Escape

Spring break at last. The days of some guilt free relaxation at last. The days of endless fun and pleasant breeze. Time to chill at the pools and run your cycles through the lush colourful lanes of bright flowers, dancing with the slightest movements of the wind. Not to mention the picnics at parks decorated with hearty laughs, delicious sandwiches and happy times. Almost a mini Summer. Finally, sometime to spare. But for what else if not for this?

Nicole’s POV:

   What shall one even do in these boring times? sigh. Go cycling? Go to the pools? Go on a picnic? a deeper sigh. Well, one would do these things if they have their friends around. But apparently their friends have places to be, a louder sigh accompanied by a grunt.

At this point, everybody at home(including my parents and younger brother) was aware of my spring time boredom. The only thing which makes me happy, is my art and skateboarding. But you can only do so much of both.

I should probably run down for breakfast. My loud footsteps were welcomed by my obnoxiously happy younger brother. “How are you so smiley? I mean what’s so great about your life anyway?” I asked almost in a rhetorical manner. My mother scolded me, “Hey now, be nice to your little brother, he’s just smiling.” looking at the little boy, a little doubtful now at the too bright smile, “Isn’t he?” Just as soon, my father announces for the fourth time in a row, “C’mon people, let’s get the grub on!” and so I sit down at the table and finish the breakfast with usual chatter. After breakfast everybody dispersed, getting ready for their routine. I decide to get some fresh air, so I walk out the front door and through the cemented pathway, placed in the freshly cut grass. Seems like dad had the garden groomed just this morning. A pleasant breeze blows and brings a crumpled pamphlet, directly towards me. I grab it quickly.

           THE ESCAPE ROOM!

         5 DIFFERENT THEMES...

NEW MYSTERIES...

         NEW RULES...

   NOW WITH A NEW CUSTOM THEME OPTION! (ONLY WITH PRIOR NOTICE.)

Sounds...not new. What’s the hype about. The last time we visited one, it was so disorganized. But, what else should I even do, when an opportunity has blown right to my face? No better time to be impulsive than now. So I grab my wallet, get on my bike and wave bye.

Daniel's POV:

“I’ve been sitting here for the past damn hour, where are you girl?!” I practically shout at the phone in anger. All the movements at the pool come to a halt at my shout as I sat motionless in the lifeguard chair. It wasn’t directed to the pool goers but, they heard it. I cut the call and stare back at the little audience. Now that was totally uncalled for. I pick up the megaphone and announce, “Ya’ll, go on with your thing.”

I was supposed to go on a date with Samantha, but apparently she had an appointment out of nowhere, how so very convenient! Here I am spending my time with a bunch of crazy teenagers.

“ Did you hear about that new escape room near the old arcade?” asked a boy standing nearby.

“No...but seems nice I guess?” answered another girl.

“C’mon let’s go there with the others this evening!”

“Okay, I don’t have anything to do, so might as well then.”

One of the perks, or rather, forms of entertainment at this boring job is to hear random stupid conversations to pass the time. This little conversation seems to be...uh something. I love me some adventure and my shift is almost over, how about a little me time?

Peter's POV:

  “Holy sh-” I get cut off by my twin sister Nina, “Language!” staring at some pamphlet for an escape room. Yeah alright, Miss epitome of discipline, now shut up! “Finally, finally we have one of these in town!” with a grand smile now, “My prayers have been answered!” Nina makes a mean judgmental expression as she leaves our shared room. Jeez Nina, a little jazz hands never hurt anybody, let me do my thing for once!

I jump down the top bunk, hurry down to the kitchen. I’m taking the last of our candy bars. I sprint out through the open garage. ‘ I’m outta here, bye!!”

After twenty minutes of looking for the escape room, I find it and step into the small building as the cheers coming from the old arcade fade away. An excited group jumps past as I make my way to the counter. Now this seems promising. Oh! There’s the reception! I speak to the receptionist and book a slot for myself. Oh no... what about emerging a genius who doesn’t need other people but only his excellent genius for solving this difficult puzzle..? Much to my dissapointment, I come to terms with sharing the slot with strangers, since it’s not for an individual. I go and sit in the waiting area. Hmmm, looks like a confident girl, probably a few years older than myself and that, a noisy guy a couple more years older than both myself and the other girl.

