Priya

Priya knew she would be the next to leave. She couldn't remember any Indian girl who had gone through an obstacle course, let alone one with a time limit. How would she climb two hills, crawl under a wide net, and balance her weight on a see-saw thing under five minutes? She didn't even know how to swim, yet a makeshift swimming pool stood across her. Playing escape room collided with her plans of fame, because this couldn't be legal to produce or view in America. Could it? This was supposed to be a reality TV show, with all the pomp and glitter, not a try to survive, and while you're at that beat the time show. The rational part of Priya's brain knew she had once done something like this, thanks to her father and his need to train children who could survive anywhere. She and Ashanti had gone along with it, knowing he felt lonely as the only male in the household.

Right now, Florian was running (or hop-running) with one leg over the bells attached to the ground trying not to hit any of them. Unfortunately, he hit one and went back to start over while his time furiously ran. After him, she was next all thanks to her luck at drawing lots. She was number three, out of eleven just after Eryk and Florian. Priya turned to look at him as he sat on the ground watching Florian, he didn't even seem tired instead he looked ready to go for another round. She could use some of his energy, she already felt drained. She faced the other housemates, glad she wasn't the only one with jittery nerves, all four girls looked ready to faint but not Lola. Priya stifled a laugh, her rainbow hair was tied tightly in a ponytail causing her eyebrows to draw up and make her frowning face look even worse. It didn't help that she was wearing a light blue top and joggers which made her resemble an angry sky.

"Priya, you're up." Mr. Han's voice brought Priya's mind back to the game. She nodded and carried herself and her racing heart to the beginning platform.

When the buzzer sounded, Priya's legs moved forward with such urgency it was hard to believe the order came from her brain. Within seconds, she climbed the first hill through to its other side and next was the pull up bars attached to the ceiling. She quickly scaled through that one, already used to climbing windows and bars for fun and she continued moving until she got to the pool. The pool was about ten feet long and half of that in width, of course it would be too deep to wade across, so she had to swim across it and continue the course. She sat down at the edge and dipped her legs in, super cold but there was no choice. It was either she found a way to move across or forfeit and leave. The timer was ticking, and everyone's eyes were on her; she couldn't afford to go back to India so this better work.

Priya decided to take a leap of faith, wishing with all her might that she wouldn't have to call for help flailing around in the water. She surrendered her whole weight to the water and pushed forward like it wasn't her first time. Priya felt like she wasn't the one in control, but there was no time to complain. In little time, she got to the other side and continued the obstacle course, ending with climbing over the second hill and pressing the buzzer.

Her timer stopped at three minutes and twenty seconds, not bad. Others might flop and if she was eliminated, at least she did her best. The other housemates clapped as she walked back towards them, some giving her a thumbs-up.

"I need to exercise more." Priya mumbled as she sat down, ready to watch the other housemates do the course. But something nagged at her, how could she suddenly swim?

Ace

The results came in after everyone finished; Penny had the most time with four minutes and thirty seconds and when Mr. Han confirmed she would be leaving, she sighed and turned to Ace. "Will you come help me pack?"

He instantly nodded and watched her as she went off, her shoulders slightly sagged as Mr. Han addressed them. "Good job to the ten of you still in the house, but there's still much to be done. Your next game will be on the 21st, two days from now. Goodnight and goodluck."

The masked guards ushered them out of the game room and Ace headed to Penny's room. Penny was the only one in the house he really talked to, everyone else was already paired off or wanted to be alone. It was fine by him, viewers weren't controlling the outcome of the game so he could shut off everyone. When he entered her room, she smiled at him and strode over to give him a hug.

"Don't be sad. It's just a game, I'll be fine. I achieved my aim of coming here." Ace froze when she made contact, surprised with the gesture. Was this her way of trying to comfort herself?

"What was your aim?" Ace asked, slowly recovering. He couldn't remember a time when he had been hugged, and the idea seemed so foreign to him.

Penny gave him a grin. "Meeting you, of course. My exercise instructor."

"Oh, thanks." This girl seemed to think very highly of him, after two days of instructing them. He was sure the others didn't care about that. "What will you do after this?"

"Ace, I have a life. This was just a three-day break so by tomorrow, I'll be back in Greece working on my research paper, and missing you." She smiled and turned away to continue packing. "What about you? Where will you be when you get out?"

