Escape the Night: Season 3 (My Story of ETN S3)

Chapter Eight: Challenge #1

At the Clown Tent, Five Minutes in
This challenge has already been a very bad start to help save my friends. The clowns had JC and Teala tied to two spiral wheels, and me and Matt were up against each other. The challenge was a race to the finish. Meaning that, whoever gets to the jack head first, wins. And the loser who's tied up, dies. The first part of the challenge, was to find the ball in the cups that the clown had to shuffle around. It took me a long time to make up my mind, but I got it on the first time. The clown told me that I could pass, and I made it to the next stand. The next part of the challenge, was to eat five hot dogs, without any water.

My Confession: Okay, the first challenge was golden. Next one, was not that good. I mean, what kind of person can eat five hot dogs without any water to help swallow them down? And not just any hot dogs. I mean, vegan!

"Don't choke yourself, honey! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!", the clown lady told me as I ignored her. I even saw Matt trying to eat the hot dogs too, and he was struggling with them as well. I just couldn't swallow any of these hot dogs; but something hit me immediately. I grabbed the ketchup bottle, and used it as a liquid to help me swallow them. Everyone was cheering for me, and I smiled while continuing to eat. "Hey, doormat! What hot dog are you on? Number one? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!", the clown lady said to Matt while he was still eating. "Two, actually. Thank you.", Matt said to her. I was nearly done with my tray, just only one more. However, my stomach was feeling full. But, I couldn't give up now.

My Confession: I'm almost done with the challenge. I can't give up! Teala's life depends on me.

As I swallowed my last hot dog, I finally finished it. Once that was over, I went to the next part of the challenge. And that was, to fling a rubber chicken into a basket. I failed two times, but I got it in. After that, I did the last part of the challenge. And that was, to knock down the milk bottles with balls.

My Confession: I'm halfway there! Just gotta get this last part done, and then I can cleanse this artifact.

As I threw the balls at the milk bottles, I was actually doing good. And before you know it, I finished the challenge before Matt could. Everyone was screaming and cheering, as I got the jack in the box out of the glass dome. I whined it up quickly, and tried to hurry up.

My Confession: Even though I won the challenge, I still didn't want JC to die. He helped me and the group out back at the disco rig, and he's such a sweetheart. He doesn't deserve to die.

"WE HAVE A WINNER! AND BETTER YET, A LOSER!", the clown lady shouted. I turned around and saw that she was already starting to stab JC like crazy. "NO! JC!", I shouted as I finally got the jack in the box to come out. I then took off the head, and exchanged it with the new one. And once it was on, all the clowns disappeared like magic. I saw them all disappear, and JC bleeding. "NO!", Matt shouted. "Oh my gosh! JC!", I shouted while running towards him. Mortimer went to go untie Teala, and I tried to get JC to wake up. But he was already dead, before I even got to him. "JC, please speak to me... Anything! Please!", I said to him. But there was no response. I started to cry, as I hugged him one more time.

My Confession: This is all my fault! Not Matt's, I mean my own! If I was quick enough to save him too, then he would still be alive.

Teala came up to comfort me, but she also told me that we had to keep going with the mission. I then got off the platform, and went with the others. Still feeling sad about losing one of my best friends.

Back at the Arcade
When we all went inside, everyone was in shock. Or some of them, if you will. "JC is dead. They killed him...", Teala told everyone. They were all looking shock and surprised at the same time. As Calliope put JC's card in the box, I went to put the first artifact on the shelf. After that, I went over to sit down on the couch. Joey was smiling at me when I went to sit down, but he changed that look on his face when I went to go sit with Ro and Matt instead.

My Confession: I honestly don't know why Joey is smiling at me, at this moment. We just lost one of our friends, and he looked like he didn't even care. Not even for one second.

As Ro and Matt tried to comfort me, Safiya finds a note and reads it.

Not everyone in town is telling the truth.

We all went silent after what the note said. Someone here is not telling us the truth? I thought of it as ridiculous, but I thought again. Everyone has changed quickly when we first arrived in Everlock. But these were all my friends. Who could be the one who was not telling us the truth?