Max Crumbly x Female Reader "Locker Hero"

18. I Enter The Deep, Dark Bowels of . . . Where Am I?!

I wanted to travel lightly, so I decided to leave my backpack and textbooks inside my locker.

I grabbed my inhaler and flashlight and stuffed them in my pants pocket. Then I stuck my journal inside the front pocket of my sweatshirt.

When I stared out at the strange red glow for the second time, I noticed that the room looked almost smoky from the large amount of dust that had been stirred up by the falling drywall.

But as the dust began to settle, I saw an old red emergency lightbulb dimly flickering a few feet above my head. It created strange moving shadows that slowly circled around me like evil dancing ghosts waiting for the right moment to attack. GULP!!

I shuddered and broke into a cold sweat. Suddenly I had a renewed appreciation for my safe, warm, and cozy locker. (I know, I can't believe I just said that either!)

When the dust finally settled, I realized I was inside a strange room that looked like it had been closed off from the school for decades.

Dust and cobwebs covered everything, while several leaks from the ceiling dripped off pipes and made black puddles of water on the floor. It smelled more damp and musty than the boys' showers after we'd run the mile in PE class.

On the right side of the room stood two humongous tanks connected to fat pipes that ran along most of the ceiling and walls.

Had I discovered the secret lair of a twelve-foot-tall robotic monster with a dozen octopus-like arms?!

On the left side of the room was a pile of rotted drywall (okay, THAT was my fault!), a tall metal ladder, and even more pipes. It looked like I had stumbled upon an old boiler room that had been used to heat the school back in the day, except now it had a super-high creepiness factor. . . .

I stepped inside to take a closer look around.

The only sounds I heard were the echoes of my footsteps on the tile floor and an annoyingly constant DRIP-DRIP! DRIP-DRIP! DRIP-DRIP!

In a dark, shadowy corner on the opposite side of the room, I noticed a large red door with a rusty doorknob and a dust-covered sign. I wiped off the dust with my sleeve and blinked in surprise. The sign said:

EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY!

I did my victory dance right there on the spot!

I glanced at my watch. If I walked really fast, I could make it home in twenty minutes. Which meant I still had time for a late-night pizza delivery! SWEET!

I grabbed the door handle and pulled it with all my might. The rusty hinges screeched like a wet cat as the door slooowly opened. I gasped and just stared in shock . . .

Which meant I was STILL trapped!!

And that was just WRONG on so many levels.

WHY DID IT FEEL LIKE LIFE WAS PLAYING A REALLY SICK JOKE ON ME??!!

My heart pounded as I tried to fight off another panic attack. I frantically searched the room, looking for any way out. Another door, a window, even a loose ceiling tile! But there was nothing.

I sat on the bottom rung of the ladder and buried my head in my hands. I felt like SCREAMING!

Okay, so NOW my dead body was going to be found in the BOILER ROOM instead of my LOCKER!!

Well, I could always look on the bright side. At least I had a bigger space to DIE in!

I stared up at the ceiling and shook my head in disgust. And that's when I saw it!

A WAY OUT!! . . .

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