Ace joined her in folding the clothes. "I don't know. Wherever life takes me, I guess." He paused, and when she didn't respond, he went on. "Maybe by then, I'll remember something useful."

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up in a hospital with no memory of my life."

Penny looked shocked. "How? What happened? Were you hurt? I once read a story similar to that, he had been attacked by the mafia and left for dead."

Ace frowned, she was probing for information just like the nurse had done. He glanced at her and decided to open up. "I wasn't hurt so I didn't feel any pain. The nurses told me I had walked in and fainted, out for four days. All I had with me was an address, some money and a gun, the address led me to an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere. For weeks, I did menial jobs trying to make some cash and retrace my steps, but with no luck. So when the invitation came, I gladly accepted it and here I am."

Penny looked deep in thought, as she folded and unfolded the same dresses over again. "But you're an exercise instructor. How long have you been out of the hospital?"

Ace collected the clothes from her and folded, his knew the story seemed like a fairytale when he explained it. "I've been on the road for three months and in the second month I got a job at a gym, lifting weights is one of the two things I do well. The other is being an expert with tools, any type of mechanical tool I can handle it. But companies wanted a degree and on-the-job experience."

Penny moved closer, and touched his cheek. "With the way the game went, I'll really need an exercise instructor. My house also needs some fixing up." She scribbled her number on a piece of paper and squeezed it into his hand. "Contact me when you get out of here. I'll be waiting."

Femi

Femi's roommates invited him for a drink at the garden after the game, but he declined. He needed to be alone and think which was what he was busy with when Ingrid came in. He saw her when she stopped at his open door.

"Marcello and Florian are in the garden." He responded, expecting her to go away. When she didn't, he swivelled his body to face her. "Do you want anything else?"

"I came to talk to you, actually. I've never talked to those guys." She shrugged and advanced towards Marcello's bed to sit.

Femi didn't hesitate to voice his surprise. "We've never talked as well."

She shrugged, and offered him a chocolate. "It's from the kitchen, and there's a first time for everything."

Femi didn't respond to that, but he took the chocolate. After his love for adventure, chocolates came in second but he would rather die than admit that to anyone.

Ingrid filled the silence. "You played the game well. Do you play escape room games?"

Femi tore open the wrap and took a bite. Chocolate flavour was his best. "Yes, I do. The obstacle course was an easy challenge for me."

"Oh, that's good for you. I'm just glad I made it under four minutes, that stuff was scary."

Femi laughed. "How? It was simple stuff, and everywhere had protection so nothing dangerous could have happened." To him, that had taken away all the fun. A large portion of the game area was covered with foam to avoid any injuries, and the guards were also in close proximity.

The girl opposite him frowned. "Thank goodness for those, if not I would have refused to participate. What if I fell and broke my leg?"

Femi shrugged. "It seems you don't like the thrill of adventure."

"I don't care for it. I'm happy with both feet on the ground. Do you want another one?" She asked, pointing to his empty wrap. When had he finished it? He declined, trying to be modest.

"Okay, if you say so. So what else do you enjoy, apart from obstacle courses? Playing with snakes?"

Femi grinned at her. "What if I showed you the snake I have in my bag?" He reached for it, as he watched her expression. It was priceless, she jumped off Marcello's bed and made for the door with a pure look of terror on her face.

Femi laughed, and dropped his bag. "No, I don't like playing with snakes, and I certainly don't have one here with me. Besides, our belongings were inspected."

At the last comment, she walked back and sat down still glancing at his bag on the bed. Femi dropped the bag, and heard her sigh audibly.

"I also enjoy my studies, and reading. I'm not all about adventure, you see." She nodded, and when he asked about her hobbies, she launched into a story about her love for travel.

After a while, she decided to go. As she strode towards the door, Femi asked. "Why did you really come to talk to me?" He didn't need pity from anyone, he could handle what happened alone.

"I told you, you seem interesting and I wanted to know how it felt to talk to someone from another race."

After she left Femi decided he needed a drink, and he went to join his roommates. Later, when he remembered the slim pretty girl on glasses who offered him chocolate and wiped her hands on her black jeans before she made a comment, he smiled. She had come to cheer him up, and he was grateful.

*****

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