Stuck in the Elevator Hallway to My Old High School

Stuck in the Elevator Hallway to My Old High School

I was late for the morning meeting at the office, but the elevator wouldn't stop on my floor. I kept pressing the button, and the doors opened onto a hallway that stretched forever, lined with the same beige carpet from the lobby. I ran, but my shoes felt like I was wading through water. Eventually I reached a conference room that looked exactly like the one at work, except the windows showed a street I didn't recognize—my old high school hallway. A teacher I hadn't seen in years was standing at the podium, handing out papers I hadn't studied for. I tried to hand him my notebook, but it turned into a set of keys that wouldn't fit any lock. The clock on the wall kept ticking backwards, and when I finally shouted for a break, the fire alarm blared and everyone started filing out, but the doors led to my apartment kitchen. I was still in my work shirt, holding a coffee mug that was empty, while my roommate stared at me, confused, as if I had just walked in from a police lineup.