Locked In
Author's Note- I got the base of this idea from an excellent inspirational book called 'A Child Named It'. It is extremely sad, and you have to have a strong stomach to read this true horror story. But I strongly recommend that you do.
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"I'm out of gas."
"Well it's about time."
J.C. rolled his eyes at Joey and Chris as they laughed at Joey's lame joke. "Let me rephrase that," he sighed. "My car is out of gas."
"So go but some more," Chris smiled.
The guys were riding in J.C.'s car, and they were on their way to meet Justin and Lance at a rehearsal. J.C. drove while Joey and Chris sat in the back, behaving like small children stuck on a long car ride. Then J.C. realized if he didn't get gas soon, they would be pushing the car to rehearsals.
J.C. pulled into the next Conoco they passed, and not a moment too late. This bill would hurt, but he could afford it. Joey and Chris remained in the car as J.C. began pumping the gas, but their teasing soon turned nasty and they argued their way out of the car.
"I'm not fat, scuz!" Joey yelled, using his old nickname for Chris.
"No, you just eat all the time and burn it off with you collection of women," Chris shot back.
Joey stood beside J.C. who watched the argument with interest. "Who started it?" J.C. asked.
The other two pointed at each other over the top of the car.
"Now children," J.C. teased, "I want you two to kiss and make up."
"Screw this, I'm going to the bathroom!" Chris yelled replied, glaring at Joey before he stormed off.
Joey stuck his tongue out at Chris's back, then turned to J.C. and smiled sheepishly.
J.C. rolled his eyes. "You touched his hair again, didn't you?"
"I can't help it," Joey confessed. "I'm not used to it yet."
"Well you went and pissed him off, now you can go talk to him."
"I will," Joey smiled, then muttered 'scuz' under his breath as he walked in the direction Chris went.
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Chris pulled open the door of the one-person bathroom and almost tipped over a bucket and mop. It smelled of ammonia, but the smell didn't bother him. 'At least they clean the bathroom,' he thought, walking to the urinal. As he relieved himself, Chris read the graffiti that covered the stone walls. There were various phone numbers and sayings that made him laugh, and soon he was zipping up his pants. The ammonia smell had become stronger, and he hurried a little as he washed his hands. After flinging his hands dry in the typical guy manner, he went to open the door. But when he pushed, the door didn't budge.
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Joey laughed to himself as he held the bathroom door. Chris pushed again, and Joey held the door tighter. Chris wasn't getting away with the 'fat' jab that easy.
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Chris heard a snicker on the other side of the door and immediately knew who it was. "Joey!" he yelled, growing angry. He pushed on the door again but it remained shut.
The smell of the ammonia was becoming unbearable as it engulfed the tiny bathroom. There was a fine gray mist rising from the bucket and it stung Chris's eyes and nose. The bitter smell was starting to give him a headache. "Joey! Let me out!" Chris yelled.
"No! You called me fat!" came Joey's reply.
Chris rolled his eyes. "Because you messed up my hair!" he replied.
"Well you started it!" Joey said, still in his little kid mode.
Chris swallowed and coughed from the potent ammonia fumes. "Joey, grow up and let me out!" he yelled. A wave of dizziness passed over him and his stomach slowly began sending it's content's up his throat.
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"Let me think about it," Joey teased, still leaning on the door. "Will you be nice if I let you out?"
Joey watched J.C. pay for the gas as Chris coughed his reply. "For God's sake Joey, let me out!"
It was then that Joey realized something was wrong. He could feel Chris throwing himself on the other side of the door and quickly moved away. The door shook from Chris's weight but would not open.
"Let me out Joey!" Chris yelled from behind the door.
J.C. had finished paying for the gas and came over to get Joey. He heard Chris's pleading yell and asked, "What are you two doing now?"
Joey watched as the door shook again. "Chris, I'm not holding the door."
The door handle wiggled as Chris tried to open it. "I can't get out! It won't open!" he coughed.
J.C. saw the worried look on Joey's face and asked, "Chris? What's wrong?"
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Chris felt the difference in the door's weight and knew Joey was no longer leaning against it. He tried the handle, but it only turned a quarter of the way and stopped. The ammonia's gray mist had filled the bathroom, burning Chris's eyes, nose and throat. The thick fumes gave him a powerful headache and made him extremely dizzy. The fumes tickled his throat, but coughing only removed the protective layer of mucus and burned his throat more.
Every once of his strength went into throwing himself against the door, but he finally sank to the floor, exhausted. As he coughed he could taste blood and his stomach threatened to jump on the floor.
Chris barely heard Joey and J.C. yelling for him out side as he frantically looked for a way out.
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J.C. and Joey pulled on the door together without any results. Chris had stopped his attacks on the door, putting Joey and J.C. in panic. J.C. ran to the store manager and told the man how Chris was trapped in the bathroom.
The man's eyes grew wide when he remembered the floor cleaner was also in there. As he followed J.C. back to the bathroom, he explained, "Sometimes it sticks. Your friend just has to kick it at the bottom, then we should be able to pull it open."
J.C. pounded on the door. "Chris? Get up and kick the door! You gotta kick the bottom so we can get you out!"
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Things grew black for Chris, as if a huge shadow was settling on his face. Using great concentration, he was able to control his breathing to short gasps and avoid a painful coughing fit.
His head pounded and he felt weak, but Chris was torn from his thoughts when he felt the door shake. He heard J.C. yell something, and after a couple seconds his brain processed J.C.'s plea.
"…You gotta kick the bottom of the door so we can get you out!"
The coldness of the tile was seeping into Chris's bones as he sat on the floor in tears. Gathering all his strength and hope, he began weakly hitting the door with his left hand.
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J.C. and Joey were pulling on the door in anticipation. They felt the small taps from the other side, and threw their weight into getting their friend out. They heard Chris's cough start again, but after on good hit, the door swung open and Chris caught himself as he fell back. Joey and J.C. stumbled back also, but quickly recovered and ran to Chris. A wave of cleaner fumes hit them, taking their breath away.
The fresh air hit Chris like a brick, and he coughed up more blood as he tried to inhale all the clean air he could. Joey and J.C. were next to him instantly, helping him sit up.
"Are you okay?" Joey asked, waving his hand in front of his face to help get rid of the fumes.
Chris looked at Joey with red, watery eyes as he struggled to get up.
"Dumb question, I guess," Joey replied.
The store manager was quick to apologize. "I am so sorry this happened," he said. "I should have taken the ammonia out of the bathroom."
Chris just nodded, afraid that talking would start him coughing again.
"Come on," J.C. said, pulling on Chris. "Let's go outside."
They walked outside and were greeted with even fresher air, which Chris was glad to breathe in. His headache was still pounding, but his stomach had settled. His body tingled with renewed strength as they made their way to the car.
Once they were all in the car, J.C. started to drive off. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked, looking at Chris in the rear view mirror.
Chris nodded, still not trusting himself to talk. He wasn't about to sing either. He looked out the window, still a little shaken up when he felt something on his head. He turned around and saw Joey, who smiled sheepishly.
"Hi scuz," Joey teased. "Glad you're okay."
Finnis!
Note- The idea for this story came from the book, 'A Child Called It'. Please read this book but be warned, it is heartbreaking.
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Email: jaysmyrascal@cs.com