Alex was practically vibrating with excitement. She paced the living room, glancing out the window every few seconds.

“She’s coming any minute,” she said for the tenth time. “Jackie always brings something cool. Last time it was the indoor obstacle course. I bet this time it’s even better.”

“Why don’t you sit down for five seconds?” said Annie, her older sister, from the couch. She was reading a graphic novel, legs curled under her, looking completely unbothered. “You’re gonna wear out the floor.”

“I can’t sit,” Alex said, throwing herself into a chair only to pop back up again. “She’s never late. What if she’s got a new trick she wants to surprise me with? What if I miss it?”

“You’re being dramatic,” Annie muttered.

“Jackie’s not just a guest—she’s basically a tornado of fun,” Alex insisted.

Annie rolled her eyes. “Let’s just hope the living room survives her visit.”

At exactly noon, a bike skidded to a stop outside. A second later, the doorbell rang.

Alex flung open the door, nearly tripping over herself. “Jackie!”

Jackie stepped inside, helmet still on, grinning. “Hey, Alex. Hey, Annie.”

She was eleven, a year older than Alex, and everything about her said confidence—slouchy backpack, streak of chalk on her jeans, and a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“You’ve got something, right?” Alex asked immediately. “You always bring something.”

Jackie unzipped her backpack and pulled out a crumpled manila folder.

“This,” she said dramatically, “is your doom.”

Alex’s eyes lit up. “Is it a game? A secret map? A treasure hunt?”

“Better,” said Jackie. “It’s an escape room. I made it myself.”

Annie looked up from her book. “Wait, like puzzles and clues and all that?”

“Yup. I took over the basement. Your mom said it was okay this morning. Ten clues. One hour. Two locks. And a final key hidden in plain sight.”

Alex was practically bouncing. “Are you serious? That’s awesome.”

“I call it: The Great Laundry Room Lock-In,” Jackie announced. “Your mission: escape before the evil sock monster returns.”

Alex turned to Annie. “You’re playing too, right?”

Annie closed her book and stood up. “Sure. Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t get stuck under the stairs again.”

They headed to the basement door. Jackie gave Alex a flashlight. “The power’s off. I covered the windows. It’s all part of the vibe.”

Alex glanced at the door. “Wait… you’re not coming with us?”

Jackie smirked. “Game master never enters the game. I’ll be watching through the baby monitor cam. Good luck.”

She shut the door behind them and turned the lock with a click.

Alex froze. “Wait. Did she just lock us in?”

Annie crossed her arms. “This better not be one of her weird pranks.”

Inside the basement, it was dark but not scary. A string of glow-in-the-dark arrows pointed toward the washing machine. Taped to it was a riddle: “I’m full of holes but I hold water. Find me, and the next clue will follow.”

“A sponge!” Alex shouted, rifling through a bin. “Got it!”

Inside the sponge was another clue, this one leading to a bag of clothespins, then a taped-over light switch, then a drawer filled with socks—some decoys, some with tiny notes inside.

It was silly, clever, and hilarious.

Annie had to admit, Jackie had outdone herself.

They were halfway through when Alex paused. “Wait are we actually locked in?”

Annie tried the door. “Yup. Locked.”

Alex looked worried. “What if we can’t solve it?”

“We will,” Annie said. “She wouldn’t trap us forever. Would she?”

Ten minutes later, they found the first key hidden behind a wall poster labeled “Socks of Destiny.” It opened a small box with a combination puzzle inside.

“Fifteen minutes left,” Jackie’s voice crackled through a hidden walkie-talkie.

Alex laughed. “She’s really committed.”

Working together, they cracked the final riddle—“It’s not what you see, but what you wear to see”—and found the second key taped to the inside of a pair of old sunglasses.

With a triumphant click, the basement door swung open.

Jackie stood there, arms folded. “You beat my record by two minutes.”

“You timed yourself?” Annie asked.

“I tested it on my cousin last week,” Jackie said. “She cried halfway through. You guys crushed it.”

Alex was glowing. “That was the best. Ever.”

“Next time,” Jackie said, slinging on her backpack, “I’m adding a smoke machine.”

Annie shook her head. “Next time, we lock you in.”

_{“The Basement Breakout” by Nina D. Smith, published by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “Jackie’s New Dodge” by Agnes Giberne from Stories Jilly: Stories New: Stories Strange & Stories True originally published in 1889.}

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“The Basement Breakout” is intended for students in grades 4–6, offering a fun, fast-paced adventure with puzzles, teamwork, and a dash of mischief perfect for upper elementary readers.