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Escape Room
In the dimly lit room of the escape challenge, the air felt heavy with tension. The walls were adorned with cryptic symbols, and a countdown timer on the far wall ticked ominously, glaring down at Nathan and his friend, Liam. They’d been here for what felt like hours. Fumbling through puzzles and cracking codes, they had stumbled upon this final obstacle.
Liam lay on the floor, his face contorted in pain. A metal beam had fallen during one of the earlier challenges, leaving him with a nasty gash on his leg. Nathan’s heart raced, not just from the adrenaline of the escape room, but also from fear for his friend's safety. They had almost completed the challenge, only seconds remaining, but now they faced a heart-wrenching decision. The overhead duct was their only route to freedom—a narrow, dark space that promised escape but was meant for one.
“Go, Nate!” Liam gasped between clenched teeth. “I can’t make it. You have to save yourself!”
Nathan shook his head, desperation rising in his chest. “No way! I’m not leaving you here!”
“You’re stronger than me! You can do this. You’ll find a way to come back for me. I’m slowing you down.” Liam’s words were pained but resolute.
Nathan looked around wildly, as if the walls would offer a solution. But everything was silent except for the relentless ticking of the clock. Time was running out, and each tick felt like it was echoing inside his head, amplifying his panic.
“Nate,” Liam continued, his voice a whisper now. “If you stay, we both die. Just go! I’ll be fine!”
Nathan swallowed hard, the gravity of their situation bearing down on him. He could feel the warmth of friendship swirling through him—the countless adventures they had shared, the laughter and trust that had solidified their bond. And now, faced with this painful choice, he wondered if saving himself meant betraying that bond.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan scanned the room one last time. He wanted to argue, to fight against this impossible decision, but the sight of the duct—dark, narrow, and leading to salvation—was pulling him closer.
“I won’t leave you behind!” he insisted, fighting back tears.
Liam winced, his leg likely throbbing worse than his face let on. “You have to. You can't let me drag you down with me. Please…”
The clock continued to tick ominously, urging Nathan to make up his mind. In that moment, he realized his friend was right. They wouldn’t both survive if he hesitated any longer.
“Okay,” he finally conceded, his voice cracking. “Okay, I’ll lift you up first. Just… hold on, alright?”
With a surge of determination, Nathan knelt down beside Liam, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him gently, despite the gut-wrenching tension in his heart. Liam grunted in pain, but the look in his eyes was one of gratitude tinged with desperation.
Nathan moved towards the duct, determination fuelling his actions. “On the count of three, I’m going to push you through, alright? One, two—”
“Wait!”
Nathan froze at Liam’s urgent call.
“What is it?” he asked, desperation creeping back into his voice.
“Go now! If they’ve set this up right, it’s the only chance we have!” Tears glistened in Liam’s eyes, and Nathan could see he was fighting a losing battle against the pain.
Another tick echoed in the air. Time was running out.
“Okay,” Nathan said, steeling himself. “I can do this.”
Liam nodded weakly. Nathan took a breath, his heart pounding as he lifted Liam higher, trying to ignore the dread gnawing at his insides. He gently pushed him through the duct, watching as the darkness swallowed him whole.
“Now you! Go!” Liam coughed out, his voice strained but full of conviction.
Nathan glanced back once more at his friend—humbled, exhausted, and fighting to keep the spark of hope alive. He climbed through the duct, the cold metal biting against his palms, and crawled through the long, winding space.
As he reached the end, gasping for air, he could already hear the frantic beeping of the timer growing louder. In a moment of reckless urgency, he dove into the blinding light, landing hard on the ground outside the escape room.
Nathan scrambled to his feet, adrenaline coursing through him as he turned back, spotting the entrance to the room still open. “Liam!” he yelled desperately, glancing around for any sign of his friend.
With a pounding heart, he bolted toward the entrance, racing back through the now-familiar puzzles. Memories of their teamwork flooded his mind, urging him through each challenge, as he ran faster than ever before. Nathan was determined to find Liam; there was no way he would leave him behind.
