Zahra’s heels made rhythmic sounds on the marble floor as she made her way into the elevator. It was her big day today. She had finally been accepted as an interview candidate to take the position of head architect at her dream firm.

With an easy-going smile, she entered the elevator and pressed the button to the tenth floor as the doors closed. However, the button above the tenth floor lit up as if it had been pressed. What was unusual was that the button was labelled “X.”

Zahra frowned and tried pressing the tenth floor again, but the elevator made a screeching sound and began ascending.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the situation grew stranger by the second. The air inside the elevator felt warmer, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The elevator finally stopped with a ding, and the doors opened to reveal a dimly lit corridor.

Zahra peered out only to notice the eerie silence. Her first instinct was to stay put and let the doors close again, but after a wait of a few seconds turning into minutes of nothing happening, Zahra reluctantly stepped out, turning on her phone’s flashlight.

“Okay, Zahra, just find the stairs and get out of here,” she whispered to herself.

The corridor seemed endless, but after a while, she noticed a faint ray of light coming from a room at the end. Slowly, she approached it, her heart racing with every step. Peeking inside, she saw what appeared to be an old-fashioned office — dark wood furniture, bookshelves lined with dusty tomes, a brown couch, and some dying plants.

Summoning her courage, Zahra stepped inside. As she did, the door behind her slammed shut with a loud thud, making her jump. Before she could react, she saw movement under the desk — an arm reaching out toward her ankle.

With a loud shriek, she dodged the hand and backed into the wall. The painting hanging there wobbled from the impact, and with a click, it swung open, revealing a hidden staircase bathed in golden light.

Zahra stood frozen for a moment, staring at the stairs. The hand beneath the desk made another grab for her, but this time, Zahra wasn’t going to let fear take over. Summoning her courage, she kicked the desk away, freeing herself from its reach, and dashed toward the staircase.

As she climbed down, the golden light grew brighter, and she felt a strange sense of calm. The stairs ended abruptly, and she found herself back in the same elevator she had entered earlier — but something was different. The button for the tenth floor was glowing brightly now, as though urging her forward. Without hesitation, she pressed it.

The elevator doors opened with a cheerful ding, and she stepped out onto the bustling tenth floor of her dream firm. Everything was back to normal — the familiar sound of phones ringing and people chattering filled the air. Confused but relieved, Zahra pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

A receptionist noticed her standing in the hallway, looking dazed so she called out, “Are you Miss Zahra?”

Zahra nodded.

“The panel is ready to see you, but the location of your interview is changed, it is taking place on our newly constructed floor ‘X’. Kindly proceed!” the receptionist said and pointed her to the elevators.

Zahra’s smile vanished.

Suddenly, she was startled awake when her father reminded her it was time to get ready — today was the day of her interview at her dream firm. She quickly got ready and headed out for the interview.

Interestingly, the building had no ‘X’ or ‘10th’ floor; it ended on the fifth floor. Zahra gave her best during the interview, and by the end of the day, she was officially announced as the head architect of her dream firm, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 1st, 2025