Seven

Chapter 10- The Maze

Mario and Carmen had spent the past hour sloppily making notes about things they came across- like unusual doors and windows, hallways that seemed to change directions or disappear altogether, and most importantly, the staff.

They had tried following a few of them around, hoping it would lead them to the surveillance room. So far though, they've either lost track of them through the mansion's twists and turns or they were caught and had to pretend to be doing something else.

They had less than an hour until the next game started and still had found no sign of Nine. They assumed he had already turned himself in or got caught trying to escape. Either way, they knew they'd be finding out about his fate soon. It would probably be on video as the others had been.

"Okay, we've been wandering around forever and still haven't found anything. Do you think the staff may be onto us?" Carmen asked, looking over at Mario.

He looked around before he answered her to make sure no one could hear him. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were. But if they are, they're not acting like it. We can't be suspect though. We stick to the plan, no matter what. We have to win the next game or we're definitely dead. After that, we'll have some more time to find a way out of here."

Carmen nodded in agreement. "We should get to the foyer then. We only have a few minutes left."

Carmen and Mario made their way to the staircase at the center of the mansion when suddenly, they heard a terrifying scream. It sounded like Brandi, Player 2, but Mario couldn't be sure.

They rushed to the stairs and came to a sudden stop when they saw Nine, Player 7, hanging from the chandelier in the foyer. Carmen covered her face with her hands, but Mario stared at Nine's lifeless body with his mouth gaping. He had a feeling Nine would find a way out of here, on his own terms. Looks like he did exactly that.

In the foyer, both Brandi and Damon looked up at Nine's body in horror. There didn't seem to be any staff around, which Mario found strange. Any other time, they would be somewhere, lurking with their sinister smiles and dark, soulless eyes.

If Nine never turned himself in, did that mean the book was still at large? Or did this just look like a suicide because Dr. Vincent wanted it to? Mario had no idea what to think anymore, but he was starting to lose hope that he would ever make it out of this place alive.

"We're gonna die here, aren't we," Carmen whispered, dropping her hands to her side and looking up at Nine.

Mario wanted to tell her yes, because that's what he was truly starting to believe. But he knew they would never make it out if they gave up. They had to keep trying, keep fighting until the bitter end.

So Mario wrapped his arm around Carmen shoulder and led her down the stairs. "Come on. Let's just focus on the game."

The four remaining players stood silently next to each other in the foyer as the clock struck midnight. They still hadn't seen any of the staff around. Not even Winston. Mario was starting to get a strange feeling, one he couldn't shake. Something big was about to happen.

Finally, the monitors turned on, revealing Dr. Vincent's silhouette. "Welcome, Players 1, 2, 4 and 6. And congratulations on making it through to the second game. As you know, you were instructed to select a partner for this game. I hope you've chosen wisely. You will be putting your very life in the hands of your partner."

Mario and Carmen shared a panicked look. They didn't know a whole lot about each other, but Mario knew he didn't trust her. He didn't trust anyone here. So putting his life into her hands seemed foolish.

"Are you not going to address the fact that there's a dead guy hanging over us?!" Brandi asked.

But Dr. Vincent kept talking, because as Winston stated before, these were pre-recorded videos and Dr. Vincent couldn't actually hear her.