Sunday, July 24, 2022

An Eerie Incident

 

Maybe he passed by and took the staircase while I was lost in my own thoughts.


I usually reach college by 10:30 a.m. when it is buzzing with people, but today it was unusually quiet when I walked in at 9.27 a.m. I walked into the office, logged in for the day and came out and stood outside the lift. It was on the 8th floor. I might just take the stairs. No, let's wait. I just talked myself into taking the lift. As I was looking towards the entrance, two men walked in. I didn't notice the one on my left but did glance at the man walking towards me. It was a brief glance at his existence: he wore a white, long-sleeved T-shirt and probably blue pants, athletic build. I wanted to avoid making eye contact, so I looked away and didn't take note of his face. This is what my brain registered, attractive physique, without even observing him. He probably walked into the office, if not, then into HD Department. The lift was probably on 6th floor when that man walked in. I was now looking at the numbers. 5...4...3...2...1...0.

I was expecting the lift to be empty, as today was Saturday. The lift opened, and a man was standing on the left inside the lift. I didn't see his face nor I made eye contact. I walked in, pressed the 4th button, and tried pressing the close button; it didn't work, so he pulled out his left hand and pressed the button for me. I saw his hand, and it took me just 30 seconds to realise this. This was the same man who just walked by me a few minutes ago. The silence in the lift for those few seconds was just as eerie as my realisation because the lift did not halt on any floor. But I didn't rule out logic, he probably took the stairs and went to the first floor, and then got into the lift? But when the lift halts at a certain floor, the lift button blinks. It didn't blink; my eyes were glued onto the numbers. When the lift stopped, I walked into the staffroom, I saw R and H sitting at their tables. I called out R and asked her if there was a way that joins the lift either from the office or the HD department.

"No, why, what happened". She asked looking at my confused face. I was just trying to make sense of what happened.

"Okay. Something just happened. And I don't know how to put it into words." I said. 

Both R and H shared glances. I narrated the whole incident. R described a professor, but the physical description didn't match either with him or with anyone in the college. I sat down, and took a few sips of water, trying to make sense of what had just happened. I just decided if I see a man wearing a white t-shirt anytime today, I'll just talk to him and ask him if he took the stairs first before taking the lift, irrespective of how rude and intrusive I would sound to him. I wanted a logical, realistic closure. But I didn't see him nor anybody else saw anyone like him today. I will not be able to recognize him if I see him again. Probably.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I called M and asked her to meet me in the lab. As I was narrating the incident, one of the two lights that were on started flickering and the room turned dim. M screamed, and I laughed. I don't know why.

M was looking at me and her eyes widened, "Is this happening because you are telling me this? Because I have been sitting here all this while and never has it flickered even for a second."

I shrugged and all I could say was "probably".

The light turned on by itself, the minute I was done narrating the incident. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I maybe overthinking this scenario a bit too much, but I cannot believe how these coincidences lined up, weaving all into one eerily funny story. 😂