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Between Floors
Daniel is late for a client dinner when the elevator stops between floors. The delivery person stuck with him is oddly calm. Then they call him by a name he never gave them.
Characters
- DANIEL - 38, an attorney at a corporate firm, used to being the most important person in the room
- ROWAN - 30s, any gender, wears a delivery jacket, carries a small package, in no hurry at all
Setting
An office building elevator stopped between floors, a little after seven on a weeknight.
An office building elevator, stopped between floors. The lights flicker, then hold. DANIEL, 38, in a suit, jabs the emergency button.
ROWAN, 30s, in a delivery jacket, leans against the back wall holding a small package.
DANIEL
Come on. Come on.
ROWAN
It rings down in the lobby. Nobody's in the lobby after seven.
DANIEL
How do you know that?
ROWAN
I deliver here a lot.
DANIEL
Great. Fantastic.
He checks his phone. No signal. Rowan doesn't check anything.
DANIEL
You're not gonna call somebody?
ROWAN
Who would I call?
DANIEL
I don't know. Your dispatch.
ROWAN
Dispatch doesn't fix elevators.
DANIEL
You're very calm.
ROWAN
It's a box in a shaft. It's not going anywhere. That's kind of the whole point of it being stuck.
DANIEL
(half a laugh)
Okay.
He loosens his tie. Sits on the floor. Then stands again.
DANIEL
I've got a thing at eight. A dinner thing. Client.
ROWAN
Steakhouse on Fourth?
DANIEL
...Yeah. Actually.
ROWAN
Everybody in this building goes there. It's a whole ecosystem.
DANIEL
Right.
ROWAN
You should try the place across from it. The one with the green awning. It's better and nobody from here goes.
DANIEL
I'll keep that in mind.
Beat. The elevator ticks.
ROWAN
You should sit. Could be a while.
DANIEL
I'm fine.
ROWAN
You look tired, Daniel.
Small pause. Daniel almost lets it go. Almost.
DANIEL
Sorry, what?
ROWAN
I said you look tired.
DANIEL
You said my name.
ROWAN
Did I?
DANIEL
I didn't tell you my name.
ROWAN
It's on your badge.
Daniel looks down. His badge is clipped to his belt, turned backwards. He flips it over. It reads D. HARGROVE.
DANIEL
It says D.
ROWAN
Lucky guess.
DANIEL
There's a lot of D names.
ROWAN
Not that many.
DANIEL
Who are you.
ROWAN
I'm the person who's stuck in an elevator with you. Same as you're stuck with me.
DANIEL
What's in the box.
ROWAN
Nothing. It's empty. I just carry it. People hold doors for you when you've got a box.
Daniel presses the emergency button again. Holds it.
ROWAN
I told you. Nobody in the lobby.
DANIEL
How long have you been delivering here.
ROWAN
Since about the time your firm moved in. Nineteen months. You had the corner office by month three. That's fast.
DANIEL
Okay, I don't know what you think you know...
ROWAN
I know you get in at 7:40. I know you take the stairs when you're mad. I know you had lunch with a woman from eleven who cried in the bathroom after. I know you signed off on a thing in March that you probably don't even remember signing.
DANIEL
I sign a lot of things.
ROWAN
Yeah. That's the problem with it.
Daniel steps back. There's nowhere to step.
DANIEL
Is this about money.
ROWAN
(genuinely surprised)
No.
DANIEL
Then what. What do you want.
ROWAN
I wanted to see if you'd recognize me.
DANIEL
I don't.
ROWAN
I know. That's kind of the whole answer.
DANIEL
Whatever happened, whatever you think I... I can look into it. Give me a name. A case number. I'll look into it Monday, I swear to God.
ROWAN
Daniel. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to be really clear about that. I've been in this box with you for eleven minutes and I've had every chance.
DANIEL
Then why...
ROWAN
Because now you know what it feels like. When somebody has your name and you don't have theirs.
A clunk. The lights brighten. The elevator lurches and starts moving. Daniel grabs the rail.
DANIEL
Wait. Wait, what did I sign.
ROWAN
Look at the March files. The ones under a thousand. You'll find it.
The doors open on an empty floor. Rowan steps out, box under one arm.
ROWAN
The green awning. Seriously. You'd like it.
DANIEL
Are you... am I gonna see you again?
ROWAN
(without turning around)
You already do. Every day. You just never looked.
The doors close. Daniel stands alone. He looks down at his badge. He turns it to face forward.
End of script