Trapped on the High School Gym Bleachers

Trapped on the High School Gym Bleachers

I was stuck in my old high school gym after hours, but for some reason, the floor was covered in dark, rising water that smelled like chlorine and mud. My coworker Sarah was there with me, and we realized the main double doors were padlocked from the outside. The water kept creeping higher, up to our knees, and we had to climb onto the folded-up bleachers to stay dry. We were frantically rationing whatever was in my backpack—just half a bottle of Diet Coke and a crushed granola bar—because we felt like we'd be trapped there for days. Every time I tried to use my phone to call for help, the screen was too slick with water to swipe to unlock. We started pulling down the heavy sports banners from the wall, trying to tie them into a makeshift rope to reach a high window near the ceiling before the bleachers gave way underneath us.