Grounded

[Yvonne]

Stupor supplanted every other emotion the dwarven lift operator experienced. Who knew the flurry of thoughts that raced through his noggin. Confusion; how did a child get up on top of the elevator without him knowing? Despair; would he lose his job over this mistake? Fear; how could he live with himself if she fell into the borehole on his watch? How did a routine change of personnel as shifts ended and started turn out so horribly wrong? He’d lowered the lever more times than he could count to, without consequence. A lapse in concentration during his mind-numbing job could happen to anyone, right?

A cheeky smile taunted the dwarf in the booth from below.

“Shite, shite, shite!” he hollered, his shouts muffled by glass. He pulled the lever back up to return the elevator to the original floor. Of course nothing happened - a change in direction required mutual cooperation from the passenger. He thumped the window pane with his clenched fists, again and again, trying to get the miner’s attention.

“Flip tha switch, Dudgrug! Flip tha switch!” the operator cried out, but at this distance his words would be difficult to understand.

“Skip tha ditch? I can’t skip tha ditch ye flippin’ stick twiddler! We sprung a leak remember? I got ta plug tha fuggin’ hole up!” Dudgrug shouted back, his voice nearer and clearer to Yvonne’s elven ears.

The lift continued its descent and the hybrid child fell further and further away. She pulled faces at him silently; pretended she had an underbite, crossed her eyes, stuck her thumbs in her ears and flapped her palms around like a genuine brat out of hell.

“Dudgrug! There be a girl above ye! Flip tha switch, ye moss-bearded mole!” the frustrated lever-puller yelled.

“A girl that loves me? Hey! I heard that! Don’t ye make me come back up there Ungrot, ye stone-fondling pixie!” the cranky miner shouted right back.

“Ye, that be what I want! Get yer rubble-buttocks back up here!” Ungrot roared. “For crying out loud!” It was no use. The elevator was too far gone. A minor had made their way into the mine and it would come down on his head. How would he explain his way out of this one. What would he tell his family once he got the sack?

A light bulb lit up in his head. This operations box had a megaphone installed and in place for occasions such as these. He’d never needed to use it before so he hadn’t thought of it until now! There was no time! Get on the blower and tell Dudgrug what for!

Ungrot tried. His voice filled his ears but something seemed wrong. He spoke into the device but his voice hadn’t been projected for all to hear. Why, what could be wrong with it? It hadn’t been used…

Upon closer examination he found the snipped wiring. That wily scallywag! Not one but two steps ahead. What would his next move be? Report the incident? Pretend he saw nothing? The defeated dwarf sat down in his chair, unscrewed a bottle of home brew from his secret stash and took a few long chugs, weighing his options.