We All Lie Sometimes

Trapped

The girl who screamed pointed a shaky finger up, toward me. I  knew something was wrong but I didn't think It was me.  Who did this girl think she was? I stared blatantly at her. She's James' sister. My stupid ex, he cheated on me out in the open in a party he brought me to. I hated him as much as his sister hated me.

The others were staring at me now too. It scared me. I turned to Jasmine she was kind and thoughtful in class. Her eyes too were in my direction. Maybe something was behind me. Something that everyone felt the need to be scared of.  I nervously shift my weight. What were they staring at? I slowly turn my head and face the wall. 

I immediately wish I hadn't. Blood red words were drawn in large dripping letters.

Past to past, games to games, gather the keys to avenge James.

I stuffed my fist in my mouth to suppress a scream. Was it one of the other people in the room responsible for James supposed drowning in the community pool?

I didn't know what to do. I was supposed to be busy with my hair or makeup or other silly shallow things my parents liked me doing. Not sitting on cold concrete, in a room with strangers, with a threatening message above my head. My thoughts spun like a whirl wind in my brain. How was I going to survive here. Surely this just one big joke. 

Right?

I stare at my fellow captives trying to puzzle out which of them it could be just by appearance. My moneys on the taller guy with the glasses, but I had no proof.

Guess that means I need to find some, even if I didn't fell like it. Smile on, and Action.

"Hi" I say brightly after a moment "I'm Eloise" I wave gently to the small audience. "And I'm seventeen." 

I laughed gently at how stupid I sounded. The bigger boy stared at me as if I was an idiot and my cheek flush red. I tear my eyes away and start picking my nails. They were light blue with white stenciling. I sat half listening to the other introductions as I studied them more closely. I was careful to nod and smile in the right places, but I didn't know who I was acting for. The boy with the yellow shirt was Sam, the big ignorant pig was Ethan, and the cold girl was still swinging herself.

"Guys" Sam began, "so we are in this uh, thing right. But um, why are we here?" he asked, dropping off and fidgeting with his hem, what he was not saying. He looked uncomfortable. I didn't like that, I thought quickly then started to speak.

"Well, I know who James is," I said hoping I sounded confident as I directed attention away from Sam.

"Same." Said Jasmine piped up either releasing my plan or just pure.

"I know a James." Said a small velvety voice from the corner. Lydia.

"I know a James." She repeated.

So she was speaking now.

"Oh, my name is Lydia."

Sam turned to face Ethan. "Let me guess, you kno-knew James too?" His voice was full of accusation.

"You didn't?" Ethan snapped right back.

"Okay...." Sam said, confused on the turn to violence. He muttered something that I didn't hear very well.

The room went dead silent, each of us deep in thought although it looked like Ethan was thinking about hitting Sam, instead of being stuck in this fake place. The silence was infuriating, it gave me time to think about all the things I didn't want to know.

"So, we are in here because we all know James, right?" Zara said her tiny eyebrows screwed up in concentration "and we have to escape. Maybe it's like an.... Escape room?" Zara fidgeted and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She was nervous, but why? She said too much a voice in the back of my head chimed in, answering my question. "I mean, we are all here for a reason." She continued shakily. "And if I were a sadistic, narcissistic person, I would also put people in an escape room. Just a thought."

Everyone was staring at her, was she the reason we were here? I politely kept this kind of thought to myself but Sam obviously had no filter.

"You seem to know a lot for someone who just woke up here" Sam said accusingly

Ethan looked at Sam appalled, but the emotion didn't last long.

"What are you suggesting?" He said his face was now smooth and blank. "SHE put us in here?"

Ethan's voice portrayed Zara as small and delicate, but I would bet she's not like that at all.

Before I could stop myself I was snarling. "Her?"

Ethan looked like he was about to bite my head off for a second. Oof, what did I do other than back him up?

"Well, someone had to put us in here." Sam snapped right back at both of us.

"Look, fighting isn't going to get us anywhere." Lydia's icy voice interjected. "Let's just find a way out of here. If this really is an escape room, we need to try searching for keys or codes hidden around.

I had a feeling Lydia was going to keep this group of misfits from fighting, she was now promoted to leader. I stared around the room, searching for clues from where I sat. But Everywhere i looked was more smooth concrete. There was nothing.

"Why don't we just, I don't know, try the door?" Ethans bland voice said, interrupting my search.

As Ethan turned the handle I felt stupid, the door wasn't locked.

A faint laugh filled the cool air, a crisp sound of happiness in a place so damp with sorrow.

"Ha, why did we not think of that earlier?"

The others had left me sitting on the ground, moving to the next room.

The door let a rosy light into the room we were in. I felt too dizzy to follow the others into the new room, but their lack of screaming was encouraging. Whose blood was plastered to the wall behind me? Who was hurt for this message to exist? The nausea was overpowering. Was the message about James meant to unhinge me? Or was it meant for all of us?

Minutes passed and I knew I should get up and go to the second room, but I couldn't get my limbs to respond. I press my palms into the smooth concrete and attempt to haul my body up the wall. I was relying heavily on my hand to keep me up right. My knees wobbled and knocked together and my dinner was threatening to make a re-appearance. A sheen of sweat coats my fore-head as I try to keep myself from falling. My attempts were futile. I collapsed back to the hard floor, my legs stuck in uncomfortable positions. The boy with the yellow shirt poked his head back into the room.

"Really Sleeping Beauty?" He says not a bit impatient, his dimples shining on his face. "Are you so tired you can't get up and walk six steps?" He raises an eyebrow. "Want me to carry you?"

I wasn't sure whether I should be flattered that he thought I was beautiful or whether I should be annoyed at his mocking tone. So I settle for staring at him in disbelief. No one had ever spoken to me like this, not that I remember anyway.

I finally find my voice "No," I say in a huff.

There was no way I wanted to be carried by him. Too embarrassing. I attempt to get to my feet again with no success. The boy sighs and grabs me by the elbow, not wanting to get too close to me, and lifts me to my feet. I don't weigh a lot, my parents would have a fit if I exceeded 60, but this twig like boy still struggled. I half walk, half limp to the next room relying heavily on the boy's aid.