Everything started out fine---doesn't it always? The young lady at the desk got me signed in and took me back to the vault. She unlocked the vault and we located the Dallinger treasure box which happens to be located behind the door, in the lowest row of boxes. Using both of our keys, we opened the box (no fanfare or sparkles appeared).
I knew exactly where the treasured item was located in the box and told my young guide to wait just a minute and I'd be done and gone. She informed me that it was against policy for her to be in vault with me and ushered me across the hall to the private room. Her last words were, "Just holler when you are finished".
I found what I needed and closed up my treasure box. The door to the vault was just slightly open so I slipped inside to put the box away. Remember that the box is located behind the door on the bottom row. I moved the door slightly and the momentum pulled the door closed with a thud. No worries, right? You can always get out of the room, right? WRONG!
I tried the door...nothing was moving. I knocked on the glass of the door...no response. This vault is in the furthest corner of the bank building and the only thing near it is the children's area. No kids in the bank today.
Ahh...but I am resourceful! I have a smart phone. I was pleased to find that I actually had a signal inside the vault....not like anywhere in Illinois where AT&T apparently has no signal at any time from any place. Located the website for the bank and mentally recorded the branch phone number. I was reviewing my "I'm locked in your vault speech" when the phone connected to the "this number is no longer in service" recording. WTH??? Apparently the branch has changed it's phone number but failed to update the website....either that or I failed to remember the correct number. We will never know which it was because just at that moment, the bank security deposit princess came to check on me! Turns out, she was supposed to close the door to the vault behind her when she escorted me to the private room. So we both made some errors in judgement!
But it had a happy ending...I was freed and not left to starve in the vault. My friends were saved from spending their time baking cakes with files inside. DH was not required to file a missing persons report and defend himself against their " person of interest" suspicions.
My only regret is that I failed to take a selfie and to check in on Facebook from INSIDE the vault ....add that to my bucket list!
