That little space made me feel so trapped. I felt like I was okay at first, and I think I probably was. I mean, I was breathing fine, and I honestly felt like I could move around if I needed to. I’m not saying it was spacious, but it really didn’t seem constricting just then either.
It started when my arm just grazed, just barely grazed, the wall. The first time it was an accident, but then I felt like I had to know. I touched it on purpose then, and then I reached out with my other hand. Except, I really didn’t have to reach out. It was right there. And that’s when I knew I was screwed.
The first thing I did was turn a little, trying to convince myself that if I just repositioned my body I’d have more room. Of course, I never believed it would work. That’s why I was already hyperventilating before I even tried.
Next, I realized I was sweating, though I didn’t exactly feel warm. How could I? It’s a climate controlled service tunnel for crying out loud. It’s cooler than I keep my house! The whole problem was that I never should have been in there. But what was I going to do? The boss says go, you go.
What finally saved me was Pete. He was done. I saw him coming toward me, and knew I wouldn’t have to go check on him anymore. Even better, when I saw how he was moving, quick and going out, I thought, “Out!” I turned around and got out of there faster than I could fall down a flight of stairs. I even managed to catch my breath and wipe my forehead and neck before he reached me.
After that, it was a simple, “Hey, Pete. Boss just sent me to see how you’re doing. I told him you were probably close, but you know how he is.”
God, I hope he never sends me down there again.