Getaway 13

It was mid-September: Friday, the 13th. My parents had allowed me to bring my friends to our beach house for the week, while they packed everything to close the house until next summer. Tonight, my friends and I decided that we wanted to check out a few stores and their sales before the boardwalk closed for the fall.

It was loud and crowded, and we were walking in our group of six. Maddie, Kayleigh, Aaliyah, Priscila, Liv, and me. We walked in rows of two, as we tried to push through the groups of people, crowding around a silly balloon game.

I led my friends to one of the many snack shops, and we all decided to grab a bite to eat before continuing our walk.

"We should go to that Escape Room at the beginning of the boardwalk," Priscila suggested.

I had never seen it before. It must have been a new addition. It looked fun—there were six small rooms, and you had to escape them all to win. It was called Getaway 13.

"That sounds like fun, actually," Aaliyah agreed, a bucket of French fries in front of her. I took one and shrugged.

"I've done an escape room before. They're fun," I added, while my other friends, who seemed hesitant, eventually nodded.

"Okay," Liv sighed, "I'm down,"

"Why the hell not?" Kayleigh grinned.

"Maddie?" Priscila asked the girl, whose face twisted in discomfort.

"I don't know about this, guys. Something seems weird about that Escape Room," she told us, and I nodded my head.

"Wait, maybe she's right..." my friends directed their attention to me, and I shook my head. "It's just...I've never seen this place in my life. Not even during the summer that just ended. This place is totally new,"

"And don't you think it's a little weird that it shows up on Friday the 13th?" Maddie had asked, making all of us gasp.

"I didn't even think of that!" I spoke.

"Guys, it's perfectly safe," Aaliyah reassured us, holding up her cell phone to show us the website for Getaway 13.

"See, it's got five stars! Look at the reviews, people love it." Priscila noted. Maddie and I took breaths of relief.

My friends were right. There were hundreds of reviews, all of them four to five stars.

"Okay, I'm in. Let's do it," Maddie eventually agreed, but the pit in my stomach didn't seem to go away. And according to Maddie's facial expression, she was still wary as well.

*

"It's ten bucks a ticket," Aaliyah said, "cash only,"

The six of us stared at the sign before we entered. The place looked perfectly normal. A welcome desk, with a jar of lollipops, was in front of us. There were pictures of families on the walls, holding their prizes, and smiling. The man behind the desk grinned at us. His name tag read 'Luc.'

"Evening," he said. "How many are ya?"

"Uh, six, please," I answered. I turned to my friends, "I have cash, so you guys can Venmo me or just give it back to me later,"

Liv pulled out her phone, and immediately sent me the money. She was one to get things done as soon as possible so that she didn't forget.

"Great," the worker said, typing everything into his computer. "Comes to $66.60, with tax,"

I handed him a hundred-dollar bill. He checked it and gave me back my change.

"Follow me," he said. "I'm Luc, your helper. There are a few ground rules when participating in an escape room. This door will lock at the beginning of the game. Press the button located around each room if you need a clue. I will respond to your call for help. You get six clues. One per room. After you finish a room, the door to the next one will open. Previous doors will remain ajar. Any questions?" he asked.