I share short lived introductions with the two strangers as we waited for our turn. There were five themes; Dreamland, Apocalypse, Medieval Period, Jurassic Era and Cyberpunk Theme. Luckily enough, three of us had picked the same one, being the Cyberpunk theme. Our turn comes and surprisingly, we are given some light gear to adjust with the setting more easily. “ So as you guys already know, I’m Peter, Peter the guy who has been excited for this day since he found out what an escape room is. Now, let’s work as the best team to ever exist!” I extended a hand into the air, in expectations of a team handshake. They smile hesitantly and shake hands with me.

Nicole’s POV:

  “Okay so you want me to...uh, what was it again? Yeah! To focus on this strange worn out painting and look for some clues around it?” I ask Peter. This little guy seems like an ambitious leader, haha. Might as well let him make the rules. “And I’m supposed to look at these bills for any codes while you stare at the broken glitchy screen for some patterns?” asked Daniel for the third time now. Huh, this guy is unbelievable and the little guy even more so. How does he have so much patience with this Daniel guy? Staring at the portrait under the pink fluorescent tube light for only five minutes, seemed like a century, there wasn’t anything out of place or any clue there. I had drifted my attention to the broken equipment nearby the portrait, regardless of Peter's careful nudges of ‘focusing on the assigned job’. I got side eyed by Peter for that. But I don’t care, I can take him down like a fly and it’s possible. “What?!” I got startled at Daniel's exclamation when he found a piece of paper laying by the bunched bills. He better not blurt stupid stuff this time. “Guys!! Look look! It’s written here that we have to look for a map!” exclaimed Daniel.

Daniel's POV:

I hand the piece of paper to Peter as Nicole finally smiles for the first time, rather than glaring at me. I’m not that useless, you know. I’m a genius too, you judgy intimidating human!  “Okay... hmm, now where could we find a map around here?” Peter thinks aloud as Nicole sprints to the corner, specifically not her assigned area, but whatever, I guess. Nicole pushes a small button on the glossy dispenser of some kind in the wall and a map comes out of it. What. How even?? She then smirks to our direction, “What? The other day I watched a Cyberpunk movie where a map comes out of a fancy futuristic dispenser. Courtesy of watching movies from multiple genre. I expected more from you Peter, tsk tsk.” Peter tries to retaliate but Nicole waves a hand and stops him, while I try to hold my laugh back. “So guys-” both Nicole and Peter shush me. I didn’t even begin? Isn’t this supposed to be mean? Wow, some teammates I’ve got. Whatever, I’ll go back to my stupid corner and do my stupid search. “What does it say?!” Peter nearly squeals at the map when he snatches it from Nicole. He then looks my way with a blunt expression, “Uhm, Daniel shouldn’t you be participating here?” Ah yes, some more ‘respect’. “Coming!” I sprint towards the two. They spend the next five minutes in some complex discussion, which they think I’m not capable of participating in. How ironic. I stare at them with confusion as they sputter ‘no it’s west!” , “nooO, it’s obviously north?!” , “no it’s not!” , “you’re too dense for someone who claims to love the idea of an escape room!” and “Excuse me, can we focus on the fact that the first of our two hours is about to be over soon?!” As they go on bickering, I notice something on the backside of the map which was facing towards me. “Heyya teammates! Get your gaming on with the nearest arcade machine in the room!” Uhm? This is a joke, isn’t it? I go on to the arcade machine as the bickering noises of the two fade away. Wait a second, this is one of my most favourite retro games ever. Now is gonna be a piece o’ cake! Victory music escapes the machine as I finish the game and finally the two wholesome theorists turn their heads toward me. “Congratulations player! Grab your tickets for the next hint!” shines from the screen back at my face as I follow the sound of tickets coming out of the machine. I grab the trail of tickets and as soon as I do, the theorists step in by shoving my hand off of it and hastily pulling it out of the slot. “Good job Daniel, you can step aside.” claims Nicole. As if I didn’t expect this. “Look for the one who stands out, shinning in the space filled with waves of unnecessity.” read the tickets. Both of them scrambled for some kind of metaphoric meaning and constantly mentioned something about the fluorescent light. Wait a minute, is that slot shinning or am I just seeing things? I take a closer look at the ticket slot and find a golden ticket just a little out the opening. “Giddy up team! Take a look in the photocopier!” claimed the golden ticket. So I walk to the photocopier, ignoring the other two and their impromptu debate over which fluorescent light should they check under first.

