Page 101 of No Escape

Gio, Alessa, Mia, Juliette, and my mother joined the group on the far side of the table while we all studied the unusual stone ring from our vantage point.

“A closer inspection of the table indicates our supposition that this is a planetarium is confirmed.” Slash pointed at some markings on the table. “These carvings surrounding the device are the sky, stars, and the moon.”

I leaned closer to the tabletop to get a better look at the carvings, my arm brushing against Slash’s. “Is there a pattern to them?”

“Not that I can see,” Slash said. “Yet.”

“There are six rings and a small center area with that metal part sticking out from the middle,” Oscar said. “Like we saw on the sundials in the maze.”

“And each ring on the device has a different number of discs,” Stefan said. “Naturally, there are more discs on the larger outer rings, and fewer on the smaller inner rings. As far as I can see, though, none of the etched numbers on a disc have more than three digits. However, several of the discs have single digits.”

“And the numbers on the discs on the circle are not in sequential order,” Mom offered.

“Maybe we just need to put the discs in numerical order,” Mia suggested.

I absorbed all the information, considering the best course of action. “It’s a possibility, Mia. Do any of the numbers match the discs we won?”

Slash walked over to the row of discs we’d left on the table. “What was the number on the disc from the maze,cara?”

“It’s 509.”

“Everyone, look at the stone circle,” Slash said. “Is there any disc that has the number 509?” he asked.

Everyone began searching, and then Vittoria cried out. “Yes. I found it. It’s right there on the second ring from the outside.”

I followed Vittoria’s pointing finger and saw where it sat. “But we can’t lift it out.”

“Alessa, which disc came from the bull room?” Slash asked.

“The one that says 395. And I’ve already found it on the outer ring, here.” She pointed at the spot.

“My disc from the blackout room has the number 476 engraved on it,” Mia offered.

“And there it is on the innermost ring,” my dad said, his brow creased in concentration. “What does it mean, Slash, that we’re able to match our winning discs to the discs that are already on this device?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Slash said. “How about the game room, Gio? Which number was on your disc?”

Gio’s cheeks reddened slightly. “I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean, you’re not sure?” Slash said. “You just brought it down from your room.”

“I didn’t pay attention to the number.”

Slash gave his brother an exasperated look. It reminded me how sometimes my brothers drove me crazy with their lack of attention to detail. Different family, same dynamics.

“It’s forty-five,” Alessa said, saving the day. “I typed it into the keypad in the game room.”

“Thanks, Alessa,” Slash said. “How about the disc from the pool room? Mama, you had that one, right?”

“I did,” Juliette confirmed. “It’s the one with the number sixty-four on it.”

“It’s on the fourth ring from the outside,” Father Armando said.

“That leaves the library,” Stefan said. “Clarissa, do you know the number?”

“I do. It’s the one with 121, and it’s sitting on the fifth ring.”

Slash placed that disc to the side and studied all the golden discs we’d won at once. My dad joined him, and together they looked for a pattern or something that might be significant.

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