Escape Room

Richard ran as fast as his fat body could go. He practically dragged his swollen ankle, propelling it forward. His heart pounded through his chest. His body overheated. Then with one quick look behind, he could see Rand, whoever he was now, slowly coming after him.

The beast was slow, Richard thought he had time.

Somehow both of them were transported. Or maybe just Richard was thrown into this nightmare world. If he could get the machine going, then maybe he could get back home.

Richard dodged the broken toys, careful not to make that mistake again, and hobbled down the hallway into the Control Room.

Unlike the Jump Room, the Control Room did not seal oneself inside. It was a basic door; there wasn’t even a lock on it. They never needed one. 

Standing in the Control Room, Richard heard something that caused his head to whip back and look behind him.

Right now, his greatest fear had made it to the hallway. 

In a poor attempt to slow his heart rate, Richard grabbed one of the cigarette butts out of the ashtray and lit it. He could barely pull any nicotine from it, but at least the smell worked on him. He pawed at his notebook and went over the calculations, but they were different.

He realized that these were this world’s calculations from this world’s Dr. Richard Lucas. The very thought gave Richard an even deeper fear. What if the mistake wasn’t his fault, but that of this Richard’s? How could he even believe that he could get home? Whose calculations should he trust, the ones in the notebook in front of him or the half-remembered ones in his mind?

Always trust yourself, Richard thought.

This whole time the machine had still been running. Richard checked the readings; they were slightly off. He took one of the dials and adjusted it until the reading was correct. The edge of the cigarette burnt his lips, but he was too focused to care. The second dial was right where it should be. But, when he got to the third dial, the horror that used to be Jerome Rand stood in the doorway. 

Richard hesitated when he saw the monster that may once have been his friend. The beast just stood there. Slowly turning the third dial, Richard kept his eyes on it. His eyes should have been on the meter as the reading became offset.

“Richard.” The voice came out of the monster like the slow tremble of a hurricane. 

It shook Richard.

He looked back down at the meter and started to sweat when he realized that it was wrong. He put one hand on the second dial while keeping his other hand on the third, moving them to correct the meter’s reading, continually looking over his shoulder at the beast.

The monster took a step forward.

Richard’s hands moved quicker. He worried that they would slip.

It’s mouth opened wide, showing teeth moving like a chainsaw as it spoke.

“Richard,” it growled.

Richard had to remind himself that this was not his friend.

The beast lumbered closer.

The meter snapped to the perfect reading.

Richard immediately released his hands from the dials.

Only one more step.

The monster’s breath brushed against the hair on Richard’s arm.

In his fear, Richard lost himself in the hundreds of teeth that raced in it’s mouth.

The burnt ash of his cigarette hitting his lip sparked him.

It was like a bolt of lightning through Richard.

The monster’s hands grabbed Richard by the arms. It’s hands were riddled with thorns that dug into Richard’s skin. He struggled to break free, but that only caused the thorns to dig deeper into his skin.

Richard turned from the horror and looked to the window into the Jump Room. The vines were alive. They had completely covered the room. It pushed on the glass until it started to crack.

Richard looked to the lever.

He closed his eyes.

He thought of home.

Then he opened his eyes, curled the burning cigarette end on his tongue, and spit it at the Rand monster. 

The cigarette bounced off the monster and fell to the ground.

The monster looked irate.

It let out a rumbling howl.

It let go of Richard’s arm and moved to his head. The thorned hand pierced Richard’s skull.

Now Richard could scream.

He took his free hand and tried to pull the monster’s arm off his head.

Thorns sprung out of the Rand monster’s arm.

Richard recoiled in pain.

He saw the lever.

Richard remembered what he had to do.

He took his bloody free hand and pulled the lever.

But nothing happened.

The monster dug his claws deeper into Richard’s skull.

Tears dripped from Richard’s eyes.

The monster’s mouth widened, the deadly spiral of teeth whizzed around.

And then it ripped apart Richard’s face.