The Maze

Travis

The bass from the loud music of the club could be heard outside. I stood by the corner of the building, waiting for Zeke. I didn't exactly want to go out tonight but he was insistent after I finished the video from last night. Something about needing to talk to me in person. I was going to tell him it can wait, but the way he was acting at the restaurant kind of freaked me out.

"Travis!" I turned around to see Zeke walking up. He wore a black shirt with black pants. His blond hair was pushed up in the front and he wore a chain around his neck. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

I gestured to myself "What's wrong with it?" I wore a maroon button up shirt with the first few buttons undone and black suit pants. I thought I looked fine.

"You look like you're taking someone to the prom or something." He rolled his eyes.

"I've never been to a club. I just turned 18 this year." Speaking of... "How do you plan on getting in? It's 18 plus?"

He gave me a mischievous smirk and pulled out his wallet. "What do you mean? I'm 18." He flashed me an ID card that was most likely fake.

I rolled my eyes and swept my arm towards the door. "Ladies first"

Zeke passed me, flashing me his favorite finger as he did so.

There was a single security guard standing in front of the door. Zeke handed him his ID and the man looked at it. For a second, it looked like he wasn't going to let us in but then he sighed and gave my friend his ID back. I'm sure he knew it was fake but didn't get paid enough to care. I gave him my ID next and then we were inside.

The club was crowded with people. There was a bar along the left wall where three women could be seen making drinks and talking to those standing nearby. In the middle of the club were circular tables evenly spaced. The chairs around them ranged from plain brown dining table like chairs to velvet plush love seats. Almost every chair was filled. The rest of the club was taken up by a large stage, a metal pole standing in the center of it. The walls of the club were covered by floor to ceiling mirrors, so every angle allowed you a new view of the dancer. On the stage was a beautiful blond, dancing around the pole to the beat of the music. Multiple people stood around the stage, shouting and waving money at the girl.

"Let's get a drink!" Zeke shouted to me.

I nodded and we made our way to the bar. In history, they taught us the past citizens had to be 21 to drink alcohol, though many of them did it anyway. The Fathers thought that if 18 is the age of adulthood then the age of alcohol consumption should also be 18.

We ordered our drinks and pushed our way through the crowd. We noticed a group of men getting up from a nearby table and were able to quickly sit down while those around us were occupied by the dancer. I sat facing the stage while Zeke sat with his chair turned more towards me.

"Travis." His voice was low enough that I had to lean in to hear him clearly.

"What's going on?"

"There were people at the home the other night." He didn't look directly at me when he spoke

"Zeke. It's an orphanage. There's always people there."

"This was different." He shook his head. "Like they weren't inside the home. They were outside, shining flashlights in the window."

I took a drink, trying to organize my thoughts before speaking. "Maybe it was just that stupid lamp outside that constantly flickers."

Zeke shook his head again. "No, there were voices. Male voices."

I opened my mouth to speak but then stopped as a thought crossed my mind. "Zeke, how'd you find that video?" There's no way the Fathers would've allowed it to stay up if it was posted somewhere public. They censored everything. Even the dark web had moles that kept track of what was accessed.

"Someone sent it to me. I was doing homework and it got sent to my email. It was an encrypted file. That must have been how they got past the Fathers."

We were interrupted by shouts from the crowd around us. The lights went down, signaling the next dancer was about to begin. I took another drink, thinking over what Zeke had said, when she walked out. All thoughts disappeared from my mind. All I could do was stare, mouth hanging open slightly.

If I thought she was pretty before, she was a goddess now. The dress she wore stopped about mid-thigh and was gold, shimmering with every move she made. She was barefoot but wore a gold anklet that snaked up her calves. Her hair hung sat on her head in a lose ponytail, a few strands framing her face. Her blue eyes shone like diamonds. Every part of me was compelled by her.

"Is that fucking Luna??" Surprise colored Zeke's voice.

I nodded once, still gazing at her. She scanned the crowd and our eyes met. Her widened as soon as they did. The lights made it hard to tell, but I thought I saw blush spread across her face. I was looking over her once more when I noticed the bandage on her arm. I hadn't seen it before because I was too transfixed by everything else. I gave her a confused look. She didn't have the bandages yesterday when I saw her or this morning when she came in for coffee.

I watched as her body moved and swayed to the beat of the song. The people around us were shouting their approval, but it was all just background noise to me. All that I could focus on was the music and her. I think Zeke tried to talk to me at some point but I couldn't form words. Or thoughts. Or anything that wasn't her.

She moved into the crowd at some point but stayed away from where Zeke and I sat. After an eternity, the song ended and she disappeared behind the velvet curtain at the other end of the stage.

"So that's where she gets all that money from." The outside world finally begins to register for me and I hear Zeke laugh. "Next time, I'm making her pay for my breakfast."

I nod and stand up. "I'm, uh, gonna see if I can..."

He nods, laughing once more. "Go get her, tiger."

I ask around to try to find a way to get into the back to talk to her. The only way to get backstage is to buy a private dance. I don't have much on me, but it's enough to get me a half hour with her. I go to the room and sit anxiously on the couch. It only took a couple minutes for her to walk in.

"I figured you'd be in here." She didn't seem very happy at that.

"I just- You- I" You're not five. Use your words.

"I didn't want you to find out." She takes a seat next to me and pulls the robe she's wearing closer to her. The bandages on her arm peek out for a second.

"What happened to your arm?" I blurt out.

"Nothing." Luna doesn't look at me.

"It doesn't look like-"

"Look, Travis." She cuts me off. "I do this to save money, ok? I age out of the house in a week. Rent isn't cheap. I've been saving up since I was 15."

"You've been doing this for three years?"

"It's not that bad."

I shake my head, surprised. "You were so young."

"It was the only place that would hire me." She sighs. "It doesn't matter. It is what it is, Trav."

There's a moment of silence between us. "You were beautiful." I said softly.

"Thanks." Her voice shows no emotion. She's quiet for a second before getting up. "Let's not talk about this, ok?" She leaves before I'm able to respond.