Ok,ok dont freak out! DON’T FREAK OUT!!!! I have never been so scared in all my life. ME. Trapped in an elevator today of all days. Today my brother was supposed to come home from Afghanistan. I haven’t seen him in ten years and all I wanted to do was give a big and warm embrace. But just my luck;stuck in an elevator with no food no water,no source of entertainment. And the best part? NO BARS!! *sigh* just my luck. Wait is it just me or is this elevator getting smaller? No I must be crazy. All I could feel were the walls caving in. All I could feel was the room getting smaller and smaller and the pain of my knees digging into my lower abdomen. Now I know how mimes feel trapped in those “boxes’’ and how my clothes feel inside of my suitcase when I go on vacation. I thought to myself that I would never get out. Suddenly,the lights went out and I felt my brain go down into my feet. I then suddenly found myself flying upwards and crashing into the ceiling. All I can feel were the rattling of my bones. Then out of nowhere,I heard a loud thud. I thought for sure I was dead. Or maybe it was just the

claustrophobia talking. I could feel myself drifting further and further away from reality.
     Suddenly,the elevator disappears and all I see is white all around me.I call out to see if anyone else was out there but all I heard was my echo bouncing back at me. Until I finally heard a voice bounce back. It was my brother. I run towards him to give that warm embraced I promised him. But as the closer I got to him,the farther away he gets.I didn’t understand. I start to hear him speak back to me. “Why weren’t you there for me when I needed you.” I thought you cared enough about your brother to be there for me when I got home.” Tears began running down my face as I tried to tell him it wasn’t my fault. I kept telling myself none of this was happening and I slapped myself repeatedly until the elevator came back into view.I sat on the ground,guilty of my situation. Everything My brother told me was true. I had let him down. And I let myself down too.

     At this point I was determined to get out,no matter what the cost may be.I tried everything,pounding on the door ramming the door and even prying the door open but to no avail. I was too weak to break free. But I realized that maybe I was using the wrong kind of strength. I realized that physical strength alone wasn’t going to be enough to escape;I needed the mental capacity to pull through and escape this confined prison. And then suddenly it hit me. My claustrophobia was holding me back. My claustrophobia was the shackles that kept me here. I knew now I had to cast it out of me if I wanted to escape.Suddenly,I felt the walls enclosing on me again. My claustrophobia was at it again. I knew now I couldn’t let it consume me like it did all those times before.’No,no NO!!!!” I bellowed “YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!!!” I fought back and pushed the walls back and the elevator was restored. I felt so empowered and free. I finally got over it. After all of these years my claustrophobia is finally gone. I now felt like I could do anything,like I can finally escape this 7 foot metal prison. I knew that pounding and prying on the door wasn’t going to help me escape. I couldn’t rely on brawn alone now. I had to try escaping using my brain this time. I had no other option at this point.

     “HELP!!!!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I used this as a last resort. I waited a couple of moments,but just as I expected,no one responded. But the strangest thing occurred after that. I could’ve sworn that someone actually responded back. Oh no I thought to myself Maybe I am crazy. I then heard a pounding on the wall behind me and I heard the same voice speak to me “Don’t worry son,we’ll have you out in a moment. Whatever you do don’t panic.” Finally I thought to myself This nightmare is finally over.” I suddenly felt myself jolt up. I didn’t hear anyone nor did I hear anything else. I couldn’t believe it. My mind WAS playing tricks on me after all. No one came to my rescue.I’m still trapped in here.There really is no escape.