My Heart Dropped to My Knees Last Night

I came home from work last night throughly exhausted as usual. I shlepped my way to the elevator and pressed 8 and collapsed against the wall to rest until my ardous journey was over. The elevator had just started when the fire alarm went off.

Of course alarm bells started sounding in my head at the same time. What was the elevator going to do? I knew that it normally locks down when there is an alarm but I didn't know what would happen if it was already in service.

It stopped.

Not on the 8th. floor either.

The door did not open when it stopped.

For a brief moment I had to wonder what my fate would be. I envisioned myself in a smoke filled elevator choking and gasping for air. (I'm on oxygen for those of you who don't know although I usually don't need it during the day. I can really feel it when the air is not circulating around me)

I told myself not to panic. The normal Pam would have never worried about the predicament she was in, but the oxygen deprived Pam has to consider these kinds of situations as a class one emergency.

I stood there looking at the buttons and trying to decide if I needed to call 911 when the elevator started going back down. The doors opened and I was safely deposited on the ground floor.

I was so relieved.

I should have known there was a safety mechanism but for a brief time I really wasn't able to think rationally. I should have known the firemen were coming anyway and they HAVE to use the elevators to get to any fire in the building anyway. (they have a key to override the stop)