Can You See Us?

The library will be closing in five minutes. The library will be closing in five minutes. Please bring your items to the desk to be checked out. The intercom screeched as it shut off.

Oh no! I was supposed to be home fifteen minutes ago. My book was so engrossing that I completely lost track of time. People brushed past the table I was sitting at to check out at the front desk.

“You better hurry it up before the library closes. You don’t want to be here when THEY come out.” The old, bald man walked away, cackling to himself.

“They? They who?” I thought. No matter. I slammed my book closed with a bang and shoved it in my backpack.

The library is now closed. Please proceed to the check out desk. Screeeeech.

Since I had already checked my book out, I went to the elevator and pushed the down button.

“Come ooooon. Hurry up. I gotta get home.” I slapped the button a few more times, like that will make the old elevator hurry up. My leg jiggled with impatience and I shifted my backpack.

Ding. The elevator door slid open slowly to reveal an empty interior. My hand reached out and pushed the first floor button. The engine whirred to life. With a lurch, it slowly started to descend. Suddenly, it ground to a halt. Through the doorway, I heard the front desk lady’s call goodbye to each other, and with a resounding click, heard the front door lock.

“Oh noooooooo. How am I going to get out of here?” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and tried to dial for help. No signal.

“It’ll be okay” whispered a voice.

I looked around but I was alone. I must have imagined the voice.

“Try the button”

Another voice chimed in, “He can’t hear you dummy.”

“You’re right. I forgot.”

“Who’s there?” My voice sounded shaky and strange. No one responded. Great… now I was hallucinating. “I must be running out of oxygen! Don’t panic. Don’t panic.” I breathed in and out a few times. While I was huffing and puffing, I noticed a shimmer in the corner. Little by little, the image cleared. I realized that there were two little kids in the elevator with me. Their heads were bent close and they whispered to each other while staring at me. The boy fiddled with a strange contraption in his hands.

“Who are you?!” I backed myself into the corner of the elevator. “You weren’t here before!”

The two kids eyes got big. The little girl shuffled forward a few inches and said in awe, “Can you see us?”

What happens next? Where did they come from? Who are they? What are they doing there?