I've been trapped in ten elevators, I think it's finally over

A few days ago I was trapped in an elevator with no power, lights, or radio, no working cell phone, and only a dying lighter to light my way through the darkness. I thought it would never end. I thought my time on this earth would conclude with self inflicted strangulation as I used my belt to end it all. But I was wrong. I didn't end it, and I don't know why. I guess I'm just not done. And that's what I want you to see here. I'm not done, not yet. The first elevator I was trapped in was over 10 years ago, and it has defined my life since I finally escaped. I was taken from class, a kid at the time, and bundled into an elevator with a set of earphones placed on my ears and loud static hissing through my ears. The static paused and a voice spoke to me through the headphones, telling me that my life was important, that I was important and not to ever forget that. It told me that I was being tasked with carrying the weight of the world. That every decision I make will have a profound impact on others and on nature itself. It asked me if I was ready to carry this weight, and to choose wisely, because my life depended on it. I was taken aback, at the time I was a kid, barely 10 years old. My innocence was crushed in that moment. I didn't want to have to carry the weight of the world. I didn't want to be the one making decisions that would end someone else's life, or hurt them in some way. But deep down, something in me clicked. The voice was right. I was important, and I had been chosen for something special. I agreed, and the headphones disappeared, when I looked around I was sat in my classroom, surrounded by students. The teachers asked me if I was alright, they told me I'd been acting funny. They told me to go to the sick bay and lay down. I did what they asked, and never spoke of it to anyone. But the voice spoke to me often, telling me that I was important, that my decisions were important, and that I was to think of how my actions affected others. I was told that I was part of something greater than myself, and that I was to *never* give up. Some time passed and I forgot about the voice. It was just a weird dream, maybe I'd been sleepwalking. But it felt so real, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd really been tasked with something important. I was in my mid 20s when I was once again taken from my life. I was riding in an elevator at work. I was preparing to ask my girlfriend to marry me, and I was excited to tell my family the news. My family and girlfriend were coming to meet me at my office, to share the exciting news, but they never did. They found my car in the parking lot, and the security cameras showed me getting into the elevator. But when they opened the doors to let me out, I was gone. I woke up when I heard the voice, once again telling me I was important, and that I was crucial to the well-being of others. I didn't understand, and the voice did not elaborate, but the headphones disappeared, and I once again found myself in my normal life. But something had changed. I think that the voice telling me I was important, along with the disappearance from the elevator, changed me in ways I couldn't understand. I felt like I actually was important, and I could feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I couldn't explain why. I never thought much of it again, it was just another coincidence, until 8 years ago. 8 years ago I was taken once again, I was placed on an elevator, given headphones, and the voice spoke once more. This time I didn't want to listen. I begged to go back to my life, to see my family, but the voice told me that I had been chosen. My decisions had been deemed to be in the best interest of the humans on this planet, and of the planet itself. It told me that I was a rare individual, and that very few humans got to where I am now. I am writing this now from what I can only assume is the final elevator. I've been placed in 10 elevators, and each time I've been given a different version of the same message. I've been told over and over again that I was important, that my decisions would impact the lives of countless others, and that I had to make the correct decisions. I remember when I was finally given a chance to choose. I was placed on elevator number 7, and I was given headphones. I was happy to see the voice again, I felt like I had been given a second chance. I was told that I was to choose the fate of humanity. I was given two options, to choose one path, and forever end the other. I was given the option to end all war, to make humanity live in peace and harmony. This would mean that the world would unite, and that nations would no longer have divisions. Humans would be humans, and together we would look towards the stars, colonizing the expanse of the universe. We would be like one large family, working together towards a future of prosperity and happiness. Or I could choose the option to end all disease. Humanity would have the ability to cure any ailment, any illness, and any injury. We would live forever, our bodies regenerating at will, keeping us in our prime. Humanity would flourish, and we would never have to worry about losing a family member, friend, or loved one. But at a cost. One path would end the other, forever. If I chose one, the other would never have the chance to exist. I agonized over the choice, each seemed to have its benefits, but each also seemed to have its downsides. But in the end, I chose to end all disease. And the headphones disappeared. For 7 more elevators I was tasked with smaller decisions. To choose the fate of one man, or another. To choose the fate of one nation, or another. To choose the fate of one person, or another. But it's over now. The voice has stopped speaking to me. I am alone, and I have a feeling that my time is finally at an end. I look around, trying to see through the darkness, but there's nothing. No walls, no ceiling, no floor. Just the endless emptiness of the unknown. I fumble in my pocket for my dying lighter, a token from my first elevator ride, and spark it to life. The flame hisses and spits, painting the emptiness with shadows. As the light dances, I see something in the distance. A figure, standing before me. I squint, trying to see through the darkness, and the figure comes into view. It's me. It's me, standing in front of myself, with a knife to my throat. I try to scream, I try to beg, but my voice is caught in my throat. I have a feeling that this is it, this is my final elevator ride. This is how it's supposed to end. But I don't want to end. I want to see the world I've helped shape. I want to see the prosperity and happiness I've helped bring about. I look at myself, and I see the desperation in my eyes. I see the fear, and the sadness. I see the plea for help. And I help myself. I reach out and I take the knife from my hand. I stand up off the ground, and I let the lighter burn out, plunging us into darkness. And then the headphones return, for the final time. The voice speaks to me for the last time. "Good job, you did it." it says. "You got to where you needed to be, and when you needed to be there. Your decisions have shaped the course of human history. You are the weight of the world, and you are the hope for the future. You are the chosen one, and you are ready to begin your journey." The headphones disappear, and the darkness clears. I'm standing in a field, surrounded by people I don't know. The world around me is foreign, but something about it feels familiar. It feels like home. I look up at the sky and I see something there, something I've never seen before. A ship. A spaceship. I was chosen to carry the weight of the world, to help shape the world into what it is now. And the world is ready. The world is ready to go to space. To explore the unknown expanse of the universe, to discover new worlds, and to forge new paths. To explore, to discover, to colonize. And I'm on that ship. I'm part of something bigger than myself. I'm a chosen one. And I'm ready to begin my journey.

I've been trapped in ten elevators, I think it's finally over

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