The Maze

Luna

I woke up the morning of my Maze feeling like I hadn't slept in a week. The night was spent restlessly tossing and turning, part anxious about my maze and part terrified that Ryan was going to take advantage of my last night with him. I would drift off here and there, only to jolt awake by the smallest noise.

I threw on a pair of leggings and an old T-shirt. The back of the letter I got yesterday said to dress in something comfortable and capable of movement. As I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, I could see the fading bruises on my neck. Four finger like dots on one side and one on the other. There were also bruises on my forearms and I knew more were hidden under the fabric of my clothes.

The clock on my wall read 8:45, so I made my way downstairs. I stepped into the kitchen to grab an apple before slipping my shoes on and heading to the front door. I had just grabbed the handle when I heard steps behind me. My shoulders tensed automatically. I took a deep breath and turned around with a smile plastered to my face.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" I learned that the best way to avoid getting hit was to be happy.

Ryan stood at the bottom of the stairs in a pair of pajama pants. He rubbed his eyes before speaking. "Where ya going?"

"The letter said that the car would be here at 9, so I just thought I'd wait outside for it." I hoped the conversation would end there. Ryan can't argue with the Fathers.

"It's not 9 yet." He took a few steps toward me and it took everything in me not to react.

"I know. But I don't want them to get here early and I miss it. The letter said-"

"Fuck the letter." Ryan's arm slid around my waist and he nuzzled my neck. "We've got time." He began placing soft kisses along my throat.

"Ryan." I tried to push him off of me, but he only held me tighter. I felt his tongue touch my skin and he pushed me up against the door.

I never believed in God. Which is kind of ironic considering I was raised by nuns. But when a car horn sounded outside, I suddenly wondered if maybe there was a God. We both knew that meant the car to take me to my Maze was waiting outside. Ryan can't argue with that. He sighed loudly but let me go. I grabbed the handle as fast as I could and all but ran out the door. A black sedan with dark tinted windows sat in front of the door. A man in a suit stood by the back door, waiting for me I assumed. I walked straight to the car without a glance back at the house of horrors behind me. As the car drove further and further away from Ryan, I felt the weight on my shoulders lift. I might be driving toward the moment that changes my life forever, but it felt damn good to do so.

The next thing I knew, the sun was bright against my eyelids. I blinked hard against the change of lighting. Suddenly, a dark shadow blocked the rays as a figure stood in front of me. I squinted up at him. Without a word, he offered me a hand. I took it and he helped me out of the car. In front of me was a large dome shaped building. The area around it was bare, like the pictures of deserts they showed us in school. The building was bigger than any I'd ever seen in Fairfield. The sunlight reflected off all angles of it as if it was made of mirrors. If you looked at it the right way, it would probably disappear.

The man in the suit walked me up to the building. After a scanner verified both his hand and his eye, a door slid open, displaying a long white hallway. We walked down it for a few minutes until the man stopped me. He placed his hand against the wall. I could see a light shining from underneath it. When the light disappeared, a ding sounded and the wall in front of us slid open. We walked into a room about the size of an office. There was a fire place on the wall to the left and straight ahead was a black door. The rest of the room was bare aside from a stick that rested on the fireplace.

The man and I stepped into the room and the door slid shut behind us with a faint hiss. The man then made his way to the fire place. He grabbed the iron stick and put the tip over the fire, twisting it every now and then. I stood still in the middle of the room, unsure of what was next.

"Hello, Luna." A calm female voice filled the room. "Welcome to your Maze. We will begin your series of three tests momentarily. Before we begin, it is customary to mark each individual that comes of age." My eyes darted to the man who still held the stick over the fire. Mark? "Please remove the top layer of clothing to allow access to your shoulder." I looked around the room, briefly wondering if I could escape. The voice spoke again, as if it knew what I was thinking. "The marking process is a requirement for all to enter the Maze. By forfeiting this step, you forfeit your place in society."

I stood still for a moment longer before taking my shirt off, leaving me in a sports bra, shoulders bare. Forfeiting my place in society sounded a lot like a death sentence. I watched as the man took the stick from the fire and made his way towards me. I wrapped my arms around my torso to hide my shaking. As he neared, I could see the outline of the end. It looked like an arrow that pointed left, the back part connected to a Z with a small circle under the head of the arrow, between it and the middle of the Z. It was then that I realized the iron stick was a branding iron.

"The symbol you are about to be marked with is an old world symbol for Human. The creators of this symbol called their language Celtic. This symbol is used as the marking of the Maze to remind the citizens of Fairfield that they are all humans, ready to make a change to better benefit the society they live in. The Fathers thank you for your contribution and hope the marking on your skin serves as a reminder of that as well as an oath to secrecy about the tests before you."

As soon as the voice stopped, the hot iron touched my skin. The pain was like nothing I had ever felt before. The man held the brand tight against my skin. I felt my knees begin to shake and forced myself to stay standing. I knew I was screaming. I could feel it ripping from my throat but there was a ringing in my ears that drowned out my own voice. It felt as though the skin on my shoulder was melting, like lava. My vision began to swim and my stomach churned. I felt something dripping down my face. Whether it was tears or sweat, I didn't know. All I knew was the pain that wouldn't stop. The belief I had in a God that saved me earlier disappeared. The black around my vision began to enclose me when I was suddenly splashed with ice cold water. The shock jolted my vision back and provided some relief to my shoulder. The man stood in front of me now, offering me a glass of water. My hands shook so hard that I had to grasp the glass with both to be able to drink.

"Congratulations, Luna. You have now completed the marking process and may begin your maze."