Annie was enjoying a lazy Saturday, lounging around and scrolling through social media when a video message from her mom popped up.
When Annie begins to play, she is stunned to discover that one of her father’s pranks has left her mother terrified and trapped. Determined to set things right, Annie rushes to her parents’ house to teach her father a lesson.
“I never imagined my dad would take one of his stupid jokes this far, but here I am living it. My phone lit up today with a video message from my mom that made my heart skip a beat.
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw and hours later I’m still trying to process it all.
Let me back up a bit and give you some context. My dad is kind of old school. He has this grumpy, no-nonsense attitude, like he’s still living in the 1970s, and has never fully embraced modern life.
He’s not a bad person, but he’s not the easiest person to get along with. He doesn’t like heart-to-hearts or deep conversations. Instead, he relieves himself at home by pulling pranks—harmless, annoying little tricks that he thinks are hilarious but make my mom roll her eyes.
Most of the time these pranks are little things like hiding mom’s glasses or misplacing her keys when she’s about to leave. Annoying, sure, but nothing out of hand.
That is, until today.
Dad really went too far today.
I was in my apartment about 20 minutes from my parent’s house, just sipping a drink and scrolling through TikTok when my phone rang with a message from my mom.
The miniature was black and her voice sounded shaky, almost scared. That’s when I started to panic. Mom wasn’t the type to send video messages and I thought she didn’t even know how. It immediately felt something. I pressed play and there she was – holding her phone precariously as she crouched in the corner whispering like she was hiding from someone or something.
“Annie,” she whispered into the phone. “Honey, your dad…locked me in the basement. Can you come help me They think it’s funny. I think there are rats or mice down here. Please hurry.”
What. The. Hell.
I was so overwhelmed that I almost dropped my phone. Locked in the basement? Did my dad lock her in the basement as part of a prank?
Apparently, in Dad’s mind, locking Mom in the basement was his idea of peace during dinner. He didn’t want her to remind him to eat healthy during a football game. I couldn’t believe it. I tried to call her back but it went straight to voicemail.
“Lift, lift, lift!” I mumbled, running through my head.
My mom was someone who never asked for help unless it was serious. She could handle herself, especially after all these years of putting up with her dad. But being locked in a dark, locked basement was something else. She was scared and the fact that he wasn’t responding worried her.
I messaged her but still no reply.
I couldn’t wait. I grabbed my keys and ran out the door. The drive to my parents’ house was only supposed to take twenty minutes, but I made it in twelve.
I was nervous the whole way and was already thinking of the perfect way to get back to Dad. He thought he was smart, but if I got anything from him besides eye color, it was my ability to plan the perfect revenge.
“I can’t believe this guy,” I mumbled as I turned onto their street.
I didn’t bother knocking when I arrived. I had a spare key so I let myself in. Immediately I heard the TV blaring from the living room. Dad was probably there, calmly eating his dinner, unaware of the lesson he was about to learn.
I went straight to the cellar door. It was locked, but a key hung on a hook next to it.
I knocked softly and my mother’s relieved voice came through the door.
“Honey, is that you?” she whispered.
“Yes, it’s me, mom,” I said. “Hold on, we’ll get you out.
I unlocked the door and Mom got out. She didn’t look angry, just tired, but there was a glint in her eyes as if she was ready to return to her father as well.
“Dad’s still in the living room,” I said. “He didn’t even hear me come in.
“Oh? Still enjoying his little victory huh?”
“Yeah, it’ll be over soon,” I said.
Dad was obsessed with his ‘throne’ – a ridiculously expensive electric chair that he treated as sacred. It had heated seats, a massage function, and even USB ports. He loved that chair more than anyone else.
Naturally, I decided to target it.
I whispered my plan to my mom and she laughed nervously. Together, we snuck into the living room where Dad was in a zone, watching him play and eating dinner.
