Chapter 1
The room
Looking up the building rises to the sky tall and dignified, among the other skyscrapers it leaves them all in shame as the beauty of the sun reflects on the darkened windows. The sounds of the city behind the girl, traffic buzzing, horns honking, and smog filtering through the air, she takes a deep breath, stand straight, smoothes her dark brown hair, walks into the tall building striding to the front desk, and lies her resume on the counter. She waits for the receptionist to return from a break, and sits on the chair waiting, the time ticks by, the clock ticking by seconds turn to minutes. The longer she waits the more impatience she becomes, standing she walks to the door, stepping through expecting to be outside on the busy street, she walks into a new room filled with six other people, one other woman, and five men.
A bewildered look overcomes her face, as she looks around the others there look up at her for a moment no one says a word, she scans the room, taking the last open seat.
“So I guess you’re the last interviewee to arrive, so, well I guess we wait again for the host to return?” One man with short shaved black hair states, shifting slightly in his seat.
Across the room a door opens, people look at one another, and a green light appears over the door, the man who spoke stands and walks through first, cautiously he steps into the new room, turning to the rest of the group he waves them through to a further sitting room, larger than the one before. When the last person steps into the room the door slams shut, the light turns red, a clicking sound comes from the door sealing them all into a room, one woman reaches for the handle turning and twisting.
“It’s locked, there is no latch, no keyhole, I don’t get it. Why would they lock us in here? Why would the door have no latch?” The woman says starting to panic, her voice coming out breathless and strained. As she looks at the others, brushing her bleached blonde hair from her eyes, in the room a beeping sounds from the door, and an automatic clock starts to count down, one hour on the clock. Panic sets into all of them, no one knows what the timer is for nor why it’s running but they all have a sinking feeling that whatever the timer is set for is not a good thing. Looking around the other man with a long lanky build finds a frame, inside is written a note.
“To those in the room, you have till the timer runs out to find an escape, either you make it out or die. There are clues around the room to help aid you, for those who don’t get out of the room your last stand will be made where your feet are planted.”
As if on cue the wall slowly starts to shift and rumble the wall starts closing in moving a few inches, then stops. The group backs against the far wall, and fear grips all of them, fear in their eyes, all spread out running to different parts of the room searching for clues ripping the room apart, chairs fly the table is flipped, and two search the chairs for clues, three search the walls looking for anything, the last two scan the table and door feeling along for any writing or markings. Everyone comes up with nothing, no marks, writing, or clues, the room is empty.
