A woman must confront her fears when she is trapped in an elevator with a stranger.
Karen had always been scared of elevators, but she had never let it deter her from living her life. She had even landed a well-paying job on the 51st floor of a skyscraper, knowing that she would have to use the elevator daily. But today was different. As soon as she entered the elevator, it jerked to a stop, and the lights went out.

Karen gasped and clutched her chest, her heart racing. Her hands were sweaty, and her breathing was shallow, reminding her of her asthma attack from her childhood. She knew she was going to hyperventilate if she didn't calm herself down.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and Karen saw a man standing just a few inches away from her. Instinctively, she stepped back and cowered in the corner of the elevator, her eyes never leaving him.

The man was tall and muscular with short, dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Karen was afraid that he was there to harm her. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest, and she had to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" the man asked, breaking the silence.

Karen nodded, but her voice was stuck in her throat. Although she had taken an emergency elevator safety course, she could not remember a thing from it. She was trapped with a stranger, and she didn't know what to do.

"We'll be fine. The elevator will start moving in a few minutes," the man said, trying to reassure her.

Karen nodded, but her gut told her otherwise. What if the elevator fell, and they were plummeting down to the ground? What if they were stuck here for hours with a complete stranger?

As the minutes ticked by, Karen could feel the sweat dripping from her forehead, and her heart was beating faster with each passing moment. But the man talked to her, telling her about his job and his hobbies, until Karen began to relax.

Slowly, the elevator started moving again, and Karen breathed a sigh of relief. When the doors opened on her floor, she was grateful to get out, but she couldn't deny that her experience wasn't as bad as she had anticipated. The man had calmed her down, and although he was just a stranger, Karen realized that there were good people in this world who could help her overcome her fears.