Escape Room: Airplane Mode

Chapter 2 : Hot Air Balloon

The next room was a hot air balloon... or so we thought.

"Fuck, we're still in the air. We were 10 feet off the ground, and now we're in the air again?" Dasher asked.
"We're in a... hot air balloon," Sadie remarked.
"Wait, there's something written on the balloon. Is anyone tall enough to read it?" Zoey asked.

Everyone looked at Dasher, who was taller than all of us by a lot.

"Me? You want me to risk my life?" he asked.
"Yeah, go ahead buddy," Phoenix said.

Dasher rolled his eyes, and tried looking at the words.

"Maybe if I..." he started, and climbed on top of the basket to read it better.

The whole hot air balloon shook, and we yelled for Dasher to get down. Suddenly, he lost balance, and fell... but he fortunately gripped to the basket, and me and Sadie pulled him up.

"Are you okay?" Sadie asked.
He responded with, "I'm not sure if that's obvious, but I'm not in the best state right now. I didn't get what was written on it..."

Sadie turned to me.

"Kelsey?" she asked.
"Yeah?" I responded.
"Whatever happens, I want you to know... I've never forgotten about you."
"That means a lot. Thanks."

In the corner of my eye, I noticed Zoey found something bright.

"What..." she whispered.

I kneeled down beside her, and she picked up the object, revealing a compact mirror.

"Kelsey... I think this can help us," she said.
"You're right," I answered.
"That's a first," she chuckled.
"Okay, we're not here to joke around."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking guilty.

Yeah. I feel terrible for how I act. But I've only known pain, and I know, soon enough, someone I care about is going to die. So what can I do except for acting like a jerk?

Zoey stood up, and gave the compact mirror to Phoenix, the second tallest.

"We've put Dasher through enough. You think you can do it?" Zoey asked.
"I can try," said Phoenix.

They held the mirror up, and saw what was written on it.

"It's flipped. Maybe I can... Ugh, can someone else read this?" they complained.
"I think I can do it, I can read flipped," Zoey said.
"Oh, she helps," I said sarcastically, my first joke since the game started.
"Don't say that," Ben snapped.

I ignored him, of course.

Zoey looked up at the compact mirror in Phoenix's hand. They were standing really close to each other.

"Not too close," I warned.
"I am light as a feather, and can keep it aloft, most of the time I am silent and soft. I am with you always, in whispers and songs, the strongest of men can't hold me for long," she said.
"What is it?" Dasher asked.
"The strongest of men can't hold me for long..." whispered Sadie, deep in thought, "An airplane? We did just get out of it."

We arrived to a big, deep body of water. It wasn't an ocean or a sea, but it was one of the deepest lakes I've ever seen. Then it hit me.

"It's breath," I said, "Guys? Guys! Hold your breath, we're going down!"

A trap door underneath us opened, and we all went down into the water. The impact hit all of us pretty hard, so we had to go up to the surface. When we reached it, we all breathed hard. We're all gonna lose, like, 10 pounds.

"Guys. We're gonna have to communicate by signs, I think," Ben said.
"Yeah, you're right," Sadie replied.
"What do you think we're looking for?"
"Anything that looks suspicious," Phoenix said.
"Like?" I asked.
"Literally anything, this is MINOS Escape Rooms we're talking about."
"It's not really rooms anymore," I said, and took a deep breath in and out, "We ready?"