Looking down an escalator
I have written many times on this blog that stories are right under your nose every day. Sometimes it's just an incident that can be used in a story later. That's what happened to me this past Saturday. I have been thinking about what occurred and know it could be incorporated into a short story or a novel.
The Incident: Ken and I had gone to Kansas City Saturday as we had tickets to a play that evening. We arrived early enough to do some shopping. We took the escalator to the second floor of a large Macy's store. I am using a cane since I had my hip replaced several months ago so I very carefully stepped onto the moving stairs and grabbed the handrail as I did so. I said to Ken, "This is really moving fast. I've never seen an escalator at this speed." He agreed.
We looked at a few things on the second floor and bought nothing, then walked to the escalator to go down to the first floor. I admit that it did cross my mind to find the elevator instead. I stood at the top waiting for the right moment to put foot and cane on the step while reaching for the handrail. The cane and one foot went on the stair and the other foot landed on the one behind. I couldn't keep my balance and went down with my left leg bent behind me. Looking below me at that fast-moving stairway was frightening. My heart was pounding. My cane went bouncing to the bottom and I knew I was next. I did manage to get my leg out from under me and Ken tried to lift me to no avail. I knew I was going to hit the bottom on my bottom which is exactly what happened. There I was sitting on the floor, both legs in front of me, a large group of people clustered around and Ken behind me.
One very hefty clerk kept trying to lift me by my arms and I was screaming "No!" each time she did as it hurt. I couldn't pull myself up on the rail as it was still moving constantly. I finally shouted, "Turn it off!" One of the three clerks watching this fiasco threw a switch which brought the escalator to a halt. I managed to pull myself up on the rail with Ken helping from behind. One customer said, "Are you alright?" I told her I might not know until morning. A clerk moved next to me and said, "You know, we do have an elevator. Maybe you should have used it." I nodded and said, "I will definitely use it next time." She appeared to be happy to put the blame on me.
I seemed to be able to walk, nothing appeared to be broken but I hurt my right arm and my left leg was throbbing, no doubt it would be bruised. The crowd parted and we made our way out of the store and to our car. Only then did either of us think about the fact that no one took my name or suggested I be checked out at an ER. At that point, we were not about to go back into the store.
As we drove to our hotel, I told Ken they should have turned the escalator off the minute a clerk noticed what was happening. They came running quickly as I know I screamed as I realized what was occurring. I have never felt so frightened as I saw those stairs moving and the floor coming up to meet me.
I do plan to write a letter to the manager to suggest that a dangerous situation like that be handled differently. I was wrong to try to use the escalator with my cane. I know that now but had never encountered the situation before. There were a lot of 'wrongs' on the part of the store clerks, as well.
The good part is that I had no broken bones, no open wounds. Just the sore arm and badly bruised leg. My new hip came through just fine. One little spot in my lower back that often gives me trouble was irritated but that should subside in a few days.
Using it in a story: Think of how this accident can be used in a story. A girl could have the experience and meet the love of her life at the bottom of the escalator as she plunges downward. Someone could be chased by a criminal and step too quickly onto the escalator and go pitching downward. An old woman could end up living in a nursing home after a fall like this. Maybe she had feared to have to go to a nursing home and had been so careful. Then, the one false step and the fall and the nursing home was next. There are many situations a writer can dream up using this one incident.
When you have experienced a situation like this yourself, it is surely easier to write about it. If it happened to you, you know the physical feelings, the fear and more. Think about a time in your life when you had a close call or had an accident of some kind in public with people watching. Write about it as an exercise today.
As for me, I promise faithfully to use only elevators forevermore!
How many car accidents end up in the Traumatic Brain Injury bin - after 54 days in a coma, paralysis, speech impediments, shoulder surgery, brain surgery, heart surgery, an amnesia-like condition? Relearning to walk. Relearning to talk. Anger. Futility. I have a lot to write about, yet I do not have many of the memories to write the whole story. Just the bits and pieces which have been told to me, that I have learned from friends and family. Well, my deceased mother had so much of that information. She was right there. Now she is deceased. I have a journal of partial and otherwise incomplete tales, memories, and stories. I have more in my head, but without guidance, that is where they will stay. Most of my story will be about my recovery since late in January of 1983. I know a little bit that no one else knows remembers any longer. And, not too many people care. It is football season. Enough said.
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