Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 14086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 70(@200wpm)___ 56(@250wpm)___ 47(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 70(@200wpm)___ 56(@250wpm)___ 47(@300wpm)
“Great. So, two questions. Why am I signing a waiver, and why are you taking my phone?”
The guy stepped behind a desk to the left of a curving staircase and explained, as he hung my coat on a hook, “The waiver is just a formality. My uncle, who owns this place, is afraid of getting sued in case someone twists an ankle or, you know, freaks out about getting locked in or something. And I’m supposed to take your phone so you can’t look up the answers to the puzzles. You have two hours to escape, and the week’s best times win prizes.” He gestured at a chalkboard behind him, which was labeled “The Greatest Escapees” and included a list of names and times. The fastest was a group of three, who’d solved the puzzles in fifty-seven minutes. I was sure I could beat that.
After I skimmed the fairly standard form and signed it, I sent Dare a quick text: I’m here. My date hasn’t arrived yet, so there’s nothing to report. I have to turn in my phone, but I’ll message you when it’s over. My friend replied with “have fun” and way too many exclamation points. Then I handed over the phone, and the red-haired guy locked it in the top drawer of his desk.
“My name’s Benji,” he said. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. There’s an intercom to the left of the door, you’ll see it when you’re in the library. There’s also a timer directly above it, which will be counting down your two hours. The doors will unlock automatically if you don’t solve the puzzles before the time runs out, but if you need to leave early, let me know. I’ll send the code to the keypad on your door, and the locks will disengage. Any questions?”
“Where do we get the clues?”
“Oh, right. That’s an important detail.” He grinned and admitted, “This is only my third day, so I’m still learning the ropes. Anyway, the first clue will drop in through a mail slot behind the desk when you close the doors. They’ll lock automatically and the clock will start, so leave the doors open until you’re ready to begin. The answer to the first puzzle will lead you to your next clue, which will lead you to the one after that, and so on. They’re hidden all around the room. The final puzzle will reveal the code that stops the clock and unlocks the doors.”
“Got it.”
“Since you’re here as part of a special prize package, take as much time as you want before you start the countdown. I put you in our best room, and I hope you have fun,” Benji said. “You can head to the top floor if you want. Your room is straight ahead when you reach the landing, the one with the open double doors. I’ll brief your date and send him up when he arrives.”
As I climbed the stairs, my worry about who exactly would be showing up began to escalate. At least we’d have some time to get to know each other before the game started. If we totally failed to get along, I could always invent an excuse and leave before we got locked in together.
My concerns were temporarily forgotten when I reached the impressive third-floor library. It looked like it had been transplanted directly from the late eighteen-hundreds, with a few exceptions, including the very modern door lock with a touch pad. The digital display above the intercom wasn’t exactly period either, although the screen had been placed in an antique frame to jazz it up a bit.
It felt like an actual room in someone’s home, as opposed to a collection of props in a place of business. There were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a large writing desk, and a comfortable-looking seating area in front of a brick fireplace. The best feature was the room’s only window, which I’d noticed when I was out on the sidewalk. It was a round, stained glass masterpiece, about five feet in diameter. Since it was both late in the afternoon and overcast outside, the colors were muted, which was a shame. The stained glass was probably amazing when the sun shone through it.
I did a slow lap around the room and noticed a half-bath through a connecting door behind the desk. I also paused to check out a small table, which had been positioned near the fireplace. It was draped with a crisp, white tablecloth and held a bouquet of red roses, along with a bottle of champagne in a silver ice bucket and two glasses. There were also chocolate-dipped strawberries on a fancy tray and a trio of white pillar candles, which proved to be battery-operated on closer inspection. Finally, there was a rainbow-striped card, which read: We hope you get lucky in love! Courtesy of Heart2Heart, the premiere dating app for the LGBTQ+ community. The “lucky in love” part was highly unlikely, but the champagne and berries were a nice touch.