While at the pool after hours, Emma and Sam hear people arguing in the next room. The dressing rooms are locked, so they hide behind the rack of lane ropes.
The weight room door, on the far side of the pool, thumped open and a man stood there. He didn't see them as they cowered in the shadows. Clinging to one another, they held their breath as the man tried the door to the hallway. It opened and shut behind him. They heard the chink of keys and a bolt latch. Dread filled them. They were locked in the pool area. Terrified, they went to the weight room door. This was open, but the lights wouldn't work—apparently on the same timer as the pool.
Emma clutched Sam's shirt, pulling it into a knot in the small of his back. Her hand trembled, her fear evident. He couldn't let the fear get to him. He was so afraid himself, he knew he had to keep her calm or they would both be hysterical. He didn't know what the punishment was for being in here after lights out. He didn't want to find out.
Sam had been in the weight room often enough to know the layout relatively well. The door to the corridor was directly across from this one. They had to transverse the room by clinging to the wall or they would collide with all the weight equipment and probably never get out. He knew that there was a third door. This led to the lock down wing of Ravenwood.
The lock down wing housed the people who weren't there voluntarily. They were allowed limited use of the weight room and pool, but didn't have the freedoms that the voluntary residents did. Sam didn't want to go that direction. They were sure to be caught if they tried that door. Instead, he kept going left, touching the wall with his left hand as he held Emma's hand with his right. Feeling their way along the wall, every now and then, they collided with the gym equipment. There would be bumps and bruises on shins and ankles.
When they reached the corner, Sam called a halt. They put their pants and shoes back on. As he pulled up his jeans, Sam remembered his phone. He could use it to light their way. It hadn't occurred to him before, he'd been too distracted. The flashlight app was a great invention, he thought as the bright white beam illuminated a three foot radius. With a pleased sigh, Emma followed him.
It took less time to travel down this way. The light helped them avoid obstacles. Considering that this was the wall with the free weights and barbells, that was a good thing. They arrived at the second corner easily. The door to the outside was only a few feet away. Taking a deep breath, they moved toward it.
A small sound broke the silence. It was just a little noise—no more than a whisper of a whimper. It came from the middle of the room. A soft rustling accompanied it. The whimper was repeated, more distinct this time. It sounded like someone gasped Help.
Sam froze. Emma ran into him, losing her balance. He caught her. Her face appeared ghostly in the light from his phone, her eyes wide. She'd heard it too. Sam pointed to the door, but Emma pointed to the source of the noise. Sam shook his head, waving his arms.
It was obvious to him, even if it wasn't to her, that they couldn't do much if they couldn't see. He went to text and typed a note that he didn't send. "We have to get Raleigh."
Emma nodded. They got to the door. It was propped open by a fold in the doormat. They scooted into the light of the hall and tried to get their bearings. Squinting against the light, they realized their mistake. Sam, who was used to entering by the hallway door, had mixed up the room's layout in his panic, and led them the wrong way. They stood just a few feet from a barred door. A man sat in a small office that was surrounded on three sides by bullet proof glass. He looked up, surprised to see them.
"May I help you?" His hand hovered over an alarm button on the counter.
"We got lost," Sam murmured. "We were cutting up, and ran into the pool area. But we got locked in."
"Someone's in the weight room," Emma blurted. "They sound hurt. We couldn't see them in the dark."
"One second." He picked up the phone and punched some buttons. "This is Gordon. Yeah, I got your missing kids. I think we have a situation in the weight room. I have the key but I can't leave the booth. Right."
He motioned to Emma and Sam. "Come in here. Raleigh says you two are cool." His smile was tight. He unlocked the door and let them in, locking it behind them. "Y'all ought not to be wandering at this time of night."
©2020 Dellani Oakes
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