C.E.N.T.U.R.Y: No escape

One: 100

**New Orleans, 11th October 2023**

**2:00 PM**

"So, what do you think guys?" Martha Willson asked her two children, Jake and Bella Willson, as they arrived at their New house.

"Bloody hell! You really want us to live in this dump mom?" Bella asked angrily as she got down from the car.

"Shut up Bella, you are just sixteen years old, your opinion does not count. By the way this house looks great mom, it looks like a really nice....errr....story building." Jake said, then he walked to the back of their car and started carrying their luggage into their new house.

"I am sorry this house did not meet your expectations darling, but this is all I could afford after your dad left us with nothing. Believe me I would have not have gotten this house if not because of how broke I am." Martha calmly explained to Bella, who was still angry at her brother for shutting her up.

"Well, it is a bit too late to turn back init? I will just go take a look at the inside of the house." Bella said and hurried off into the house.

Jake turned and saw Bella hurrying into the house then he shouted to her.

"Bella! Come help me with this luggage, do not leave me......here." Jake sighed as he heard bell shut the entrance door loudly to show him she had no intentions of helping him.

Martha chucked and then said to Jake.

"Let her be Jake, let me help you instead."

"Come on mom, if you keep on letting her have her way, she would get spoiled." Jake complained.

"Please, just let her be. You knew how close she was to your father, and now he is gone, I do not want anything to make her remember him with sadness." Martha said to Jake.

"It alright mom, after all, we are all we have got so we have to look out for each other." Jake replied.

"You are such a wonderful child Jake, I do not know what I would have done without you." Martha said to Jake, then tears gathered in her eyes and she spoke in a trembling voice. "You know Jake, you look so much like your father. Brown hair, Brown eyes, and his exact skin white tone. You are also tall, just like he was, and above all, you are just as caring as he was."

"Mom please stop crying, you know I hate it when you cry." Jake said comforting Martha.

"You are a good boy Jake, too good, and I appreciate it. But there are people in this world who would not, so when you meet with them do not play nice. Show them that you caring nature is not cowardice." Martha said to Jake then she wiped her eyes and carried some of their luggage into the house.

**Five hours later**

The Willson's sat down together at the dinning table, they were just about to have lunch after five stressful hours of arranging their properties into their new home. As they ate together they chatted happily about things they did in time past, and Jake kept on teasing Bella about how short she was.

"Come on Jake, I am not short, I am five feets and five inches tall. That is perfect for a girl my age." Bella said to Jake.

"No it is not shortie, look at me, I am six feet and two bloody inches, and I am only 19 years old." Jake replied Bella.

"Alright you two. Come on Jake, you are only this tall because of puberty. You were her height at her age." Martha said.

"More importantly, you two will be starting a new school tomorrow. And Jake, you have to work harder, I cannot afford you failing any other tests. Am I clear?" Martha said to them.

Together Jake and Bella echoed "Yes mother."

**The next day**

"Alright Jake, I will come pick you up when school is over." Martha said to Jake, waved him goodbye and drove off.

Walking Into his new school Jake said to himself.

"It is just another wonderful day, except in a new school, what is the worst that could happen?"

**15 minutes later**

"Arrgh!" Jake grunted as Jeff, the notorious school Bully punched him hard in the face.

Jake without hesitation lunched back at Jeff and punched him in his face, but Jeff's friends held him up to the wall while Jeff kept on punching him all over his body. Suddenly a teacher walked into the scene accompanied by two other students, Mark Smith and Sarah West. They had seen Jeff bullying Jake, and they hurried to report to their class teacher.

"Enough of this Jeff, three of you go to the principal's office now!" Mr. Alex, their class teacher ordered.

Sarah and Mark hurried to Jake, then they helped him up, then they helped him into the classroom and showed him his desk. It was right beside Sarah's desk.

Hours past and soon it was lunch time. Jake, accompanied by Sarah and Mark, went into the cafeteria to have their lunch together. As they sat down together they began chatting with each other.

"So, umm... my name is Sarah West and this is Mark Smith. Sorry about Jeff, he is a real jerk. So what's your name?" Sarah said to Jake happily.

"Ugh... I am Jake Willson, I just moved to New Orleans with my mom and my little sister." Jake replied.

"Wow that's cool. Sorry once again, you were supposed to get a good first impression of this school." Mark said to Jake.

"Well, it is a bit too bloody late for that init? I already have a terrible impression about this school." Jake replied.

"Well, sorry about that. No worries, I will show you something that will cheer you up on our way home." Mark said to Jake.

"No can do mate, my mom's picking me up after school." Jake replied.

"Do not worry, it would only take a minute." Mark persuaded.

"Fine, just a minute."

Hours passed and the finnaly bell rang. The trio went together to see what Mark promised to show them, but just when they were a bit far from the school, three men came behind them and injected them with tranquilizers.

