Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Do Not Push


The buttons on the counter were blue, black, and gold. They were spaced almost evenly apart, except for a gap between the black and gold buttons where another button could have been.
The sign on the wall simply said Do Not Push.
So of course, I wanted to push them.
What would they do? Which should I push first?
Would one of them explain why I was here, and where exactly here was?
All good questions, except for the fact that there was no one to answer them.
No one but the buttons.
My hand twitched toward the buttons, but I forced myself to lower it. Can't be too hasty.
I looked around the room I'd woken up in, taking in the bare walls, dusty floor, and flickering lights. Nothing of interest except for the buttons and the lack of any door.
There wasn't even a chair to sit on.
I turned away from the buttons and started pacing, debating with myself.
"Three buttons, spaced far enough apart that I can't just push them all at the same time. The gold one is shiny enough that I might actually be made of gold. The blue one is one of the rich shades that people tend to pick as a favorite color, so does that make it more tempting? And the black one, it's got a matte finish, and just seems to absorb the light without being touched by it."
I groaned and shook my head, glancing back at the sign. How could I not push such interesting buttons?
Moving back to the counter, I stared at each button in turn. My fingers were twitching with an eager anticipation, but I had to think this through.
If I could push one, I wanted it to be the best.
As I passed the large empty space between the black and gold buttons, I paused. Why wasn't there another button here?
I brushed my hand along the empty counter space, frowning a little at the thick layer of dust. Whoever ran this place needed to get a janitor.
In the center of the empty space, I felt something beneath the dust. My frown twisted into a more curious expression as I carefully brushed the dust away from whatever it covered.
Then I grinned as I saw what I'd discovered.
Another button, sunken into the countertop.
A red button.
That made it the best.
Without another thought, I pushed the red button.
And the lights went out.

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