Chapter 4

That weekend, Vanessa sent an invite to our group chat. The venue was an escape room funhouse.

She tagged me specifically and typed out a long message.

Vanessa: [Don't worry! It's the open kind. There are no enclosed spaces. It's just a bunch of big rooms decorated in different themes. I asked ahead of time!]

Pierce replied on my behalf in the group chat.

Pierce: [She'll be there.]

Right after, Curtis sent a voice note. "Ainsley, go. Think of it as getting out of the house. Stop sitting around overthinking everything. Pierce will be with you."

Just like that, it seemed like I had no choice at all.

When we arrived, it was in fact an open-layout game venue, spacious and well-lit.

Besides me and Vanessa, three of her friends were there too. Pierce sat on a couch in the corner, scrolling on his phone.

The game reached the third round. "This round, someone has to go into the 'Fear Chamber' to get the key. Whoever loses goes in!"

Vanessa pointed at a small black door in the corner.

I followed her hand and saw it. It was a fully enclosed, pitch-black booth, barely thirty square feet. Every nerve in my body fired at once.

"I'm not going in there." I stood up.

The other three girls all turned to look at me at the same time.

I knew that look. Every face said the same thing. They were wondering why I had to ruin the fun.

Vanessa walked over with a smile and draped her arm around my shoulders.

"Relax. It's literally for only ten seconds. The door won't even lock.

"Didn't you say you'd cooperate with your treatment? Just try it once in front of everyone."

I looked toward the corner where Pierce was sitting. He met my eyes and hesitated for a moment.

"Ainsley, just try. The door won't even lock. I'll be standing right outside. Ten seconds, that's it."

"Promise the door won't lock."

"I promise." He nodded.

I walked toward the small black door. My steps were heavy, and each one felt like my legs might buckle.

I pushed the door open. Darkness swallowed me whole.

Behind me, the door swung shut. Then came the click of the bolt sliding into the latch.

In the dark, that sound was as loud as a crack of thunder.

My body started to shake violently. But this time, I did not scream.

On the other side of the door, Vanessa laughed. "The timer starts now! Let's see how long she lasts!"

Then there was the sound of a phone recording. I sank my teeth into the back of my hand and tasted blood.

I would not scream. I would not give them the reaction they wanted.

Thirty seconds passed, then a minute, then two.

I curled into a ball in the corner. Blood ran down from my hand to my wrist.

The darkness pressed down on me like something solid, crushing my chest flat, pulling the air from my lungs one breath at a time.

Pierce's voice came through the door, edged with panic. "That's enough. Open the door."

"Just a little longer. My professor says it takes at least five minutes to form an effective stimulus."

Pierce did not say another word. When the door opened five minutes later, light flooded in so hard that my entire vision turned white.

I braced myself against the wall and walked out. The back of my hand was covered in teeth marks and dried blood. My lip was split too, the taste of iron spreading through my mouth.

However, I was standing straight.

Everyone outside the door froze. Pierce reached out to steady me.

I stepped to the side and avoided his hand.

"Ainsley..."

"I'm fine."

I walked to the table and picked up my bag. When I passed Vanessa, I stopped.

The smile was still hanging on her face. Her phone was still raised in her hand.

I looked at her. The corner of my mouth twitched.

"Five minutes. Was that enough for you?"

Then I pushed open the front door and walked out. I was not shaking anymore.

The fear felt like it had burned itself out in those five minutes, along with something else entirely.

I called my lawyer.

"I want to file for divorce tomorrow."