I quietly unplugged the chair and he didn’t even notice. Then, with Mom looking on, I got out some super glue and smeared it over the knobs on the chair.
We returned to the kitchen, sitting on bar stools in silence, munching on cookies.
Halftime came ten minutes later. We heard Dad fidgeting in his chair and pressing the recline button. Nothing happened. He pushed harder this time – still nothing.
“What the hell?” he grunted and tried again.
That’s when I saw it. His confusion turned to panic as he began to pull on the armrests.
“What’s going on, Frank?” Mom asked, walking into the living room.
“The damn chair is broken!” he complained.
“Really? Could it be because you locked me in the basement?” Mom asked.
Father’s eyes widened.
“You didn’t expect… wait! How did you get out?” he asked.
“Annie,” Mom answered simply.
I left the kitchen where I had been recording the entire conversation. “Smile for the camera, Dad,” I said, smiling. “This is happening in the family group chat!”
“You wouldn’t dare, Annie!” he snapped, tugging at his stuck hands.
“Oh, but I would,” I said and hit send.
The answers started coming in almost immediately. If there was one thing Dad hated, it was being seen in a vulnerable light. And now his true self was exposed to his family.
“I’m taking mom home for the weekend,” I said. “You can figure out how to get off your throne.
Mom went upstairs to pack her overnight bag and I made sure she wouldn’t be alone with Dad. I didn’t think he’d be locking someone in the basement again anytime soon.
what would you do
If you liked this story, here’s another one for you:
My husband “accidentally” locked me in the basement to watch basketball with my friends at our house
Dani can’t stand her husband’s friends. So when Ethan suggests they come to watch a basketball game, he shuts it down. But when she heads to the cellar for beer, she finds it locked. What happens next?
Dani’s heart raced as she realized she was trapped. Her husband’s friends always teased her, but this? This was too much. She pounded on the door, hoping one of them would hear, but the muffled sounds of laughter and basketball commentary echoed through the walls. Ethan was in the living room, completely oblivious to her predicament.
Frustration bubbled up inside her as she searched the dimly lit basement for anything that might help. She could hear the echo of bouncing basketballs, cheers, and moans from upstairs, and it only irritated her more. How could Ethan think that was okay?
The minutes felt like hours and the air in the basement was stuffy. Dani tried to call Ethan’s phone but it went straight to voicemail. Her head was racing – she had to get out of there. Finally, she noticed a small, almost hidden window in the ceiling. She wasn’t sure she could, but desperation drove her to action. She climbed onto a pile of old boxes and managed to pry open the window. The cool night air rushed in and she felt a glimmer of hope.
Just as she was about to call for help, she heard Ethan’s voice calling her name. “Dani! What are you doing down there?”
“I’m locked out!” she cried out in a shaky but strong voice. “You locked me out, Ethan! This isn’t funny.”
Ethan quickly appeared at the top of the stairs, looking confused and slightly panicked. He fumbled with the lock on the cellar door, finally opening it to reveal Dani standing there, looking both furious and triumphant.
“You locked me in to watch your stupid game while your friends are up there having fun. How are you, Ethan?” Dani’s voice was sharp, tension cutting through every word.
Ethan stood there speechless for a moment and then tried to apologize. “I didn’t think you’d be that upset, I was just trying to have fun with my friends.
“Well, I didn’t think I’d be locked in a basement for that,” Dani shot back. She paused, letting her anger subside before adding, “Next time maybe we can talk about it first before you do such a ridiculous stunt.”
With that,t she turned on her heel and headed upstairs, determined to make sure it didn’t happen again. Grabbing her coat and leaving the house for some space, Dani realized that sometimes the smallest actions can have the biggest consequences—and it was time to show that her feelings deserved respect, too.
That night, as Dani sat in a nearby coffee shop, her phone buzzed with a text from Ethan, who was deeply apologetic. But Dani knew that in the end, it wasn’t just about apologizing—it was about setting boundaries and making sure they were respected.