It feels like DejaVu

Characters

Charlie

: An affable yet clumsy office worker who seems to attract chaos wherever he goes.

Becky

: Charlie's no-nonsense best friend who keeps him grounded.

Mr. Thompson

: The eccentric office manager with a penchant for disastrous team-building exercises.

Lisa

: The new intern, overly enthusiastic and a magnet for misunderstandings.

Setting

An open-plan office in a tech start-up, with quirky decorations and an espresso machine that always seems to break down.

Chapter 1: The Normalcy of Chaos

Charlie plopped down at his desk, his mind still groggy from the coffee that he had spilled on his pants that morning. As he booted up his computer, he noticed Becky across the aisle, frowning at the office calendar.

“What’s up?” he asked, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness.

Becky sighed, pointing to the upcoming events. “Remember, we have team-building exercises on Friday. Mr. Thompson really went all out this time.”

“Yes! Probably more trust falls into a swimming pool of jelly or something,” he chuckled. “Last time, I ended up stuck in that kiddie pool for an hour!”

“Sounds like day-to-day life in an office. Just add a side of existential crisis. Want me to get you more coffee? Or have you had too much?” Becky teased, eyeing his half-empty mug.

As if on cue, Mr. Thompson emerged from his office like a whirlwind of enthusiasm, clutching a stack of flyers. “Team! Gather around! I have exciting news!”

“I think I just had deja vu," Charlie muttered under his breath. “I’m having an intense feeling of having heard this before.”

Mr. Thompson beamed, waving the flyers like flags. “This Friday, we’re going on a team-building adventure! A mystery escape room where we will unlock secrets and strengthen our bonds!”

Becky raised her hand. “Wait, didn’t we do an escape room last month?”

“Deja vu! How novel!” Charlie exclaimed exaggeratedly.

“That didn’t happen! The vending machine ate my twenty once!” Mr. Thompson countered, clearly not grasping the concept of their joking.

“Right, because we’ve never escaped a room before…” Becky rolled her eyes but flashed a smile at Charlie.

Chapter 2: The Escape Room

Fast forward to Friday, and the sun shone brightly as the team gathered outside the escape room venue. A neon sign read “Escape Reality” in overly bright colors.

“What are we supposed to do? Just stand here and ask it nicely?” Charlie joked, looking at the sign.

“Don’t be an idiot, Charlie. We’re here to win,” Becky replied, nudging him forward.

Inside, Lisa, the enthusiastic intern, was already reading the rules aloud like a game show host. The rest of the team settled into a semi-circle, a blend of excitement and skepticism.

“Welcome! You will have 60 minutes to escape the room. Solve the clues, find the keys, and do not panic!” she announced, her voice booming.

“Okay, but if there’s a jelly pool, I’m out,” Charlie muttered, earning a few chuckles.

Once inside the room, they were met with walls that looked straight out of a horror movie — crumpled newspapers, dim lighting, and a ticking clock.

“Now this feels familiar,” Charlie whispered to Becky. “I had a dream like this once. I think I was chased by a giant banana?”

“Only you, Charlie,” she smirked, dismissing his bizarre thoughts.

Chapter 3: The Mystery Unfolds

The group set to work, solving various puzzles. After their third failure, Charlie cried out, “Maybe we should just embrace the demise! What if we just sit and wait for a rescue team?”

“Or we could figure this out!" Lisa chimed in, peering at a combination lock.

As they worked, the atmosphere grew more chaotic. Becky's competitive spirit shone through, while Charlie accidentally knocked over a box labeled “Top Secrets.” Papers fluttered to the ground like an overzealous confetti explosion.

“Charlie, why must you ruin everything?” Becky half-laughed, half-sighing.

But suddenly, a loud BANG

rang through their ears as the door slammed shut. “Uh-oh,” said Lisa, eyes wide with shock.

“Well, that didn’t happen!" Charlie exclaimed, echoing Mr. Thompson.

“Yeah, I feel like we just completed a round of chaos bingo,” Becky snorted, her laughter barely covering the nervousness.

In the midst of panic, they finally found a clue hidden under a desk. It read: “To escape, you must discover the true essence of teamwork!”

“Oh, looks like team spirit and bonding aren’t enough!” Charlie quipped.

Chapter 4: The Great Escape

As the countdown clock ticked ominously toward zero, Charlie had a brilliant, albeit reckless, idea. “What if we… I don’t know… just try to break the door down? People say teamwork is about using one’s strengths, right?”

Becky gaped at him. “That’ll just get us stuck here longer, you genius!”

“That’s the spirit! Teamwork!” Charlie declared. “If we’re going down, we’re going down in style!”

With everyone slightly terrified but oddly amused, they rushed toward the door. The seconds flew by, and before they knew it, the timer hit the final countdown. “10… 9… 8…!”

They charged at the door, but instead of breaking it, a loud CLICK

caught their attention.

“What was that?” Lisa asked innocently.

The door swung open slowly, revealing a bemused Mr. Thompson. “Well, Team! I see you just made it in time! Let’s discuss —”

“Escape? We escaped? We broke…nothing!” Charlie finished.

“Isn’t it ironic?” Becky said, half-joking but also half-relieved.

Chapter 5: A Reflection of Madness

Returning to the office, Charlie surveyed the chaos left behind. “Is it just me, or did we just have the craziest day?”

“Crazy? Yes! Successful? Kind of,” Becky responded with a smirk.

Mr. Thompson entered with a flurry of enthusiasm. “Well done, Team! Such chemistry! We’ll have our next one in...”

“Say it with us! A jelly pool!” Charlie and Becky burst out together.

“That didn’t happen!” Mr. Thompson said cheerily, unaware of the inside joke.

As they settled back at their desks, Charlie mulled over the day while sipping his now-cold coffee. “You know, I think I had that feeling again… Deja vu.”

Becky chuckled. “Yeah. An adventure no one would believe.”

“Next time, let’s aim for a boring corporate retreat?” Charlie suggested.

“Please. Not another jelly pool,” Becky deadpanned.

With laughter and camaraderie filling the air, they embraced the chaos of their office life, knowing that some memories were worth the madness — even if they didn’t always make a whole lot of sense.

End