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Friday, December 9, 2016

Microstory 470: Floor 16 (Part 2)

Writer: Windows. What are windows? Well, they’re like doors, but clear. Windows keep us safe, but they also give us access to the outside world. Windows show us endless possibilities. They protect us from an uncertain future, and lift us from blind Plato-cavers to brilliant scientists, reaching for the stars...literally. Elevators. Elevators too lift us. They magically transport us to new worlds. You step into an elevator in one place, and when you next step out, there is no telling what you’re going to find. Unlike windows, which are clear, elevators hide us from the truth. They keep us from knowing what’s going to happen next. They are a mystery. Unless you’re in a clear elevator, those are different. Atriums. I’m not entirely sure what atriums are. An atrium I’ve seen, but I’m not certain I understand what makes an atrium. They are wide open spaces within buildings. They provide an ironic source of warmth and comfort, even while maintaining a great distance between two points. They allow us to see across these great distances, though, to look beyond our own little bubbles, and to question our reality. And buildings. Buildings as a whole. Buildings can be tall, or they can be short. They can be used for math, or they can be used for sports. Some buildings are good, and some are bad. This building is falling apart, which is sad. Buildings hold everything together, and protect us from the cold harsh truth of reality outside across great distances that bring us down to lower levels. Buildings are important, but are they the most important?
Audience: I don’t understand what this is.
Writer: It’s my essay. On the state of affairs of our company. It’s a scathing inquiry into our situation in this lockdown.
Audience: I imagine you mean indictment, but either way, you say nothing about the lockdown, and that part where you talk about clear elevators really takes the reader out of the narrative. And this whole thing makes no sense, and serves no purpose.
Writer: Art always fills a purpose.
Audience: And you’re not even supposed to be here. You were fired last week.
Writer: That was meant to be permanent? I thought it was just a suspension.
Audience: You’re not a cop, or a student. Nor are you a writer. I want you back out of here as soon as this lockdown is lifted.
Writer: —
Audience: And if you say one thing about elevators or lifting, I swear to God...

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