What’s inside the silver doors?
Jaden points at the elevator in the lobby. Brooklyn stretches her arms and says, “Okay, Detective Jaden. Figure it out.” Nala’s fluffy tail swishes, and she gives one loud bark at a stranger.
The elevator light blinks. The doors slide open with a soft shush. Jaden steps closer, ready to find clues.
Jaden presses the button again and again.
“Ding!” says the elevator, but the doors do not close right away. Brooklyn whispers, “Maybe it’s scared of Nala.”
Jaden looks at the door frame. He sees thin black strips and a sign that says, “Do not block doors.” Jaden says, “The doors can see!”
Jaden tries a test.
He stands still. The doors close.
He steps one foot in the way. The doors open again. Nala’s leash swings too close, and the doors pause. Brooklyn says, “It’s not scared. It’s smart.”
Jaden points to the buttons inside.
“How does it know our floor?” he asks. Brooklyn crosses her arms. “No peeking out the crack,” she says.
Jaden pushes their floor number. The button lights up. The elevator goes whirr, and the number above the door changes.
They ride to a middle floor.
“Ding!” The doors open. The hallway looks the same as all the other halls.
Jaden spots a small sticker by the elevator door. It says the elevator was checked. Brooklyn does a quick balance pose and says, “That clue is boring.” Jaden taps it and says, “Boring clues are real clues.”
They go back in the elevator.
Jaden puts his hand on the wall. He feels a small shake. “How does it go up without jumping?” he asks.
Brooklyn says, “Maybe a hamster is running.” Nala pants like she agrees. Jaden looks around and sees a notice with rules and a simple picture of elevator parts.
Back in the lobby, Jaden looks for help.
He sees a building worker near a door. Jaden asks, “What makes the elevator go up?”
The worker points to a locked door with a sign. It says, “Elevator Equipment. Keep out.” The worker says, “The elevator has a motor and strong cables.”
The worker keeps talking, and Jaden listens hard.
“The motor pulls the cables,” the worker says. “A heavy counterweight helps. There are brakes too.”
Jaden repeats the words. “Motor. Cables. Counterweight. Brakes.” Brooklyn asks, “If the power goes out, do we fall?” The worker says, “No. Safety parts help stop it.”
Jaden leads the next ride.
He stands by the buttons like a boss. “Button lights because we asked,” he says, and he pushes the number.
“Doors wait and check,” Jaden says as they start to close. “Now the motor pulls the cables,” he says as the elevator goes whirr. The number changes, then—“Ding!”
Brooklyn tries to trick the doors.
She waves her hand near the black strip. Jaden says, “The doors will open.” The doors open right away.
Back in the lobby, Jaden holds his hands up like a detective. “It’s not magic,” he says. “It’s clues!” He points to the black strip where he found the first clue. Nala barks once at another stranger, and Jaden says, “It’s okay. The doors can see. Nala can too.”
The end