Peter's POV:

You think people are calm and composed until you very graciously allow them in your escape room team, well well. She must think she’s quite the genius huh? She’s not the only smarty here. Also, what is the big stupid guy doing by the copier anyway. No no, no time to waste. “I think it would make things faster if you just complied with my plan and checked under each tube light.” I protested as Nicole kept on pressing her idea of me being dumb because there’s a ton of tube lights here. But guess what stupid Nicole, there’s no better translation for the given phrase. You’re better off taking my idea. Nicole keeps on bickering for as long as she’d like, “no no, even Daniel would agree that your idea is foolish, right Daniel?D-Dan"-” What is he even doing?! We’re racking our brains out here and he’s playing with the copier? This is plain annoying. We both almost instantaneously step towards Daniel as he chants out of the blue, “Yeah!! Oh yeah!!” – “What is wrong with you now? Did you find a dollar bill or something?” Nicole speaks in an annoyed tone and looks at me as if asking me to add on to her statement. “Yeah, we are this close to becoming maniacs and you’re thinking about celebrating.” I exclaimed. Daniel turns around and deadpans us, “You two thickheads would know what I’m doing if you let me speak for once!” Okay uhm, the audacity?! How dare he speak to me in that tone of voice?! He is but a stranger, huh!

I’m about to speak but Daniel continues and does a strange gesture as if he’s extracting his former annoyed expression into his palm with his fingers. “Can we just forget it and move on? We gotta get outta here, honestly it’s beginning to become a little boring here.” I’m being perfectly cooperative, besides who wouldn’t be blessed to be under my leadership? – “Look Daniel, this kinda space requires great thinking and ample amount of time for good decision making-” Why is he face slapping himself now? He’s being a little too much. “No you listen, both of you.” Daniel interrupts me. Nicole looks at him in a shocked- betrayed manner. “Yeah, both means it includes you too Nicole. Do you guys realize how unreasonable you’re being? I’ve found more than half the hints and most of what you guys have done is bicker and waste time in useless discussions.” claims Daniel. Nicole retaliates, “Okay, man Daniel, I get it. It might’ve seemed like we have overreacted a bit, but I think its a bit mean, the way you address this to us.” Daniel scoffs, “You know what? Forget it. Just listen carefully to me this once. IT’S NOT THAT DEEP. Okay? Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ve the last hint and the time is about to get over in fifteen minutes.” He proceeds with a cardboard key in his hand he had taken out from the copier and actually tries to open the door with it.

Daniel's POV:

    Huh, I showed them, they can’t mess with me just because look like a dumb jock or athlete or whatever. I fit the cardboard key into the keyhole. Hey it fits! Wait. It’s stuck. Why is it not moving?! I try to jimmy it out of the keyhole as Nicole and Peter just stand by the copier with a silly grin. As I pull the key harshly one more time, it gets torn and one half of it stays in the keyhole. Why am I sweating? Oh no, you don’t go down like this. “Ah silly silly big guy, you’re genius enough to find these easy hints but too quick at the end, too excited to not read the dust covered buttons on the copier.” Nicole chuckles. Peter takes over the other half of the insulting speech, “Too ignorant to read what they say. For instance one which says ‘escape!’. Seems too stupid, this escape room and definitely a loot of our precious money and time. But worth seeing a complete stranger panicking over a torn cardboard key.”  They’re enjoying this a little too much, aren’t they?

“Alright alright, enough. We can call this even now. We made a fool of ourselves here, we’re good now? Let’s go?”

“Yep only about five minutes of our time slot are left now and obviously, only you made a fool of yourself. We didn’t, right Nicole?” boasts Peter and she responds with a cold and calculating smile. I smile back at her. There’s no point in arguing with these knuckleheads, I better head out if I wanna catch that date with Samantha, that is if she has gotten random appointments out of the way. Nicole presses the 'escape' button and the door opens with a whirring sound. We step out and return the gear. I had a good time, surprisingly. I should probably ask for their contact numbers. Actually, you know what? Let it be.