Jake, Sarah, and Mark woke up in a dark room with a weird collar on their necks, suddenly the room lit up and they saw a lot of people in the room. They each had a number on their collars, and the highest number was 100. Suddenly an automated voice spoke.

"Welcome to C.E.N.T.U.R.Y escape room, you are to group your selves into five teams of 20, and get ready to face your doom!"

Jake, Sarah, and Mark woke up in a dark room with a weird collar on their necks, suddenly the room lit up and they saw a lot of people in the room. They each had a number on their collars, and the highest number was 100. Suddenly an automated voice spoke.

"Welcome to C.E.N.T.U.R.Y escape room, you are to group your selves into five teams of 20, and get ready to face your doom!"

"In each escape room, you must work together as a team, the team that comes first wins gets 10 points, second place gets 8 points, third place gets, 5 points, forth place gets, 3 points, and last place will have one of there team mates eliminated. You all will start with 100 points each. You have 10 minutes to pick your team mates, and then the game will commence."

"Not that there are hundred levels in this game and whoever makes it to the ended gets to go home, you will have to play a level each day, but do not worry there is plenty of food to last you until the game is over. Your time starts now."

The whole place was filled with noises and chattering of people, each not knowing was was happening, but they all started grouping them selves in twenties, hoping that what ever that was happening ended as soon as possible.

"What the heck is happening?" Sarah asked with a mixed feeling of sadness and shock.

"I do not know, but I think we should just do as the voice said." Mark replied.

"Voice? Bloody hell Mark, I am not even supposed to be here, come one, why does life hate me, first I get my ass kicked by a bully with no manners, then I follow someone I have never met in my life to see something he claimed was cool, them bam! I get kidnapped. Now I am stuck in this room with, 99 other people who are all probably wondering the same thing, why did I come out today?" Jake complained angrily.

"Oh bloody hell, my mom will be worried sick about me, I have to leave this place." Jake added.

"Calm down Jake, you heard what the voice said, we just have to play the game, the sooner we Finnish it, the better for us." Sarah said to Jake.

"Alright, it's just a game, how bloody hard could it be?" Jake asked,, comforting himself.

The trio joined the same team, and soon everyone was completely grouped. Then the voice spoke again.

"Congratulations on choosing your group, now the game will commence, your groups have been given the name A, B, C, D, and E. There are five doors given to each of your groups and each doors have the the name of your group on it, your first mission will be to solve a riddle. Note that the answer of this riddle is the password to unlock your doors, and you have just one hour to complete the task."

"Here goes the riddle.

In the realm of Greek gods I reside,

A daughter of Zeus, by his side.

With serpent locks and fiery might,

My gaze could turn any worthy to stone, quite.

Who am I, known in myth and lore?

Guess correctly, be blessed evermore.

But take heed, for I remain a threat,

One wrong answer, and your fate's set."

Everyone quickly gathered to their doors and started thinking of the answer to the riddle.

"This on is too easy, the answer is Medusa." Mark said proudly.

"Not so fast genius, the buttons on lock of the door is not in English, and what ever it is, I am pretty sure Medusa is not going to be the answer." on of there team mates said to mark.

"Let me have a look." Sarah said and walked to the door. Getting to the door she looked at the buttons on the door and saw the markings on them. Then she said.

"This are ancient Greek figures. Which means what ever the answer to the riddle is, it is in digits."

"Bloody hell!" Jake exclaimed.

"Well, we just have to work together, ok? Let us solve this riddle really quick."

"Well, In Greek mythology, there are no specific numbers typically attributed to Medusa. However, if this twisted psychos are referring to numerical depictions or associations in popular culture, it varies. Some artistic interpretations may have associated the number three with Medusa, as she was one of three Gorgon sisters, alongside Stheno and Euryale." Jake said to Sarah.

"Additionally, the number seven is sometimes associated with Medusa due to her connection to the underworld and its significance in ancient Greek culture. But it is important to note that these numerical associations are not universal or directly rooted in Greek mythology itself." Jake added.

"That means try the numbers three and seven!" Mark exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Sarah pushed the figures three and seven, then a green light flashed on their doors. They all rushed into the door then the door closed and locked immediately the last one of them entered the room.

One of the other groups saw when Sarah pushed the buttons and saw the exact buttons she pushed, si they did likewise the other teams followed suit and soon all of them were inside the next room.

The room lit up and then they all saw that they were complete so the started celebrating Sarah and Jake for helping them pass the level. Suddenly the automated voice spoke again.

"Congratulations on coming first place group B, you have shown great intelligence and skill, and for that you have been rewarded with ten points as promised, which makes you have a total of a hundred and ten points."

"Group A, you came second place, but you cheated, you did not solve your riddle rather you waited for group B to solve theirs then you followed suit, as a result five points will be added to you instead of eight as promised."

