The Back Door

Jenn crouched low behind a row of lockers, waiting for a break in the men’s chatter. Steam curled around her like a fog machine, blurring the edges of the room.

The unmarked back door of the locker room was her best exit. A service door? An emergency exit? She didn’t care. Anything was better than tiptoeing around naked men who could spot her at any second.

Heart pounding, she darted across the tile, bare feet squeaking with each step. One of the men chuckled nearby, and Jenn froze mid-stride, pressing herself against the wall like a criminal in a bad sitcom. When no one looked her way, she exhaled and bolted the last few feet.

She yanked the handle. The heavy door creaked open, and she slipped through, pulling it shut as quietly as she could. The latch clicked. Relief washed over her, until she turned around.

“Oh no…”

She wasn’t in some safe hallway. She was standing on the edge of the gym’s swimming pool. The echo of water slapping against tile filled the cavernous room. Chlorine stung her nose. The pool lights gleamed on the surface like a spotlight, illuminating her wet and naked body.

Behind her came a sharp metallic sound. Jenn spun. The locker room door had shut firmly, a keypad blinking red above the handle. Locked. No handle on her side. She rattled the bar desperately with no success.

“No, no, no, no, no!” she hissed.

Her fists clenched at her sides, body dripping with both pool humidity and shower water. She stood there, naked, stranded, and utterly trapped. From across the pool, a lifeguard chair sat empty, but the faint sound of splashing and laughter carried from the other side of the room. People were in here.

Jenn’s stomach curled. She pressed herself against the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows.

Her only choices: dive into the water and try to blend with the swimmers, or find some cover in this echoing chamber before someone spotted her pale, dripping figure against the tiles.

For once, Jenn honestly couldn’t tell which option was less humiliating.