The Escape Room

The D-day!

Ulric's Point Of View

"I'm skeptical about this said field trip and your dad," my mom said with worry all over her face.

"It's fine, Mom! It's going to be fine!" I reassured my mom, patting her lightly on the shoulder.

"We are going to miss you, Ulric!" Ulrika and Ultan said simultaneously from the back where they were sitting.

"Awwn! I will miss you guys too and your unnecessary troubles but I surely will be back by tomorrow evening, latest. So don't miss me too much," I said to them before ruffling their hair. 

"Then who will play video games with us? We have nobody to do that with us," Ultan asked. 

"Oh, you can always ask Ultima to help you," I said to them.

"I have to go now," I announced. I could see people filing in one after the other with their camping bags. 

"Be safe baby boy and always remember we love you," Mum said looking concerned. What's wrong? I'm worried because my mom's gut feelings are becoming more serious.

"Of course I know this and what's with all this talk like I am going to some dangerous place or maybe die," I enquired from her.

"God forbid such, you aren't dying now, baby," she answered, blowing me a kiss. 

"I'll be home by tomorrow, latest by evening. My greets regard to Ultima and Pops," I said waving at them. I gave my final farewell to my siblings constantly looking back and waving at them. I walked into the school and went straight to my locker and I brought out the 'Palmy' snacks candy I left in my locker. 

I texted Andrew on my phone but the idiot wasn't answering. I also texted Jack and the same response was coming from him. I made my way to the cafeteria, our meeting spot. I could see the likes of Mia and Amy and also Millicent, even Maya was here. I could see Elian reading some science magazines and even Brian was trying out some food from his lunch pack. 

I scanned around for Andrew and Jack but they were nowhere to be found. Teach Caroline came into the cafeteria and took attendance of those who were there and asked where Andrew and Jack went to.

But there were no positive responses from those seated. 

I knew they were up to no good so I went to the basketball court and they were not there. I tried the gym room and they weren't there either. When I decided to give up, I heard a moaning sound coming from the changing room and went there straight, knowing who could possibly be the person involved and there he was. And unbelievably making out with some girl. 

"Like seriously, dude?" I iriked out, I couldn't stand them. 

"Must you always come and spoil the show?'' he asked. 

"Teach Caroline was looking for you, you need to take your attendance," I said to him. I looked around but couldn't find Jack. 

"Where is Jack?" I asked Andrew but he was still making out with the girl. "Dude! Come on, where is Jack?" I asked him again.

"I don't know where he is," he said.

"Let's go! Did you invite this girl into the school?" I asked him 

"Yeah, to while away time," he said causally in the girls present.

"You know the way out, right? Just follow the way out, see you tomorrow evening," he said before following out of the changing room into another where Jack was also doing the same thing.

"Like seriously? Am I the only saint in our midst?" I asked before pulling Jack away from the girl.

"Can you please, dress properly? Wear your trousers right," I instructed. How can you be pant down with a stranger?

"It's funny, how you two acts," I said to them.

"Oh sorry, saint boy if our ways aren't in accordance with yours," Andrew said, a little bit to serious.

"It's fine, he just won't get used to it," Jack said.

Immediately we got to the cafeteria, only Chris was seated, waiting for someone.

"Where is everyone?" I asked when his eyes met ourselves.

"In the bus, we were waiting for you guys," he informed before getting off the table he was seated on.

"Oh!"

"Can you see what your act almost costed us?" I mouthed at the both of them.

"What?" Jack asked, he looked furious.

"Whatever!" I said before lifting up my bag and off to the bus I went, Andrew and Jake later came in, some minutes after.

"Wonderful time for a journey that is scheduled, just wonderful, you both. Come back here and sing your signature," she said as she instructed them on what to do before they were released and they came to seat down with me.

"Can we seat here?" Andrew said, teasing me.

"Of course… not," I replied after which the idiot hit me lightly on the head. 

"I heard that the cave is at the outskirt of our town. Do you think cities and big countries, famous countries and places will have a cave called hiding room or escape room," Andrew lamented to me.

"Or babes! If we are going to the outskirts of town then there won't be babes there," Jake said worried.

"Are you seriously worried about that now?" I asked him.

"Isn't it worth getting worried over? If I can't find any babe for myself, I might as well look at those who look up to me," he explained with a smirk.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him

"With time, you shall find out," he answered excitedly.

I looked at Andrew and noticed he has gone to the lands of wish and impossible but sometimes we go to get our wishes in our dreams.

"Do have a nice journey over there?" I said to sleepy Andrew. Even Jack was already taking a fast one on him.

"Oh, come on, not also you, Jack. Well, all the best," I said to a now dozing Jack. 

I looked around the bus and almost everyone was sleeping except few like us, Mia was playing what show she knows on her sleepy sister's hair. Our eyes met for a brief minute and she flicked her middle finger at me while I just smiled sheepishly at her.