Before he knew it, Nathan burst back into the room, scanning the lingering darkness, full of determination and love. He was sure that they would find each other, and no one would be left behind—not today.
© Mark Antony Raines
Liam lay on the floor, his face contorted in pain. A metal beam had fallen during one of the earlier challenges, leaving him with a nasty gash on his leg. Nathan’s heart raced, not just from the adrenaline of the escape room, but also from fear for his friend's safety. They had almost completed the challenge, only seconds remaining, but now they faced a heart-wrenching decision. The overhead duct was their only route to freedom—a narrow, dark space that promised escape but was meant for one.
“Go, Nate!” Liam gasped between clenched teeth. “I can’t make it. You have to save yourself!”
Nathan shook his head, desperation rising in his chest. “No way! I’m not leaving you here!”
“You’re stronger than me! You can do this. You’ll find a way to come back for me. I’m slowing you down.” Liam’s words were pained but resolute.
Nathan looked around wildly, as if the walls would offer a solution. But everything was silent except for the relentless ticking of the clock. Time was running out, and each tick felt like it was echoing inside his head, amplifying his panic.
“Nate,” Liam continued, his voice a whisper now. “If you stay, we both die. Just go! I’ll be fine!”
Nathan swallowed hard, the gravity of their situation bearing down on him. He could feel the warmth of friendship swirling through him—the countless adventures they had shared, the laughter and trust that had solidified their bond. And now, faced with this painful choice, he wondered if saving himself meant betraying that bond.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan scanned the room one last time. He wanted to argue, to fight against this impossible decision, but the sight of the duct—dark, narrow, and leading to salvation—was pulling him closer.
“I won’t leave you behind!” he insisted, fighting back tears.
Liam winced, his leg likely throbbing worse than his face let on. “You have to. You can't let me drag you down with me. Please…”
The clock continued to tick ominously, urging Nathan to make up his mind. In that moment, he realized his friend was right. They wouldn’t both survive if he hesitated any longer.
“Okay,” he finally conceded, his voice cracking. “Okay, I’ll lift you up first. Just… hold on, alright?”
With a surge of determination, Nathan knelt down beside Liam, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him gently, despite the gut-wrenching tension in his heart. Liam grunted in pain, but the look in his eyes was one of gratitude tinged with desperation.
Nathan moved towards the duct, determination fuelling his actions. “On the count of three, I’m going to push you through, alright? One, two—”
“Wait!”
Nathan froze at Liam’s urgent call.
“What is it?” he asked, desperation creeping back into his voice.
“Go now! If they’ve set this up right, it’s the only chance we have!” Tears glistened in Liam’s eyes, and Nathan could see he was fighting a losing battle against the pain.
Another tick echoed in the air. Time was running out.
“Okay,” Nathan said, steeling himself. “I can do this.”
Liam nodded weakly. Nathan took a breath, his heart pounding as he lifted Liam higher, trying to ignore the dread gnawing at his insides. He gently pushed him through the duct, watching as the darkness swallowed him whole.
“Now you! Go!” Liam coughed out, his voice strained but full of conviction.
Nathan glanced back once more at his friend—humbled, exhausted, and fighting to keep the spark of hope alive. He climbed through the duct, the cold metal biting against his palms, and crawled through the long, winding space.
As he reached the end, gasping for air, he could already hear the frantic beeping of the timer growing louder. In a moment of reckless urgency, he dove into the blinding light, landing hard on the ground outside the escape room.
Nathan scrambled to his feet, adrenaline coursing through him as he turned back, spotting the entrance to the room still open. “Liam!” he yelled desperately, glancing around for any sign of his friend.
With a pounding heart, he bolted toward the entrance, racing back through the now-familiar puzzles. Memories of their teamwork flooded his mind, urging him through each challenge, as he ran faster than ever before. Nathan was determined to find Liam; there was no way he would leave him behind.
Before he knew it, Nathan burst back into the room, scanning the lingering darkness, full of determination and love. He was sure that they would find each other, and no one would be left behind—not today.
© Mark Antony Raines
