Locked In!

Another story just came into my mind about the residential home I worked in. This one was scarier, for me personally, than the first.

I always worked the late shift due to family commitments. I was alone on my unit and it was getting to the end of the shift so I was making sure the kitchen and sitting room areas were tidy, ready for the next day. Suddenly my buzzer went off on the emergency signal. Checking it quickly I saw it was on my unit and it was the room at the bottom of the corridor.

I broke into a fast walk/jog and as the door was already half open and the night light on, I peered inside. Sure enough the emergency light was on but the resident was sound asleep in bed. Three coworkers arrived at that moment an we all agreed, after checking the resident, that he was fine and must have pulled the cord turning over in his sleep. I turned off the alarm and left.

I had barely gotten halfway back up the corridor when it sounded the emergency signal again. I walk/jogged back to the room to find the resident in the same position asleep. My team leader decided the alarm must need new batteries and immediately changed them for fresh ones.

I completed my tasks, did my final room check and was gathering my things together when yet again, the emergency alarm sounded for the same room.

I started to walk back and decided the alarm must have a fault. I crept back into the room and turned it off again, no one came to assist this time as they were all assuming the same as myself, the alarm was faulty.

As I turned to the door to exit, the door slowly started to close. As I watched, the lock slowly turned, locking me inside the room!

May I just say at this point, the doors can only be locked via a key (kept in the teamleader's office) or by turning the little button on the inside of the handle, this button was turning as I looked at it.

I ran towards the door and felt the hairs on my neck stand up, grabbed the door handle and twisted. It was locked. I then tried to turn the little button to unlock it. It wouldn't turn. Whether in my panic I didn't grasp it correctly, I don't know but I felt very panicky and yelled "Just open the door!"

I watched shaking as the button slowly turned releasing the lock, then I flew out of the room up to the office. I started to explain what had happened to the teamleader when the emergency signal sounded again! I told her "I think it's your turn to deal with it! Am not going back in there tonight!"

The next day I found out it continued to happen at intervals throughout the night although no one else got locked in. The alarm was checked by an engineer who couldn't find a fault.

I don't know why whatever it was decided to lock me in but I'm pleased to say it didn't happen again!