The Button (Part 2 of 2)
By Weatherwax
- 1025 reads
‘That’s excellent, Peter. Thank you for seeing sense. Now, don’t let me keep you.’
‘Thank you, Bob.’ Peter rose from his chair and left Bob’s office. He started walking back towards his desk. If he hadn’t been sure before he certainly was now.
He was going to find out what was through that door.
No matter what.
---
Peter’s mind was now set.He wanted to know what was behind that door.Everyone was so secretive about it, and his attempts to find out anything about it had left him feeling like the naughty school boy being told off for playing up.After leaving Bob’s office that afternoon he decided that, come what may, he was going to find out what all the fuss was about.
After all, it was only a door in an office building.How bad could it be?
Peter did his best to get on with his job after being warned off by Bob, but he could still feel people’s eyes on him as he passed their desks, or they his.People didn’t trust him, but Peter didn’t care now.He didn’t like being treated like a child, which was how he felt, so he had formulated a plan.It had come to him as soon as he had left Bob’s office that day: he would continue as normal and let everyone think that he had forgotten all about it.Then, when he was no longer the target of suspicion he would find a way through the door.Part of him felt a little silly for being willing to go to such lengths to see the inside of whatever room was on the other side of the door, but it had fully taken hold of him now.He didn’t think about it all of the time, but it was always there, lurking not far off in his mind, teasing him, tantalising him.And any time he caught a glimpse of the door, or happened to walk near it, it marched smartly to the front of his mind again, waving its curiosity maddeningly in his face.He didn’t know what would be in there, but he didn’t care.It could be a mouldy old broom cupboard as far as he was concerned, but at least he would know.It was the not knowing that was the worst part.If Bob had told him on his first day that the room housed such and such and was out of bounds for this reason or that, then Peter would have just gotten on with things and not given it a second thought.But the confusing secrecy and the infuriating refusal of anyone to even discuss it had driven Peter to his plan.It would take some time, but it would be worth it in the end.
Some time turned out to be six months.Peter spent that time creating the façade that he was now the model employee, dutifully going about his daily routine and towing the company line.But all the while he was watching, studying.He knew that he would never get through the door with others around, so he started taking note of who arrived at the office and when, who left at the end of the day, and who stayed.He came to work early some mornings, and stayed late after work some evenings.He was careful never to do it too often, or without a plausible reason.If anyone in the department, especially Bob Stevenson, saw him in the office out of business hours he needed an iron clad reason to be there.
As the weeks and months rolled by, Peter narrowed his window of opportunity down to Wednesday mornings.He had come into work early of a Wednesday enough times to know that he could have the run of the fourth floor for ten to fifteen minutes before anyone else arrived.This was when Peter would do it.This is when he would go through the door.
Once he knew when his plan would be carried out, the waiting felt like agony.Peter did all he could to keep things looking normal on the surface, never letting on to any of his colleagues as to what he was thinking.Eventually, the ideal Wednesday came around, and Peter practically leapt out of bed, much earlier than normal.Unable to sleep much, he had been awake for at least an hour already.He fumbled with his shirt buttons as he dressed hurriedly, desperate to get to the office as soon as he could.He bolted his breakfast and dashed out of the house, nearly tripping over the neighbour’s cat as he did so.
The buses felt excruciatingly slow on his commute that morning, and it seemed that twice as many people wanted to get on and off as normal.He fidgeted in his seat and checked his watch multiple times as his journey laboured on.After what felt like a lifetime, his stop came up, and Peter practically shoulder-barged his way off of the bus, which by now was quite full.He walked at a brisk pace to his office building, stopping to take a moment’s steadying breath before going through the double-door entrance.He nodded a silent hello to the Receptionist as he made his way to the lift.He irritably pressed the call button several times, as the lift descended ponderously to the ground floor.He kept looking about to make sure that no one from his floor was also arriving.If anyone did, his plan was shot.It would only take him lingering too long by the door for everyone’s suspicions to come racing back, and then would he ever get another chance?
Probably not.
The lift finally arrived and Peter entered, pressing the button for the fourth floor and hoping that the doors would close in time to not allow anyone else to ride it with him.He could feel his heart thudding in his chest, and he felt sure that if someone was in the lift with him they would hear it, too.
Steady, Peter, he told himself.
