- Martin is trapped: on crutches, in a tiny box, with the door closed and the elevator stopped.
- He is alone: his father, the one person who could protect him, has just walked away.
- The lady knows his name, although they have never spoken.
- We are never told who she is or what she wants. Our own imagination supplies the horror. This kind of open ending is called a cliff-hanger.
Foundation first
A cliff-hanger is an ending that stops at the moment of greatest danger, before we learn the result. It leaves the reader to imagine what happens next. A story can end in three ways: with the problem solved, with a twist (a surprise), or open. The Elevator ends open.
Why an open ending can frighten more than a closed one. Our imagination always makes up something worse than a writer can describe. By ending at "Hello, Martin", Sleator lets every reader supply his or her own worst fear.
Worked examples
Example 1 (3 marks). How does the story end? Bring out the element of horror in the ending.
Model answer. Martin, on crutches, is left alone in the elevator when his father gets off at the ninth floor. At the tenth floor the fat lady steps in and the door closes. She presses STOP, smiles and says, "Hello, Martin." The horror lies in the fact that he is trapped and cannot escape, and she knows his name though they have never spoken. We never learn what happens next.
Why this scores: two events of the ending (2 marks) and one reason for the horror (1 mark). The 2025 examiners noted that some students described the horror but did not explain how the story ended, and so lost marks. Do both parts, each on a new line.
Example 2 (MCQ, 1 mark). William Sleator's short story 'The Elevator' ends on a note of (a) hope (b) anger (c) suspense (d) humour.
Solution. (c) suspense. This was ICSE 2026 Improvement Q1(viii). Martin is trapped, the elevator has been stopped, and we do not know what will happen.
Example 3 (4 marks). Why was Martin nervous when his father got out of the lift on the ninth floor? Give two words to describe the ending.
Model answer. Martin had broken his leg and was on crutches, so he knew he could not escape if the lady got in, and his father was no longer there to protect him. The ending is horrifying because he is trapped, and it is a cliff-hanger because the story stops without telling us what happens.
Why this scores: the reason for his fear (2 marks) and two apt words with a reason (2 marks). This is from the 2027 specimen Q4(v). Any two words such as "open-ended", "suspenseful" or "sinister" are also accepted.
Doubts cleared
Q. Why did the author end the story there? Because the greatest fear is the unknown. If the author had told us what the lady did, the mystery would be over and the story less frightening.
Q. Who is to blame for what happens at the end? You may argue either way. The father's neglect left Martin alone; the lady's actions are never explained. Support your view with details.
Q. Can I write my own ending for an exam answer? No. A question on the ending needs the events of the ending as they are in the story. Your own endings belong to composition questions in Paper 1.
Q. Which of the three readings of the lady is "correct"? None is marked correct. The board accepts any reading supported by details from the story.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing "Martin dies" or "the lady kills him". The story does not say so.
- Forgetting the crutches. They explain why Martin cannot escape.
- Writing only "it is a cliff-hanger" without saying who is trapped, where and by whom.
Check yourself
- What does the lady press after the door closes?
- What are her only words in the story?
- Why can Martin not escape?
Answers: 1. The STOP button. 2. "Hello, Martin." 3. He is on crutches and cannot move quickly, and the door has closed.