I knew there had to be more to this chamber than what meets the eye. I hesitantly stood up and began to examine the pipes. They were too small for me to fit through but maybe, just maybe, there was something I could use to figure out what was going on here. I started by running my hands along every pipe while walking around the room. At first, my efforts seemed fruitless until I found one pipe that wiggled a little when I touched it. I tried the one next to it and it was the same. I found that the next five pipes were looser than the ones before them. My suspicions grew as I continued to examine these specific pipes. The rest of the pipes had places where the bubbles emerged, and these pipes did too. The difference was these pipes had the slit, but the pipe didn’t go anywhere. I checked the other pipes and they were hollow, as expected, however, these loose pipes weren’t hollow. When I looked inside the slit, the pipe was closed up a few inches above. So obviously, those creepy bubbles couldn’t come through these pipes. I decided to take a break from examining the pipes just in case I was being watched. I wanted to hide what I was doing as much as I could. A while later I went back to the pipes. I continued to run my hands over the pipes to see if I could figure out where they disconnected. This attempt got me absolutely nowhere, so I decided to just start wiggling the pipes just in case something would happen. I figured no one was watching me at this point because I was being extremely obvious about what I was doing. Or maybe they just didn’t care because they were sure I wouldn’t get out. I didn’t care, either way, I just wanted out. I continued to mercilessly shake the pipes until finally, something happened! There was a loud crack and the first pipe shifted to the left about three inches. Behind it I could see the door I had originally entered through. Eagerly I did my best to shove the pipe out of the way and found it perfectly slipped into a small space behind the pipe next to it. After that pipe the rest slid out of the way fairly easily. I took a step back staring at the door in front of me. I’ve been here for what seems like forever, and now the key to freedom is right before me. I took a step forward and my heart sank. They would have locked it. There is no way I’d be able to escape this easily. Out of pure hope, I tried the handle anyway. Of course, it was locked. But there was a keyhole. I used it to look through and found the empty hallway I had come in, but no guards. No one at all. I looked around the room for something to use as a lock pick. I examined every pipe, the ceiling, and the floor. Lastly, I turned to the chair. I examined the back, top, and legs. Nothing. With no hope, I looked under the chair. And I gasped. There were scrawls of writing underneath. Past prisoners marking days, writing thoughts, and noting observations. I read every single one and felt sympathetic for them. The majority of them most likely didn’t leave here sane. You could feel their fear in their words and see their hopelessness as they marked the days. It was heartbreaking. I sat there skimming their words until something caught my eye. On the rim of the chair, someone had written “check C3”. I stared at this message in confusion. What’s C3? My first thought was the pipes. But I’d already examined every pipe top to bottom. So it couldn’t be that. I looked around the room and noticed that the tiles were black and white. My mind immediately went to chess. So I tried to remember which tile would be C3. I eventually found the tile and it wiggled a little when I stepped on it. I dug my fingers into the side and pried the tile up. Underneath I found an envelope. Like any normal person would, I ripped the envelope off the ground and tore it open in about two seconds. Inside was a little hairpin. I guess whoever was here before me snuck it in and used it to escape in the exact same way I’m about to. The only thing that stumped me is how the heck they got an envelope in here. I mean seriously, where do you get an envelope in a torture chamber? Before I could ponder this any further, I stood up and began to pick the lock of the door. Obviously, it took a few tries before I was able to fully get the door open, but eventually, I was able to unlock and wedge open the door. I looked out at the hallway and breathed in a breath of fresh air. I was free. Deciding not to waste time, I began walking down this hallway to my freedom. I had to be quiet in case someone was nearby. The last thing I wanted was for someone to know I had gotten out….obviously.
I tiptoed down the hallway and emerged into the entry hall. I didn’t see anyone, so I started walking faster, just in case. I reached the door and pulled it open, right as an ear-splitting alarm went off. A list of profanities ran through my head, but I didn’t have enough time to say them aloud. I just started running. I didn’t know what the alarm was for, but I knew guards would swarm the room and if they did there was no way I was getting out of there. I was halfway down the stairs when I heard the first guard behind me. There was yelling and the sound of boots hitting the floor, but I just kept running.
Two guards blocked the door, so I rerouted. Every door was blocked, but you know what wasn’t? The window. I ran full speed into the thin glass and broke through easily. I tumbled onto the ground, but quickly pulled myself up. I kept running around the corner and threw myself into some nearby bushes. I was safe…for now.
