Trapped/The Final Countdown

            I was stupid and careless for not checking the bolt before I came out. I glanced down at the timer on my phone. Four minutes. I had four minutes to get back in the house, or else the food would be over cooked and start burning. I looked helplessly around the garage, but there was nothing I could do to get back. I considered calling someone, but I was home alone and I would have to wait out here in the garage. With the rats.

            I leaned against the door, thinking that it was the end, and that I would die soon. I checked my phone again. Three minutes. I had to hurry. I tried to clear my brain long enough to think of something. I glanced around, and caught a glimpse of the extra house key that my parents keep in a container out of reach. I tried to grab it, but I was too short. There had to be a way to get it down. Then I saw my ski poles. I used one of the poles to move the container down, till at last I could grab it. I let myself back inside, so relieved and terrified all at the same time. I checked my phone. The timer read

Three

Two

One

I ran to the pot just in time, turned off the burner, and breathed a sigh of relief. I was alive.