Trapped in Desolation

I almost couldn't make it home tonight.

Before you guys make any wild guesses what happened to me. Let me inform you guys I am safe and sound now. But what happened just now was enough to freak me out, if not to the extend of traumatizing.

Today, I did something different from my usual habit. Instead of studying in my usual hideout, the Bioscience or Mofitt Library, I decided to try out the main library to gain a new experience, since it is reputed to the 3rd largest library in US and Cal is famous for that library. This library is unique in the sense, it is built four underground storey deep and the lowest storey is connected to another neighboring library, Mofitt library via an underground passage. FYI, the 2 connecting libraries closes at 2am on weekdays and Sunday even prior to exam period and the library is scarily crowded even at 1am in the morning on normal school days. This very well explains the culture here in Cal.

So back to my main story. After studying till 1230am in the morning, I was too weary to continue my revision and decided to head back to the same main entrance door where I entered the library to exit. Little did I expect or suspect the following event to happen. I was TRAPPED. So how the hell did I stupidly get myself trapped? Can't believe I was the fool again!!!! ( CS the Great, sounds familiar?)

On my way to exit, I could sense something amiss, but I choose to ignore my sixth sense. The pathway towards the main entrance was eerily quiet and spooky, but my tired mind just continue dragging my legs towards that entrance. First, I have to open the door on the inner partition wall before I can move to the main entrance. Here's the moment where I felt my world started to sink. The main entrance was locked. Damn. I turned back and try to open the door on the inner partition wall but I couldn't. WTH. How could this happen? Double whammy. Holy shit. Apparently, the door on the inner partition can only be opened on one side. I went into a frenzy and knock on the glass door frantically in the hope I can capture somebody's attention. My efforts was futile for the first few minutes until a cleaner appear on the far corner of my visual field. I was crying out to her to open the door for me. But guess what? The most ridiculous thing happened. She choose to ignore my cries, shaking her head and waving her hands, signaling to me "I can't help you.". I was pleading to her I just wanted to get home and meant no harm. I wasn't even yelling at the top of my lungs for fear of scaring her off. But she heartlessly choose to vanish off my sight. How unlucky can you get? Just when you have some faint hope, fate cruelly take it off from your weak grasp. I stopped short of cursing her as I didn't think cursing would help my situation and I thought I can only blame myself for my own plight.

At that moment, I already resigned to my possible fate of sleeping on the cold floor in the space between the main entrance and inner partition. I wanted to try calling the campus police department to free me out of this misery, but I recalled I didn't store their number in my cellphone when I should had when the advisers for international students told us to do so during our first orientation briefing. Blame myself for being so arrogant and naive. I thought of using the laptop to search for the number online, but I didn't bring my laptop battery and there's no power point to be seen in my enclosed area. Arghhh.... Bad things do not come alone. Suddenly, by a stroke of genius, I recalled I might have placed the pocket brochure for campus safety in my bag and indeed, I found it. Finally, luck is favoring me. I can be saved!!! Haha.

Just as I was about to call the campus police department, my fortune turned even better than I expected. A nice cleaner gentleman came up, opened the partition door and unlocked the main entrance door for me. Oh my god. I can't express my gratitude for letting me off the hook. Guess my Karma is not that low that I am destined for sufferings. Haha. Phew. Give praise to any lord in heaven though I am a free thinker.

What a unforgettable night or rather a night to forget.