Carnival: Escape

A new business had just opened. It was called Net Komnaty. It was advertised as the first mall turned multi layered escape room. Each wing of every floor had three escape rooms. Rooms connected by photo studios, playrooms, waiting rooms, vendors, and gift shops. With a large food court on the main floor, 27 unique escape rooms, amazing deals, and promises of unforgettable times. Net Komnaty was eagerly anticipated by all ages.

Jeremy was driving away from his ex-girlfriend’s house. They had a very one-sided breakup and he was looking for any distraction. Seeing the billboard for Net Komnaty, Jeremy said to himself “Why not, she loves that type of stuff.” Thinking if he was good at the things she was interested in, she would take him back. He parked and looked at his phone. His lock screen was their first date. They went to the zoo. They both seemed so happy. He remembered her comment about animals from other galaxies probably being much more cute than earth animals.

When he finally walked inside, Jeremy was distracted by all the colorful lights and clear designs of each theme and room. In the lobby, he couldn’t make up his mind. A female worker made him aware that there was a spot left in the Murder Mystery event in the Galaxy Room. Jeremy initially responded that he had a girlfriend. Once he realized what she actually said, he thanked her and made his way to the Galaxy Room. He wasn’t too impressed with everyone’s excitement over the role playing aspect. His initial disinterest left him with only one role. Red Justice, the engineer. He saw the name tag. On the back, it gave him a list of tasks to do to get clues. He sighed and put the name tag on and wondered, “What does she see in this stuff?” He rolled his eyes and walked into the escape room.

It didn’t take long for him to notice someone slumped over the meeting table. He rolled his eyes and checked his phone as he approached the table. The table had the rules on them. Jeremy pushed the body to the floor so he could see them more clearly.

Objective: Vote out the Stranger or complete all tasks

Rule 1: The crew can call meetings to ask questions to figure out who the Stranger is.

Rule 2: If a meeting is called all players must come to the meeting table immediately.

Rule 3: The Stranger can reset any done task.

Rule 4: The crew has an hour to obtain their objective.

Rule 5: Any player can play dead to be excluded from a meeting.

Rule 6: No cell phones are to be used during the hour.

Jeremy looked at the body he pushed over. “Ready to give up already, huh? Yeah I get it. But I will prove to her that she made a mistake giving up on me.” he confidently marched away from the meeting table. A figure walked in after Jeremy marched away. It kneeled and took the name tag of the body as it mumbled in a whispered voice.

Jeremy was in the middle of a sequence game when a meeting was called. Annoyed, Jeremy rolled his eyes. He made his way over to the meeting table, checking his phone. Everyone was arguing.

“It’s been 35 minutes and yall still haven’t figured out the Stranger yet?” Jeremy said as he checked his social media.

“Get. Off. Your. Phone!” Pink Lightning yelled at him. “Maybe if you actually participated in the meetings, we could actually figure it out and the votes wouldn’t keep coming out as a tie!”

“You have a pretty big temper for someone barely tall enough to get out their high chair alone.”

“Aye yo. Who’s man is this?” Blue Hope asked Yellow Couch. Yellow Couch just shrugged.

The players continued to argue. Yellow Couch thought he saw someone familiar in the doorway. They locked eyes. Yellow Couch tilted his head and mouthed, “Jason?” The figure in the hallway slicked back its hair and pointed at Yellow Couch while leaning backwards.

“Hey! Come on! Cast your vote already!” Jeremy yelled.

Yellow Couch glared at him. Seeming to suddenly become annoyed with Jeremy. After casting his vote, Yellow Couch walked away in a hurry. The votes came to a tie. Everyone went back to their tasks. Blue Hope pushed Jeremy aside and headed after Yellow Couch.

Jeremy shrugged and continued looking at his phone. He was constantly refreshing social media to see what his ex was doing. He saw that she was at a party with her best friend and a guy he didn’t recognize. He stared at his phone thinking where they could have met, why didn’t anyone warn him, and how could she betray him. He got so upset that he threw his phone. He heard it hit something but not a wall. He looked over and saw Blue Hope on the floor. Feeling guilty, Jeremy whispered asking if he was okay. Blue Hope was unresponsive. Jeremy crept closer, trying to get Blue Hope to respond. Once he saw a dark liquid coming from Blue Hope, Jeremy darted to the nearest trash can and threw up. Questions began to race in his mind. Questions he was afraid to have answered. Questions so loud that he didn’t realize he was being yelled at. White Light eventually tapped his shoulder. Jeremy jumped into a corner. White Light told him that a meeting was called. Jeremy just nodded and stood up. Pink Lightning told him that White Light was his sister and that she wasn’t on the market. White Light told him to knock it off. Jeremy watched them walk away. He looked to where he last saw Blue Hope. But he was gone.

Thinking it was all in his head, Jeremy went to the meeting. Seeing it was only him, White Light, Pink Lightning, and Green Cloud. Jeremy began to panic. He could only think of where the guy that he hit with his phone was. His breathing got heavier by the second.

“I think I killed him!” Jeremy yelled out.

“Dude! You’re not supposed to tell us!” Pink Lightning responded in annoyance.

“Well, it was a fun game.” White Light joked.

“No! I threw my phone at him and he didn’t get up… There this…”

“Woah. Woah. Woah. You threw your phone at someone you don’t know? What’s your problem?” Pink questioned getting in between Jeremy and White Light.

“I didn’t mean to. I was looking at my phone and…”

“You had a phone! We’re lucky we didn’t get kicked out because you can’t listen!”

At that moment, Jeremy remembered his last “conversation” with his ex-girlfriend.

“Jeremy! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“Wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?! You went out on a date with your boss!”

“He’s also my brother-in-law!”

“Like that would stop him from trying to get with you!”

“What is your problem?! You would know him if you ever came to any of my family events over the past 2 years. But no! You always seem to have better things to do.”

“That doesn’t mean you can go around and cheat on me with your boss!”

“I don’t know why you have become so insecure! But I do know that you can’t listen!”

Jeremy lunged at Pink Lightning and began to shake him violently. “What do you know?! Huh?! HUH?!”

“I know that you always show up last and less people show up every time! Maybe you’re just getting a conscience after you actually have been killing people!”

As they argued, Jeremy began to see Pink Lightning turn into his father. Jeremy stood to his feet but his head was spinning. White Light called out to Jeremy but when he turned around he saw his ex-girlfriend. She was mocking him for being insecure. His father stood up, demanding that he grow up and be a real man. Jeremy began to cry.

Green Cloud was staring at Jeremy, White Light, and Pink Lightning. They were all standing at the meeting table. Standing upright with glowing light green eyes. He took off his sunglasses to reveal his blank eyes. He shifted around his face like it was wet ink. His skin became black and blobby. “Sorry but you did not find me. So I win.” he whispered. A thick black liquid oozed from the walls and formed a puddle under them. The other players rose from the puddle with glowing light green eyes. “Perfect. Everyone is here. You know what they say, a Stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.” Jeremy’s left eye returned to normal and he struggled to move and speak. The Stranger tilted his head looking at him. The other players followed the Stranger’s lead. Its lack of actual features beside its large blank white eyes inky blob body was freaking Jeremy out. All the players began to sink into the inky puddle as it receded into the Stranger’s body. “We have no room for such rude people.” it whispered. Jeremy was screaming internally as he sank. And for a moment he thought he could make out a small smile on the Stranger's face.