a moment, dear Aggie.” Royal kisses my forehead. “We are just dealing with a few more things. You go on up and order yourself something fancy, on us.” His grin is bright and dazzling.

Desimir kisses my cheek. “We won’t keep you waiting long. We promise.”

“Oh, all right. Sad day a lady has to fetch her own table,” I grin as I tease them. “But I suppose this is the way the modern world works now!”

“Get out of here.” Royal playfully swats my rear. “You won’t have to wait on a thing tonight, I assure you of that.”

“You’d better keep that promise. I wouldn’t want you to be liars now.”

Desimir kisses me again. “Never in a million years.”

I giggle as I stride back to the elevator. “To the dining room, Ostivo.” I grin brightly at him as the doors close.

“As you wish, Mrs. Agatha.” He pulls the lever, and the elevator starts to rise slowly. 

I wake up again, staring at the curtains descending from the ceiling. I’m warm, and the world around me is soft. On either side of me are the bodies of Royal and Desimir. I sit up, taking a deep breath as the world becomes familiar again. 

“Where am I?” I groan as I hold my head in my hands. I can’t remember. All I know is that each day, I find myself in the lobby of the True Love’s Kiss.

“Aggie,” Royal whispers. He rises and looks at me. “Aggie, please, don’t leave us just yet.”

I look at him, then turn as Desimir moves into my lap. “But… I don’t know where I am.” My breath catches in my chest. “Who are you? What’s going on?” I capture my face between my palms, but something feels so strange.

“You’re here.” Desimir’s voice cracks. He takes hold of my hands and turns me to look at him. “You’re home where you’re supposed to be.”

Royal wraps me up in his arms. “It’s taken so long, Aggie. Don’t leave us again. Not now. Not ever again!” he pleads as he trembles.

I hold him, listening to both of them breathing as they try to keep me in place. But I feel the urge to move, to run. I feel as though something is chasing me. The sudden sensation of falling strikes me, and I leap from the bed, scrambling away from them. I crash to the floor, and above me, I see a light coming down through a tunnel. I roll over onto my side, seeing bits of twisted metal and debris around me.

I cough, grasping my chest as I manage to lift myself up. I look for that tunnel of light, but it’s gone. All around me, there is only the apartment; no metal, no wreckage. There is a pain going down my spine that makes my arms and legs tingle.

I walk away from the bed, racing to the doors that open to the elevator. My hand hovers over the button for a long, quiet eternity. I press it. As the doors open, I see the woman I don’t know in the mirror. She looks back at me with a wide, terrified gaze. 

“No…” I shake my head wildly. “No, wait! Don’t!” I rush towards her, and she holds out her hand to me. Her body stumbles, and then she falls with a scream. I scream back hysterically, falling backwards onto the ground as I try to cover my head. I lie curled on the floor, screaming until my throat is raw. 

“Aggie!” Royal and Desimir pull me back into the suite as the elevator closes. 

“What’s going on?” I start to cry. “Who is she? Why does she keep falling?” I cling to them, trying to pull myself up, but my body is so heavy. At any moment, I could crash through the floor, cascading down the vertical corridor until only a speck of light is above me. 

The two hold me tight, keeping me locked in their embrace. For a long time, we are silent, and that is all I want from the world. As sunlight starts to filter in through the windows, my memory begins to falter.

“Don’t go,” Royal whimpers. 

Desimir is crying, red streaks trailing down his face. “Stay with us this time, please! Don’t leave us again, Aggie!”

I try to breathe, but all I feel is that cold air. “Just hold me. Just hold me.”

I try to stay. I try to keep that flame of memory from blowing out. Stay here, stay with them, do not leave. I keep myself focused on remaining, but I have no idea on how to go back without falling down the shaft. 

“Don’t let me fall again,” I whimper. “Please.”

“I’m so sorry,” Royal blurts. “We should have gone with you.”

Desimir clings tightly, remaining silent. He kisses the top of my head, watching as the elevator doors close again. “You’re here. It’s okay. You’re here now, and we won’t let you go without us again.”

I shiver, feeling jagged metal pierce my spine. I press closer to their bodies, seeking warmth, softness. I breathe in their scent rather than oil, blood, and dust. I open my eyes slowly, and see the elevator doors are closed. I take in a deep breath and realize I am not at the bottom of the shaft. There is no light above me, no cold surrounding me. I am safe, but the uncertainty of how long that will be true scares me. I am never here long enough. I so desperately want to stay.