A busy street. A big reputed hotel. A hundred year old renovated elevator.
What could go wrong?

An elderly couple, a young mother with her struggling one and a half year old, a business woman in her late thirties, a young man looking like he had just walked out of the magazine cover and me, an out of luck, out of job, middle aged man, all on their way to the 13th floor. What could go wrong?

Apparently everything.

The stylish man takes out a mirror to fix his already perfect hair, the elevator jerks. There are combined gasps. I don't care, I don't gasp.
A man's voice echos in the elevator a second after the elevator plunges into darkness, "So, I bet you are wondering why I've gathered you here." The emergency button glows and the elevator comes to a stop.

'Well Fuck. That's just great.' I think trying to move back and hold on to the railing that goes around the circumference of the elevator.

I already have a bad feeling about this.

I don't know about the others but I was invited to a Sunday brunch which just happens to be on the thirteenth floor of this hotel. I was not in the position to refuse free food. I had accepted the invite without a second thought. Who had invited me and why did the invite not contain a 'RSVP' had not bothered me at the time. But now it did. Surrounded by these strangers from all walks of life, I couldn't help but think that I had the least to loose if anything bad were to happen here today.

I wait for the voice to go on.
I ignore the murmurs in the small confined space. I am already fucking scared. I don't need to add fuel to fire.

"Who are you?" Someone dares to ask when the voice doesn't elaborate.

'It's probably the hot guy.' I think to myself. His voice sounds confident but there is an undertone of fear to it.

"Ahhh. I will tell you if you can answer my questions." The voice answers.

"I don't have all day. Go on. Don't waste my time." The dumb fuck responds.

Someone chuckles. I am not sure who.

The Voice contemplates, "I see we have a volunteer."

"Whatever. Just stop playing games." The young man says.
I can imagine the disinterested look on his face.

The toddler starts screaming it's lungs out all of a, sudden. Maybe, it too can sense the fucked up situation it has found itself in.

I really did not need it right now... Or ever... I hate crying babies.

"Shuuuuuu." The voice whispers and like magic the toddler stops screaming.

'What the actual fuck!' That is not how babies work. If there was ever a time to freak out. This was it.
'A voice that can command babies!!!' Well I didn't not want to get on the wrong side of whoever has that kind of power.

"Sweetie... Hun...what is it?" The mother asks the quiet child in her arms. She starts pleading, "Please, whoever you are, whatever you want... Just ask... What did you do to him? Please just don't let.. "

"Shuuuuuu." The voice whispers again and the woman stops begging.

"Young lady... are you ok?"
It's the old woman's voice. It's her maternal instinct. Maybe she is waiting for her daughter to return to her. Maybe she sees in the woman a child who she lost to a busy life.
I don't care. It doesn't involve me.

"Madam, It's better to remain calm. It's a big establishment. The maintenance people no doubt have started working on the problem." It's probably the business woman. She seems level headed and smart.

The Voice speaks again, "If you could choose one person here to possess, who would it be?"

"What do you mean by that?" The overconfident vain man asks.

"Suppose you are the devil, who would you could choose as your meat suit. Who would you pick?"

Well this doesn't make any sense whatsoever but shivers run down my back nonetheless. The words Meat Suit had got me good.

No one speaks. It looks like the overconfident man finally realized that it's best to shut up. This man, whoever it was, was either a psycho or the Satan. I don't know which is worse.

"Mark Homes, why haven't you spoken yet?" The voice asks.

I belatedly realize that the voice was actually talking to me.
Hi, I am Mark Homes.

"Sir, I am a nobody. My opinions don't matter." I say turning my eyes at the source of The Voice.

"And yet, here you are. A man who won't be missed. The easiest to possess. The easiest to use and get away with.... with least complications." The voice informs.

He is not wrong. I feel like I am the most convenient Meat Suit... Dammit it to hell.... Literally!

The good-looking man speaks again, "So it's decided isn't it. The bum can be the meat suit. You can let us go now."

He is a selfish jerk, just as I had expected.

"So young man, would you pick him as your meat suit?" The voice asks to confirm.

"Oh hell no. If I were the devil, I would pick me." The handsome jerk says. I can't help but think that maybe God compromised his brain cells to give him exceptionally good looks. Does he even realize what he just said? In any case, it doesn't matter. It doesn't involve me... At least not yet.

"Ok Jason, I understand. Why would anyone who can possess a superior specimen, settle for an inferior one." The voice agrees with the selfish idiot.

"No, that is not what I... " The vain young man starts to protest. Maybe some of his brain cells are active afterall.

"Shuuuuuu." The voice whispers once again and there is silence.

*****
To Be Continued....

{Note : Chapter One Word Count 987}