Hello, once again Aral Stein Story Club members.

I'm Ivy, your ghostly host and overseer of those spooky and weird tales from the hidden vault of Arl Stein.

Today is another chilling tale.

This spirited account Story Club members may send a chill up your spine.

It's one I call the Inescapable Haunted Escape Room.

Kyle Hamilton thought the carnival was lame this year.

He'd ridden all the rides, eaten all of the cotton candy, popcorn, and caramel apples he could stand, and even did some lame-o ring toss.

But he wanted something more fun, something new and unusual. Well, he found it, and later wished that he hadn't.

He should have ridden the tilta whorl one more time instead.

Can you escape the inescapable haunted escape room?

The carnival barker screamed to the milling crowd.

He wore a checkered purple and black suit, had wild eyes, and even wilder hair,

and a single gold tooth that glimmered under the September sun.

Try your luck in virtual reality.

Kyle didn't have any experience with virtual reality, and he didn't know what it really was,

but he liked puzzles, and he'd heard about escape rooms before, where groups of people went into

and had to solve riddles and puzzles

in order to find the lock to release the door. It was expensive to play, $20, but he just happened to have

exactly that much left in his pocket. It was like fate. What about you, kiddo? The barker asked

Kyle. You want to try your luck? Kyle shrugged.

Sure.

After he paid the last of his money to the Barker,

...