The fourth floor was blissfully deserted when the lift doors opened.Peter stepped out, and quickly reached back inside.He pressed the button for the top floor and withdrew quickly from the lift.If anyone from his department wanted the lift they would now have to wait a bit longer for it to reach the ground floor, giving Peter a few more precious moments to get a look past the door.Peter walked quickly to his desk and turned on his PC.He un-shouldered his bag and put it under his desk, as he always did.He hastily typed in his login details and let the computer set itself up.If anyone arrived before Peter was able to gain access through the door, at least his workstation would look like he had genuinely come in early to get some work done.Satisfied that his desk looked as it would on any other early morning start, Peter stood up and fixed his gaze towards the door.
This was it.No turning back now.
Peter weaved his way through the banks of desks, sweat now prickling his forehead.His mouth felt dry, his tongue thick and too big.His hands clenched into fists and released; his palms were sweaty.He cast a furtive glance over his shoulder to make sure that he was still alone; he was.
And then it was before him.
As he had noticed before, it looked like any other door in the building.The only difference was the mocking little plaque that bore the single word PRIVATE in plain black font on the silvery metal.Peter looked at it scornfully, as if all of this was its fault.
What if the door was locked?
The sudden thought stopped Peter in his tracks.It made perfect sense that the door would be locked, and he cursed himself for not being prepared for this eventuality.He had a moment’s thought of trying to pick the lock with a credit card, but that probably only worked in films.In that moment Peter felt stupid and angry.He had let a ridiculous obsession push him this far, and for what?A locked…
Peter tried the door handle.
The door was unlocked.
His heart skipped a beat.Peter had been certain that the door would be locked, but he was equally taken aback that it wasn’t.Somehow, this was almost worse.The arrogance of people like Bob that they would have something so secret and off limits and not even lock it away?Peter felt like crying out in frustration.But at least this meant that he could go in.
At last.
This was really it.
Peter stood with his hand clasped around the door handle, feeling the cool metal slick in his sweaty grip.A million thoughts raced through his mind.Now that he was here, could he go through with it?Whatever was on the other side could cost him his job, if he was to be found out.A moment’s hesitation was quickly replaced by another flash of anger.He had come this far and was not about to walk away without at least looking.
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
The sight that met Peter’s eyes was so anti-climactic that he very nearly did cry out.The room was bare, save for a thin metal pedestal in the very centre.Atop the pedestal was a button.It was red and set on a black and yellow striped box.
That was it.
Peter felt cheated.He walked into the room and closed the door quietly behind him.He looked around for any signs or instructions, but there were none to be seen.He suddenly started to think that he was now the butt of a massive office joke.Everyone had gotten together to put one over on the new guy.
Very funny!
Peter breathed deeply for a moment or two, attempting to process what he felt in that moment.If it had all been a joke, how could he go back to working with such people?But on the other hand, did he really want to quit and try and find another job in this economy?He felt angry, but his rational side was able to wrestle some form of control.He wouldn’t quit, he wouldn’t storm out.He wanted to know what was in the room, and now he did.So, he supposed it was over.But, even with the rational side seemingly winning the curiosity of what the button did, if anything, when pressed, started to creep into his brain.If a joke was being played on him then surely pressing the button was what they all wanted.Peter turned on his heel and made to leave the room.He hesitated at the door, drawn back to the button and its elusive nature.
What did it do?
Peter screwed his eyes shut and tried to dislodge the temptation to turn around and press the button.Was that what they wanted?Was that why he was here?An argument raged inside his head, rooting him to the spot.
Press it?
Don’t press it?
Would it make any difference?
Peter pictured his colleagues all laughing at him if he pressed the button.But then, what if this was a test and he was supposed to press it?Would they laugh at him for not pressing it?Peter gritted his teeth and let out a growl of frustration.
Press it?
Don’t press it?
Peter’s hand gripped tighter on the door handle.He had flashes of him going back to work and trying to put this out of his mind.He knew it would be no good.It had a hold of him now.Peter let go of the door handle and turned around.
‘Sod it,’ he said, to the world at large.
Peter stepped up to the pedestal and pressed the button.
And the universe ended.
* * *
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Comments
Ha! Love the ending! A bit of
Ha! Love the ending! A bit of repetition at the very beginning of this part that could do with an edit
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You captured the feeling of
You captured the feeling of an office, and the often baffling - and unwritten - customs and practices around who can do what where. Your 'teaser' for the front page kind of gave the game away right at the beginning - I was expecting something a bit along those lines, but not sure if it would just be an unpleasant outcome for him or for all of us! An enjoyable read.
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The Button
Wonderful story! I look forward to reading more from this writer.
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