Gemotions

The brightly coloured balloons mocking her from the corner of the room. Clara groaned. Her carefully curated escape room experience was going to be competing with a bouncy castle and face painting extravaganza. Right. Just her luck.

She threw herself onto the sofa, the cushions doing little to cushion her mood. Her party was meant to be sophisticated, challenging, intellectually stimulating. Her friend, Emily, had opted for a children's circus.

She ran a hand across her forehead, feeling a cold sweat prickling her skin. The thought of all her hard work going to waste made her stomach churn. She'd put so much thought and effort into the clues, the puzzles, the atmosphere...

"This is not happening," she muttered under her breath.