Question
You are advised to write between 350 and 500 words on the following topic:
Write a story entitled ‘Locked in’, starting from the moment when you realise that you cannot get out.
Model Essay
As the door clicked shut behind me, I felt a strange sense of unease. I reached for the handle, only to discover that it wouldn’t budge. Panic began to rise in my chest as I jiggled the knob and shoved my shoulder against the door. It was no use. I was locked in.
The room was small and cluttered, filled with old boxes and forgotten memories. Dust motes danced in the slivers of light that filtered through the single, high window. My heart raced as I scanned the room for another way out. There was no other door, no obvious escape route.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. There had to be a logical explanation. Maybe the door was just stuck. But after several more attempts, it was clear that I wasn’t getting out that way. I pulled my phone from my pocket, only to find it was dead. Of course, today of all days, I’d forgotten to charge it.
The air in the room felt heavy and stale. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and sat down on an old wooden crate, trying to think. I remembered that my friend Sarah was supposed to meet me in an hour. She’d notice if I didn’t show up and would probably come looking for me. I just had to wait it out.
The minutes ticked by with excruciating slowness. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional creak of the building settling. I tried to distract myself by exploring the contents of the room. The boxes were filled with old books, photographs, and trinkets that looked like they hadn’t been touched in years. It was a treasure trove of forgotten history, but I couldn’t focus on that now.
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As time dragged on, doubt began to creep in. What if Sarah didn’t come? What if no one came? I stood up and resumed my futile attempts at the door, pounding and shouting, hoping that someone—anyone—would hear me. But the walls seemed to swallow my cries.
Just when I was starting to lose hope, I heard a faint noise outside the door. My heart leaped, and I began shouting again. The sound grew louder, closer. Then, miraculously, I heard a key turn in the lock.
The door swung open, and there stood Sarah, looking worried and confused. “I’ve been calling you,” she said, holding up her phone. “Are you okay?”
Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. I rushed out of the room, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m fine now,” I said, my voice shaky. “But I’ve got a story to tell you.”
As we walked away from the building, I couldn’t help but glance back at the door that had held me captive. It stood open now, harmless and unassuming. I knew I’d never forget the feeling of being locked in, the panic and the fear. But I also knew that I’d learned something important about myself—that even in the most desperate situations, I could keep my head and find a way through.
Word Count: 510