The Escape Room

In the year 2019, I remember going with my friends and the last day of high school to an escape room. We each chose a different room because we wanted to see who could escape the fastest. Melissa took "The Curse of the Mummy" room. Sam chose "The Space Chase" room. I chose the so-called easiest "Super Hard Spy Mission" room. One by one my friends completed the rooms but I could not figure mine out. "Hey, Melissa, where is Jordan?" says Sam. "I don't know. Do you want to get some ice cream?" Melissa says scatter-brained. "Sure." answers Sam whilst forgetting about me. Soon thereafter Escape Room Mania building shut down due to poor expenditure of money. I was forgot about and left in the room. My phone died as soon as I first entered the room. I had to cut the red wire. I had to use the disgusting water fountain. I had to play a game called "Leap Cockroach". I completed that room 67 times. I could do that room with my eyes closed. I had to sleep on a couch that smelled of mildew. The place had rats that I befriended for crying out loud! Every once in a while I would find a stray Cheeto from previous guests to eat. Every day, the same room. Every day, I ate floor food or couch cushion food, or fountain grime (that kind of tasted like expired lettuce.) It was terrible! I could not even remember my own name! (That part might slightly be exaggerated.) I went pretty much caveman. (That part was very much exaggerated.) I finally found a way to get into the utility closet attached to the room. I found paint cans, snacks for the vending machine I was locked out of, and a few other supplies. I decided to re-model this disgustingly ugly room. I cleaned the couch with some serious bleach which turned it white. (I seriously think white was its original color, it was black when I found it. Ew!) I cleaned up the dirty carpet. (Don’t worry, I made sure to save the floor food.)  I cleaned the walls and put out some mouse traps. I moved the now white couch to the middle of the room. I found some masking tape and taped the stuff off. I painted the walls a beautiful Carolina Blue. I was starting to make this my home. I cleaned out the disgusting water fountain and now it is no longer green. I, of course, kept my friend rat in a clear bucket I found and fed him Doritos. I had made a home. I had exactly 22 bags of Doritos, 17 bags of Cheetos, and 77 bags of plain Lays chips. I had a good routine. I had even found the key to the bathroom! (You DO NOT want to know where I was going before.) After a couple of weeks of my all chip diet, I gained 5 pounds. (Better than starving I guess.) I decided I needed to dedicate the utility closet to my work-out room (It was a huge closet!) I made weights out of a broom with a bucket on either end. (Maybe I wasn’t trying that hard to get ripped.) I also made a weight out of my pet rat who had gotten very fat on his new diet. (His name was Rat-trick and he went on a diet soon after with me.) Every day Rat-trick and I would work-out and then enjoy some chips and unfiltered water fountain water. (I made Rat-trick a wheel out of the masking tape I found previously so he would not feel left out.) In case you were wondering, yes, I did bathe. I had to wash my hair in the water fountain and fill a bucket with the water from the fountain so I could take a bath. (That closet had an unreasonable amount of buckets.) I used a ton of chemicals to wash myself which was not too great. (Don’t scream if I turn green.)  I also realized I had an excellent sense of time because I somehow was able to keep up with what day it was. March, 8th, 2019 I turned the big “two o”. Rat-trick and I celebrated by mixing Cheetos and Doritos together for the ultimate cheesy goodness. I also realized this was preparing me for college in a dark, twisted way. I missed my family more than anything. It was really hard being without them for the first time with a roommate. (I was referring to Rat-trick and no I wasn’t going crazy.) I missed my annoying older brother who thinks it’s hilarious to stick my head in his armpit. I missed my control-freak Mom who won’t let me mention having chips for lunch. I missed my clumsy Dad who falls even if nothing is happening. Those were the negative things I was thinking about them but those things made up who they are and I missed that.  Although the quirks of that year I rate it about 4 stars. I found a marble and I would throw it for Rat-trick to chase. (Ah the fun times we had.) I (for a while) ran out of things to do. I had to get very creative about the games I played. I invented many great successes in the gaming industry of the Escape Room Mania building. Such as, “How far can you Throw that Chip” or “How far can you Roll the Rat”. But, that was toward the end of our stay.  A year long journey. It was wonderful. Rat-trick and I still get nostalgic about the old glory days. I heard the thundering voices of two men at 2:30 one afternoon. I could barely contain myself I was so excited. Then the door cracked open. “Oh my goodness! That’s that missing girl!” says the one wearing a yellow shirt with a gray tie. “Whats her name?  Jordan! Are you Jordan Andrews?” says the other one. “Yes I am!” I say practically shouting. “Let’s get you out of here!” says the yellow shirt man. I grab Rat-trick and head the door. My parents and even my stupid brother started crying when they saw me. (I did too when I looked at myself in the mirror.) Apparently, they had been looking for me for a year. The police even got involved and since that was my last known location they checked there. So, the life lesson of my story? It would have to be “If you have a rat and a bag of chips you can make a real journey out of a year.” As for me I have to work on getting some better friends! 

The end.