Chapter 2 – Going Up?
The rumbling of the elevator woke Dante up from his restless sleep. He wasn't sure what hurt more his head or his lower back which had been assaulted by the sofa. Opening his eyes the loft was cloaked in total darkness…only the faint glow of the DVR told him it was….2:27 a.m. Who the hell is coming to see me at this hour? Pushing himself up off the sofa, the familiar throb in his head made Dante unsteady on his feet. As he made his way across the room, the elevator clunked to a stop and the doors slowly opened…..bathing the loft in a bright white light. Dante was momentarily blinded….thinking when did the super change all the bulbs in the elevator car? Waiting for his eyes to adjust, Dante called out….but no one answered…..the light seemed to beckon him from the shadows…..tentatively, Dante entered the elevator….letting the brilliant light wash over him as he crossed the threshold….the pain in his head drained down his body pooling at his feet…..while a feeling of euphoria came over him…..a sense of weightlessness….unsure of what was happening, Dante became aware of a small hand grasping his fingers. Looking down, he saw a beautiful little girl with long flowing gold hair adorned with a crown of daisies, shimmering amber eyes and a wide smile. He gave her a questioning look but words escaped him….as the elevator doors began to close….the little girl squeezed Dante's fingers and said, "It's okay Daddy…I'll hold your hand."