[ WP ] Short story that takes place in a single elevator ride .

I entered the elevator, rubbing my eyes and yawning. I felt as good as dead. The doors slammed behind me and slow, easy tune began to play. 
 
 `` Good day,'' I nodded to the man in the elevator. He was dressed in dark, with dark eyes, and a dark face. He gave a short nod as the elevator began to go down. My stomach rumbled unpleasantly from the motion. 
 
 You see, today I was running away. It was a long story. They thought I am mad. They locked me in an asylum, and they said I killed a man. Maybe I did. But it's been too long. I wanted to breathe fresh air again. And today was that day. But something was off... I could n't get excited. I was going to be free. And yet I felt so trapped in this elevator. I fumbled my fingers nervously. Perhaps I was mad after all. 
 
 `` Busy day, eh.'' I mentioned casually to the dark gentleman as the tune went on. I wondered who he was, and why he was here. 
 
 `` Always busy,'' he replied stiffly. `` They say we'll be getting a whole lot of new people today.'' 
 
 `` How so?'' 
 
 `` Some war.'' 
 
 Shell shocked soldiers often go mad, I thought. `` Is it long till we reach the ground level?'' 
 
 `` A while. This is one long ride.'' 
 
 When they brought me here, I recalled that the place was only two stories high. It was a wide building, and white, like a fat woman. I could n't recall much, though, which was odd. I always had a sharp memory. My escape plan was simple. You might say it was cruel. I strangled a doctor and donned his robes. He struggled greatly, almost overpowered me. 
 
 `` Do you work here?'' I asked. 
 
 He looked at me, his face annoyed. `` Yes. I handle the dead.'' 
 
 The dead? That was disturbing. `` Are you from a funeral home, then?'' 
 
 He frowned, and just then the door opened. A hallway appeared before us, but as I squinted I saw that its walls were black and red, and it stretched into a wide valley of rock and fire. The sky was as black as tar. A red sun was poking through the smog. Who overpowered who again? 
 
 `` Come,'' the dark man said as he stepped out into this hell. `` We need to get you some clothes fit for a dead man.'' 
 
 I looked upon myself, and I realized that I was naked.