The journey isn't supposed to be this long, we don't have a big town so I don't understand why we are still on the road when we were obviously going to the outskirts of our town.

There was lightning, thunder and a lot of noise from the sky suddenly. It's going to storm. The thunderstorm's noise started very loud, waking most of the occupant in the bus. Only some extra deaf people who didn't wake up because of the thunderstorms were woken violently when the bus started shaking vigorously.

"What the heck was going on?" I shouted, grabbing something to keep me in place.

"Ulric? Mind your language!" Teach Carolina warned from her position.

"Like seriously are we supposed to be concerned about this or the situation we find ourselves in?" I yelled back. It was beginning to pour down seriously, it was heavy.

"Guys! Everyone!" I need you to be calm and collected, the storm will end soon. We weren't informed there would be a storm either, sorry about that," Teach Carolina said, trying to calm everyone.

Suddenly the bus started halting and moving, halting and moving. And this isn't usual at all, nothing usual about what's going on happening now. The bus finally came to a stop and refused to come on and move. Everyone was getting mad now, all shouting at the same time, asking questions about the journey itself and everything surrounding it. Teach Carolina was lost of words, she never expected all this.

The driver got down quietly amidst the rain to check the bus and Teach Carolina also joined him to do what I don't think she should be doing or trying. They tried opening the bonnet of the bus but it wasn't coming off, Andrew stood up immediately.

"Where to?" I asked him.

"To help of course, I am going down to see what I can do," he explained and I couldn't be prouder of him than I used to be or want to be. He seems to have grown up and was acting more mature and natural than his usual self.

"It's pouring down heavily, dude!" Jack warned but Andrew was already bent on helping the confused driver.

"Bye, guys!" He said waving forward before walking out of the bus.

"That is ridiculous," Jack said.

"Helping someone is ridiculous?" I asked before getting up and moving to the front of the bus.

"Hello everyone, sometimes there are situations that happen unexpectedly but we don't have to panic like we are doing now. If you have anything distracting, that will take your mind away from this situation briefly is healthy. Even if it is the face of your crush, music, talking to your friends and so on, please try them," I said to the occupant and there was total silence in the bus except for the rain. Suddenly a rock and roll music was jamming hard from someone's speaker, Brian.

"If you are not interested in my music, move on to yours," he said.

Well we finally got the bus moving with the help of Andrew and Adam, who were shivering terribly from staying under the rain for long, even Teach Carolina was not doing well and the driver, he was being professional in not showing anything.

"Can you just rub my feet?" Andrew demanded.

"Never, ever! I told you before going out, rather I warned you," he reminded Andrew.

"Which do you prefer? Me being cold or our bus being struck under a heavy rain?" Andrew asked him, shaking with trembling lips.

"None! We would have been fine even if you didn't help, your help is appreciated but underappreciated," Jack said seriously.

"I have a bad feeling about this 'field trip', I don't feel at ease. Maybe we should all turn back?" He said looking worried.

"Too late for that! Besides it's just a field trip, what harm can that do to us?" He asked.

"We are going to gather facts about a once peaceful cave that is not disturbing, how harmless can that be," Jack added, looking unwell.

"We have gone on a trip more harmful than this so what?" Andrew said, not seeing anything wrong with the trip and all.

"Even my mom was not feeling at ease this morning when I was about to leave," I interjected. Andrew looked at me like I was wearing another face.

"Oh please, and you are here?" He asked me.

"It wasn't serious but she still felt it," I explained.

"Oh please, I'm not buying that. Your mom will never release whenever she has those gut feelings," Andrew explained. Which is true and makes this a little weird.

"I know, right! But…" 

"We are here!" Teach Carolina announced still trembling from the rain which was slowly going away. We looked outside, at the so called cave and it just looked like a big mountain with no doors or opening.

"Let's offload so we can take some rest from all the stress faced during the journey," Teach Carolina instructed.

Slowly we started taking our stuff to the said entrance of the cave which had some massive shield outside, the sun was scorching. Little by little, we offloaded everything we needed from the bus and the bus went into reverse and left.

"A job well done by all, I appreciate your effort in making it to this part of the field trip, I hope you learn new things and get united stronger," Teach Carolina said smiling hard.

"I have someone for you guys and he has something to say," she added and an old man appeared out of nowhere. He was dressed in some traditional way but he gives me the creep, he looked at each and everyone of us in the eyes before saying;

"DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING!" He said sharply for someone as old as him before walking away.

"What the creep?" Jack said, feeling his goosebumps.

It has a beautiful interior. I guess we all had different thoughts towards this place but it had been calming and so peaceful until…

There was a terrible trembling, that shocked everywhere, even the foundation of the cave and the weather changed quickly, terribly.

"One of the Ey girls had touched the carved picture on the wall!"

"The door, guys!"

Darkness and a screeching noise!