"Group, C and E, you both cheated too, si you will receive no points. And as for you group D, not only did you cheat but you came last place. As a result, one of your team mates will be eliminated...... permanently!"

Suddenly the collar of one of the members of group D exploded causing his head to be fully decapitated from his body. As the man dropped to the ground his head rolled across the room while his blood poured out from his neck profusely.

"Take a bed and rest, the next level will commence tomorrow." the automated voice spoke.

Suddenly....

Suddenly the collar of one of the members of group D exploded causing his head to be fully decapitated from his body. As the man dropped to the ground his head rolled across the room while his blood poured out from his neck profusely.

"Take a bed and rest, the next level will commence tomorrow." the automated voice spoke.

Suddenly, Sarah screamed in fright, while Jake vomited.

"Bloody hell, that guys head just fell off mate. What sort of game is this?" Jake asked still shivering in fear.

An eery scilence filled the room, everyone thought about the death of one of the class D members. Soon they all took a bed each in the room. Jake, Sarah and mark picked a bed side by side, and as they sat, each on their beds they began wondering and talking about what kind of game they were playing.

As Jake, Sarah and Mark were still shocked, and talking about what happened, Romeo, one of their team mates approached them. He could see the fear in their eyes and wanted to provide them comfort and support in this terrifying situation.

"Hey, I know that what just happened was beyond horrifying." Romeo said softly, sitting down next to them.

"But, hey, what could be more horrifying than getting kidnapped on your way to the hospital with your critically sick wife and her unborn child. Try not to dwell on it too much right now. We need to try and stay strong and support each other through this."

"What happened to your wife sir?" Jake asked.

"I rather not think about it. She had been ill for a while now, and I did not have the money to take her to the hospital. I took a loan and rush her to the hospital this morning, but before we got there our car was hijacked and I woke up here. She might probably be......" Romeo replied then he took a deep breath and continued.

"Resting and getting some sleep is crucial. It will help us clear our minds and regain our strength for the challenges to come. I know it's easier said than done, but let's try to get some rest, at least for now. We will face whatever lies ahead together as a team, and hopefully we would leave this place."

Romeo glanced around the room, making sure everyone seemed as calm as possible. He saw the fear and uncertainty etched on their faces, but also a sense of unity among the group. Silently, he hoped that their bond would help them navigate through this twisted game.

"Jake, Sarah, Mark," Romeo said kindly, "We are all in this together. If you need to talk or if you have any ideas or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. We will figure this out, step by step. For now, let us try to get some rest. We will support each other through this and be there for one another."

He offered them a warm smile and a reassuring pat on the back before finding a comfortable spot to rest himself. Though the weight of the situation was heavy, Romeo hoped that their strength and determination would carry them through the challenges that awaited them in the days to come.

Soon it was morning and the sound of the automated voice woke everyone up.

"Get ready teams, your next level will commence shortly."

The whole place became noisy as everyone reluctantly went to their groups hoping in their hearts that they would wake up to the fact it was all a dream.

Jake, Sarah and Mark quickly located their teams and just afer they all have finished grouping themselves, the automated voice spoke again.

"You all are now familiar with the rules of this game so I need not to spell it out for you again. Your next mission will commence in separate rooms to prevent you all from cheating again. Now follow the doors with you group name on it."

The sound of the people murmuring could be heard audibly as they all walked through their individual doors. Immediately they all had settled in their various rooms their doors locked automatically, then the automated voice spoke again saying.

"Alright, one of you has be chosen as the joker in each team, now what you have to do is to find him or her and draw his or her blood before the time runs out."

Fear gripped everyone as they did not know who was the joker and how they could find him or her. While they were all in fright Jake said to Sarah.

"What happens if we do not make it through this game. From the looks of the someone dies in each level and if there are 100 stages, and 100 people, only one person by chance can make it alive, that's messed up mate."

"Do not worry Jake, we all will survive." Sarah replied with a trembling voice.

Suddenly the score board indicated that group a had passed the level. Then group C, then group D. Jake became so uneasy, then he said to the rest of his teammates.

"Let us all cut ourselves together. In that way we will be able to get the blood of the joker."

"Are you serious? Why should we all get to cut ourselves because of someone else?" One of his teammates protested.

Then Romeo stood up and then said.

"We have no choice. All of you might probably be angry and sad that you are here, and as much as I hate it being here I do not plan on making it out here alive because I know the depression that awaits me.

So whatever I do now and What ever effort I make into passing each mission, is solely because of you all. Jake here has given us a wonderful idea, and we are following it unless you have a better idea."

After Romeo finished speaking, he picked of the knife provide by the game, and gave himself a little cut on his hand. Then Mark followed, and then Sarah, then Jake then everyone started cutting themselves one after the other. Eventually they all cut themselves then the score board indicated that they had passed. Then their door opened and they went into it.

The group E door opened and they all came out, suddenly....