“Alissa?” A voice startles me, a voice that makes me feel warm, deep inside.
Before I can even look up, a weight falls onto my chest. I feel hair tickling my face.
“Fenna!” Mom sounds stern. “Be gentle with your sister.”
But I wrap my arms around Fenna and give her the biggest hug.
Over Fenna’s shoulder, I see Mint smiling. She’s right. The trust will come back. We have each other.
There’s a way out of this Escape Room.
They all want to know why.
The press, the police, and Julie.
I’m not talking.
One day I’ll write a book about it.
And then everyone will understand.
I did this for our family.
For Dad, Mom, Lia, and Miles.
They say my brother’s alive,
but I don’t think I’ll see him for a while.
Julie will do everything she can to keep him away from me.
Miles is the only one I have left.
I didn’t know he was still alive in there.
I really didn’t.
My plan worked.
I broke It.
I hope It never forgets what it’s like to be powerless.
The police officer tells me what’s in store for me.
I look outside.
The sun shines in through the bars.
The warmth on my face is pleasant.
For a moment, it’s like I’m running through the park again.
The sun on my face, and It on the bench.
My brother talking to It.
The opportunity that suddenly presented itself.
It was a sign.
People will eventually come to understand that, won’t they?
Because if you had one shot, one opportunity,
to seize everything you ever wanted
in one moment,
you wouldn’t just let it slip, would you?
My first Escape Room was in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
When we went in, there was one member of the staff who explained the rules to us. He was going to watch everything that happened inside through the camera.
I made a joke and said to the others, “What if he never lets us go?” That joke was the basis of this book.
Escape Rooms have become an addiction for me. I plan to do as many as I can.
Although…
After this book, I’m extra careful.
I tell at least one person where I’m going, and I always say, “If you haven’t heard from me by ten, then come rescue me.”
You know, just to be sure.
Maren Stoffels
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MAREN STOFFELS published her first book at age seventeen. She likes stories that are based on real experiences. Reading her books makes you feel like it could all happen to you. And maybe it will….
marenstoffels.nl
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Escape Room Page 12