Free Ticket to Nowhere, Chapter 15

A Stark Mystery

What could possibly go wrong? Did I really say that?

I banged my head against the elevator wall. The elevator that was currently stuck between floors. The elevator I was trapped in with a wannabe lion, a backstabbing munchkin, and the dame that started the trouble in the first place. I patted my jacket pockets, searching in vain. Why did I leave my flask at home?

Kelly ducked her head and peered up at me. Tears sparkled on her ridiculously long lashes. Too bad they were crocodile tears. Her poor-pitiful-me look might have worked if I hadn’t caught the cold, assessing gleam in her eyes that she couldn’t quite hide.

I hardened my expression and stepped away from her. Well, I tried to step away but there wasn’t much room in this metal box holding us suspended between the 119th and 118th floors.

Trapped! The walls were closing in — too many people too close to me. My chest tightened. My heart fluttered in my chest like a bird of prey trying to escape a cage. My gaze darted from one side of that metal box to the other. Heat flushed through my body. Cold sweat rolled down my back pooling at the waistband of my pants. I hope the ink on that manuscript doesn’t run.

My stomach churned. I tried to inhale, but my lungs were blocked. I had to get out of here. I couldn’t get air. I couldn’t breathe. I was having a panic attack — or maybe DTs from the lack of alcohol in my system. I wasn’t sure which. All I knew was that we were never going to make it out of here.

Can’t lives on won’t street. Wait, what? Where did that cheesy line come from?

So intent on trying to find a way out of the elevator, I missed the sound of handcuffs hitting the floor. Next thing I know, I’m fighting off hands tugging on the waistband of my pants.

Now normally, when a doll like Kelly wanted to get in my britches, I’d let her. But this dame? This dame was no good. She didn’t want me. She just wanted that manuscript.

I peeled her hands off of me. “A little help here, fellas?” I asked as I wrestled with her. For such a tiny thing, she sure was strong. Felt like I was taking on an octopus. “Fellas?”

Fred and Larry had their eyes glued to the ceiling. I looked up. Apparently falling handcuffs weren’t the only thing I had missed. Another dame, this one with long, blonde curls wearing a sparkling pink dress, leaned in the escape hatch at the top of the elevator.

Her husky laugh filled the little metal box. “Need a hand, boys?”

A tiny name tag rested on a well-endowed bosom. I squinted my eyes trying to look beyond the obvious and read the tag. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“Glinda? Really? Like the good witch?” I shook my head in disbelief.

The blonde bombshell rolled her eyes. “You’re half right. I’ll let you figure out which half,” she huffed. “Now do you need help getting out of here or not? I don’t have all day. The gala performance is coming up soon and I need to prepare. I’m singing with the King of Karaoke, you know.”

The blonde swished a wand in circles and blew some kind of fairy dust into the elevator. Poof! A rope ladder dropped from the escape hatch. “Hurry up, y’all. Let’s go.”

I waved the powder out of my face and opened my mouth to tell Larry to go first so he could keep an eye on Kelly but nothing came out.

My voice! My magic voice was gone.

To be continued in Chapter 16…

Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Chapter 13 • Chapter 14