• Running down a dark hallway I knew the frightening pounding of my heart was sure to give away my position in The Maze. Left, right, left, left, right, dead end. It was never ending. My ankle throbbed with agony from twisting it at the start of this life threatening game.

    A sweat continually trickled down my face from my abused pours. It felt like I was in Hell. Had he killed me already? Was I in Hell? Then why was it so dark? Where were the flames? Where was the malting lava? Where was this read skinned, half goat bodied, horned freak I had heard so much about?

    Questions rapidly flowed through my mind as my heart’s pounding increased & my breathing came in short raspy gasps.

    The throat tareing sounds of my panic raised exponentially as the turns passed. Left, right, right, left, dead end. How much time did I have before The Maniac found me? Did I have any time at all? How long was I going to be in here? Was there really an end? Had I been tricked? Had I been outdone? My head spun with uncontrollable rising fear.

    My legs tangled as the muscles turned to jell-O & sent me crashing to the concrete underneath me. I felt my left arm snap from the strong impact. I went to scream from the scorching pain but only got a mouth full of lunch. It dribbled out with my give away sobs.

    I managed to up right myself against the nearest wall. Huddling my wrecked self together. My stomach my head turned continually. My ankle was numb but everything else pulsed. I don’t know what was keeping me conscious. It might have been the adrenalin running through my vines, or it might have been that I really didn’t want to give up like I thought.

    I don’t know how long I sat there, or how loud I’d been when I abruptly stopped. A noise. I had heard a noise.

    Tap...tap...

    There it was again! It was eerily slow, steady.

    ...Footsteps?!

    It hits me like a car hits a dear standing in front of it’s head lights.

    I scrambled to my feet & went the opposite way of the light steps. I had no time to think of dead ends, or if I was going this way or that. It was all aimless luck now.

    Suddenly, a light! Right in my path was a light! Outlining...outlining...out...lining a door!

    My speed accelerated like I thought it couldn’t. A way out! Finally I could be free of this god awful nightmare!

    I pushed the door open promptly to freedom only hearing two clicks, a slam, another click, & a ticking. I had to shield my eyes while they adjusted to the light as a creepily deep voice startled me. I jumped back & stared at the talking box on the wall.

    “Hello Laina.” It greeted me cheerfully. “You have found the way out, though it might not be the out you’re looking for.” It paused & snickered evilly, then continued. “In the center of the room is a chair...with your mother in it.”

    “W..hat?” I said horsily, swiftly turning to see only what he had described.

    “In this room there is also a gun.” It wasn’t to far from the chair. “It has only one bullet. That ticking you hear is a 30 minute timer for your oxygen. You have that much time to decide who will live, & who will die. If you can’t chose before your oxygen is gone then bon vouge to both of you as you suffocate.” The tape paused again before a snickering was heard, “Good luck.” Click.

    I was frozen. What? Was this a sick joke? I must really be in hell...I thought falling to my knees gagging, but nothing came up. I must have wasted it all earlier.

    I rushed over to my mother to wake her when I was stopped at the last second by an unknown voice. “It’s not going to help...” It whispered.

    “Right...” I responded out loud. I took a few steps backwards when something else hit me.

    The door!

    I pivoted on my good ankle & hurried to the entrance. Only to find it locked. I looked around - nothing.No other way in or out. It was a solid white room with just four things in it.

    My back thumped against the door behind me & I slid down to the floor in a pile of tortured disaster. I began to hyperventilate. What am I going to do? Why was he doing this to me? How was I suppose to kill my mother? How was I suppose to kill myself? If I did kill one of us was it for sure that he’d let the other go? Or would they suffocate anyway? What was going on?! Everything plagued my mind.

    I gagged & screamed hitting the back of my head against the wall harshly when I faintly heard the voice come on & say, “5 minuets.” I screamed, hitting me head again.

    I looked back & forth, between my mom & the gun. She was still unconscious. She wouldn’t feel anything or even know it was coming. I noted insanely to myself. It would just be one little pull. Heheh.

    I stumbled to stand up with the wall’s help & slowly wobbled my way to the life ending object. I got to it & picked it up with my good arm. I examined it briefly. Then pointed it.

    Silence.

    “One minute.”

    BAM!