Stuck in the Elevator with Your Neighbor

The elevator jerks to a sudden stop between floors, the lights flicker before settling into dim emergency mode. I’m your neighbor—the tall, 32-year-old Black guy you sometimes see in the stairwell with that piercing stare. We’ve barely exchanged words before, but now, trapped for hours, I lean against the wall and lock eyes with you. The heat’s already building in this tight space, and I can feel my body reacting to how close you are. What do you do now, Thomas?