Page 14 of Escape

I looked around me, searching for anything the key could be for, when my gaze locked on a sign hanging from the ceiling at the end of the hall to the left. Locker Rooms.

The familiarity of the key snapped into place. While the main hallway lockers had a combination lock, the smaller locker room lockers had individual padlocks. Each student was given their own key and padlock each semester they had gym class.

As I made my way over, thoughts of the tall, muscular masked demon played in my mind. They were way too ripped and tall to be my husband, who was about my height with a beer gut. The inky black hair didn’t match Ariana’s and neither did the body, unless she hit the gym like a maniac over the last ten years, got her legs extended and dyed her hair.

I guess anything is possible.

The locker room carried the same atmosphere as the rest of the building: cold, damp, run-down and dark with dim, flickering lights. My heels clicked against the cement floors, echoing off the walls. The distant dripping sound coming from the showers on the other side of the room sucked me back into the past.

Slender, long fingers muffled my scream as a hand closed over my mouth. I was pulled into a lanky but solid body as we disappeared behind the shower walls. My heart calmed as she spun me around, deep green eyes burning into my own. I looked around us, making sure nobody saw where we disappeared to. Although we all participated in gym, nobody was brave enough to undress and use the showers, so we were safe.

She took my chin between the pads of her fingers, turning my head to face her as she stroked my skin. Every cell in my body was on fire, tingling with anticipation. I knew we shouldn’t be doing this. Anyone could walk in. Anyone could find out about us, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn away.

I was pinned in place by her intense glare. She looked at me like she wanted to devour me. With the way my body arched into hers, I would absolutely let her. The world around us blurred as she leaned in, her lips just barely brushing mine at first, like she was testing me. I couldn’t take another second. I leaned in, closing the distance between us and stars exploded behind my eyes.

I jerked my head, shaking the memory away as my gut twisted in pain. I couldn’t think about that, not now.

My exposed calves brushed against the low, wooden benches that ran between the faded, green lockers as I skimmed over each one. Finally, in the middle row, a lock rested over locker 27B.

With my hands still shaking from the flashback, I fumbled to get the key in the lock. When it finally popped free and I pulled the door, lockers all around me swung open, slamming against each other.

My whole body tensed. I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for some kind of impact.

“Welcome to your next test, my star.” The smooth voice echoed around the concrete room.

My eyes snapped open. The barrel of a gun stared back at me, held up by some kind of contraption that I just knew would blow my brains out if I made the wrong move.

Paralyzed, I strained my eyes around me, finding the same device in each open locker, all pointing at me. I slowly craned my neck around, moving my body as little as possible, and found three lockers behind me with the same thing. Six guns pointed straight at me.

“Wh-whatever I did to you…I’m sorry. Please don’t do this,” I sobbed, clasping my hands in front of my chest and searching for the cameras around the room.

“Aw, Jasmine. It's not about what you did to me, it's about what you did to yourself.”

“Myself?”

“And what you let others do to you. Your friends…your family…”

Their faces flashed through my mind as I began to shake. It didn’t make sense…why would I be paying for something I didn’t even do?

“Anyway…” The voice said nonchalantly. “Let’s focus on the task at hand… time's running out.”

Another digital timer flashed with red letters on the wall above the entrance. My heart sank when 2 minutes were loaded onto the clock.

I was going to die.

“To your left, you’ll see a mirror.”

My eyes drifted to the left where the entire wall was covered top to bottom with mirrors. The same mirrors students would check their reflection in after gym class, brushing back their flyaway hairs and touching up their makeup.

“All your life, you’ve let others determine how you see yourself. You’ve listened to harsh criticisms, letting them make you feel small. Till this day, you struggle with accepting how perfectly you were made. Mind, body and soul.”

My heart softened at the words. They were right. How the fuck were they right? How would they know something like that?

“Your test is simple, really. Strip down and admire how perfect you are for two minutes. If your eyes break from the mirror, even for a second, or if you move out of place, one of the guns surrounding you will go off. Or maybe they all will. Let’s not find out, hm? Your time starts the moment your clothes hit the floor.”

My mouth hung open. What the fuck was this, some deranged self-help retreat?

I turned to the mirror, standing there. Almost waiting for the voice to come back and tell me they were just joking and the real test was a lot more insane. But it never came. With a huff, I dropped my backpack, supplies and my dress to my feet. The second the white fabric pooled over my toes, the timer came to life.