We All Lie Sometimes

Pink Cinderella

I continued to whisper calming words into Sam's ear until he calmed down. Gently making him more receptible to what I was about to say.

"Repeat after me." I whispered after a moment. "It,"

"It?" He said in a confused tone.

"Is,"

"Is?" he parroted

So far so good.

"Okay,"

"OK"

"To lose"

"To l- To lose?!" He stummered. 

I motioned for him to take a deep breath.

"Now, say it together. loudly like you believe them." I say soothingly into his ear. "I think thats how we leave this place."

"Please." I say after a moment.

Sam tugged a lock of blonde hair over his face and said the words.

"It is okay to lose."

***********************************************************************************************

CLICK

"I told you!" I say hopping up and throwing my fist in the air.

Time to get out of here. I offer my hand to Sam and I drag him to his feet.

Lydia had opened the door wide for us as we walked over. I quietly thanked her when we reached her.

Sam walked through the door first, then me and the others followed. 

I gave a little squeal of horror. 

This shouldn't be here. This was the masquerade party that would ruin my reputation if people found out. I hated James for what he did to me. James had me drink the punch, a lot of it. Turned out someone had spiked it with strong alcohol. I'm not talk slightly drunk when you talk a bit of nonsense and feel a bit sick, I mean vomiting, hallucinations, impossible to walk three feet without falling over and extreme dizziness. I spent most of the party in a drunken coma in the bathrooms. I hated James wholeheartedly, I wanted him to die that night and die he did swimming around with that girl from this cursed party.

At least this room was larger so we had more space. It was much, much bigger than the previous one. Red solo cups stacked up on a fancy table cloth by the punch and pulsing leds created one small corner of the massive hotel ballroom. There was a flicker of movement as spinning flickering figures danced around the floor, colorful masks hiding their identity. If this was an escape room we were doomed. This place had thousands of nooks and crannies to search. Yep we were dead meat for sure.

"Guys? Do you recognise this place?" Sam said cluelessly, not knowing the pain this place had instilled in us.  "Um, guys?"

"Sorry Sam" I murmured quietly to him. "I recognise this place." I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts. 

"This is a big party we had" I  breathe. "Before James died"

Pain rips through me like a herd of elephants stamped over me. Not for James but for myself.

"I don't know how he died," Sam says gently. I flinch. "Care to enlighten me?"

I turn to face Zara. This was her story.

"H-he drowned" Zara blurted out "I t-tried to s-save him, b-but I was too late" James was drunk that night, like me. Stupid idiot shouldn't have gone swimming. I felt like I was missing something.

We all stop and look around both to look for clues and to avoid awkward conversations. Every time I blinked the room seemed to grow bigger.

"Well this is a massive pain in the ass. This will take days to search." I say in a huff.

This hit the others hard... we could be here for days.

"There is no way we can get out of here alive." Sam says, obviously still upset about the loss even after my fabulous pep talk.

Everyone was stuck in some kind of coma of misery. It looked like I would have to take the lead this time.

I sigh. "We will have to split up and look for clues. Who here has a watch" I ask and watch one other person, Zara, raise their hand. "Okay. We can split into two groups. I'll take Sam and go search the bathroom, kitchens and balconies, if you guys take the dance floor and the sitting alcoves. Be back here in two hours. To compare our results."

Sam and I walk over to the set of stairs passing the restrooms and the kitchen, saving them to last. We spend the next hour searching every inch of the balconies finding a few usable items such as a black leather backpack someone had left at the small sitting area, a few first aid kits under the of removable cushions in the sitting area, but no clues. Sighing, I suggest we go back down stairs and search the kitchen instead. Sam, who was being uncharacteristically quiet, followed behind me as I led him back down the stairs. 

The kitchen was... Useless , the food was mostly inedible and fake but there were a few edible foods that I wrapped in clingfilm and stashed in the backpack along with a few plastic bottles of water. I stall for as long as I possibly can, knowing that my hologram would be spilling her guts on the girls bathroom floor. I didn't want anyone to see that.

I sigh. "Come on Sam... We have to check the bathrooms."

He nods and follows me out the kitchen. I stop and open the door to the women's bathroom holding it open for Sam.

"WHAT!.... You don't seriously think I would go in there... Do you?" Sam says hurriedly.

I roll my eyes, "No one is in there... Other than me." I say my cheeks reddening a bit, but I don't know why.

I wait still holding the door for Sam to man up and enter the bathroom. He still didn't. He just stood there stupidly staring dumbly at me. I debated whether or not I should push him in for a bit but decided quickly shoving him forward with my free hand.

I take a few steps into the bathroom and crash into Sam's still figure.

"What the... Sam?" I ask after backing up a few steps to look over his shoulder.

There I was. Face down on the bathroom floor surrounded by my own vomit. My dress I thought made me look like a pink Cinderella was soiled and my mask thrown to the side. Three other girls stood around me kicking me with their pointy heels. Sneering cruel names as they abused my body. 

Memories flood my head overwhelmingly. I drop to my knees. The crushing weight of the moment my perfect act slipped revealing the broken girl underneath. The kind of girl would get drunk to forget her problems, the kind of girl would get cheated on in every relationship, The kind of girl who got asked out just so guys could say they were with her. Tears slid down my face. I wished for real friends and real love so often I swear everyone could see through the act.

Suddenly Sam's Voice cut the silence. "Eloise.. Is that you?"