The Top Floor

Chapter 1 — The Elevator That Wouldn’t Climb Fast Enough

Camille had considered taking the stairs. But that morning, she just didn’t have the energy.
She stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the 7th floor, and the doors closed with a faint creak.
A hand stopped them at the last second.
— "Hello."
The voice sent a shiver down her spine.
It was him.
She hadn’t seen him in years. Not since…
No. She didn’t want to go there.

He stepped in, pressed the button for the top floor. The elevator began to move, the air between them as heavy as the silence.

Chapter 2 — The Memory That Came Back

The numbers ticked slowly: 3, 4…
And suddenly, without warning, a memory resurfaced.
For Camille, it was a summer Saturday morning. She must have been ten. Just the two of them riding bikes. They had stopped by a small lake. He had taught her how to skip stones. She remembered his laughter every time her stones sank on the first bounce, and his triumphant cheer when she made one skip four times. That day, she had felt—for the first time in a long while—that he was proud of her.

For her father, it was the same morning. But what he had kept wasn’t the skipping stones. It was the ride back. She pedaled ahead, hair flying, whistling a little tune she always hummed when she was happy. That day, he had silently promised himself to do whatever it took to keep that whistle alive.

They said nothing. But the memory wrapped around them, dense and warm inside the confined cabin.

Chapter 3 — The Silences That Speak

— "How have you been?" he finally asked.
She shrugged.
— "I’m moving forward."
He wanted to reply, but the silence returned. A silence that wasn’t empty, but full. Full of things they didn’t say. Full of questions neither dared to ask.

Chapter 4 — The Top Floor

The elevator stopped.
They stayed still for a moment, frozen between two times.
— "It was good to see you," he said.
— "Me too," she replied. And this time, she meant it.

He stepped out. She remained alone in the cabin, the doors about to close. Just before they shut completely, he turned, gave a faint smile and added:
— "We could take another bike ride someday."
She didn’t answer. But a small whistle escaped her lips, almost without her realizing.