It was a dark and stormy production night—dark because the sun had long set, stormy because of the one flickering light in the University Media Board office that almost seemed haunted. The fourth of four editorial board members had bid her goodbyes, leaving three weary pairs of eyes staring at their computers, praying to leave before sunrise.
It was then that one of these weary souls migrated from the depths of the Thwing Student Center basement in search of food. A second joined in solidarity, and one could almost smell the aroma of the Uber Eats wafting into the building. A walk turned into a run, followed by a frantic guessing game of which door was not hindered by construction (two exits had already failed the pair, and the car with nourishment could leave at any second).
Out of breath, the pair approached the one running car on the side of Euclid Avenue, a suspicious sight if the stakes were not so high. The bringer of food stepped out of the car—patiently waiting, of course, and not ready to drive into the now-dark horizon at any moment—and the two celebrated, for the sustenance had finally been received.
If you give a college student a pizza, they will want some water to go with it. The student of solidarity knew that she had not had water since morning, so she brought her water bottle with her, at the very least to hit any people who dared stand in their way. It was 11 p.m. after all.
So, with a great mistrust of the water fountain in the basement, the pair ventured upwards. They attempted to enter the doors to the right on the first floor, where they found locked doors. Determined, they ran up the stairs, only to find … another set of locked doors. Desperate, they peered through the window. There was a man in the distance, sitting comfortably on the chair at the end of the hall. He looked up to see the two girls staring back at him, holding the water bottle with a plea in their eyes. He gave a look of skepticism, identifying the two as the people from the basement—an interesting species. UMB members must crawl out of their den from time to time.
They ask for a way to the water and he cautiously lets one in. The other stays by the door, watching as the first descends the dark stairs. She hopes they will meet again, on the other side.
The water was retrieved with haste. The filter was in pristine condition, but the fountain too had fallen asleep, refusing to dispense water beyond a certain point. The student drank deeply, finally having acquired the water that she technically should have consumed sooner.
The pair escaped back to the UMB office, and were let in by the one soul left in the room. Out of breath, with flushed faces, they recount their escapades. The stakes were high but they had finally made it, spirits shaken but otherwise intact. They then realized that the Thwing Center elevator could have transported them to the all-capable water fountain, and their efforts were not necessary.