Page 33 of Knot Gonna Give You Up
“Probably. I can just imagine someone leaving it in their will to donate their skull for an escape room.” Jesse’s dry humor makes me smirk as I finally work out the next clue.
“Stones, jewels… rubies!” I exclaim.
Henry looks up at me, “The stolen pirate treasure.”
The two of us turn to head over to where the prop is sitting, only to find Simon standing in front of it with his arms crossed.
“Arr mateys! Ye be tryna pilfer me treasure? Ye’ll ne’er get it while I be livin’!” he declares.
“Not bad on the pirate speak,” Jesse comments idly as he watches.
I dance a little on my toes, anxious to get this last clue figured out. “Simon! This is the last clue, move!”
“Come closer ‘n I’ll skewer ye wit’ me cutlass!” he proclaims.
Henry leans in close, “I’ll distract him, you get the clue.”
“Deal,” I say, amusement filling me and a smile coming to my face.
It’s fun to see Henry playing along with Simon. There may be hope yet for both of them. Simon especially, with his hesitance around Packs. Maybe Henry will change his mind.
“Avast! I challenge ye for the treasure!” Henry challenges, standing as though he’s holding a sword.
Simon eyes him for a moment before trying to hide his smile.
“Have at ye!” Simon declares, and takes up his own invisible arms.
The two of them start a fake sword battle, and Henry manages to maneuver them away from the treasure just enough that I can slip in. I start digging in the treasure chest, looking for the ruby that I think will open the door. I feel more than see Jesse walk closer and look over my shoulder.
“Try the sides,” he says, still sounding uninvested in the outcome.
He cares more than he lets on, I can tell, but he’s not used to interacting with people. I take his advice and slide my hand down the sides of the chest, feeling for a large gem. My hand knocks against something with a lot of edges, and I grasp with an excited smile. Pulling it out, I can see the giant ruby is cut the way one would expect, but the crown of the gem has small nicks that look like a pattern.
I walk over to the door and see the handle, but nowhere to put the gem. Thinking through the last clue, this gem is what will get us out. The nicks on top tell me it fits in like a key somehow. Jesse is quiet next to me, but I can see him analyzing the door and its frame, trying to find the spot. In the background, Henry and Simon are still dueling it out, but it doesn’t sound like they’re making any progress. Silently, Jesse reaches around me and pushes at a piece of the doorframe, and it slides back, revealing an impression that matches the gem in my hand.
“Good eyes,” I tell him.
He shrugs with a slight blush but also smiles at the compliment. I put the ruby into the impression, and it takes a moment to orient it correctly, but then it slides into place, and the door pops open. I turn back to look at Simon and Henry, but they’re still locked in battle.
“Hey, Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow, we’re free!” I call out.
The two of them stop their battle and see the door propped open.
“Huzzah!” Simon cheers as Henry laughs.
“Wait, which of us is Jack Sparrow?” Henry asks.
I shrug, “Pretty sure Simon is Jack Sparrow with all that hair.”
Henry and Simon eye each other, then shrug and agree. We exit the room with smiles and laughter, and it feels perfect. As we go, we take the obligatory “we made it” picture and thankthe employees for their time. I look at the others as we exit the building and decide I’m not done yet.
“Drinks?” I ask.
“I’m up for that,” Henry says.
Simon smirks, “I’m at your mercy, you drove us.”
Jesse’s quiet, but I can see some tension in his shoulders.
