The Third Clearing || Outsiders SMP DISCONTINUED

Chapter 16: May be a Good Thing

•One Month Later• (We are slowly getting there)

I sighed, looking around the map table that was covered in sheets of paper with scribbles on each. I lined them up to fit exactly what the Maze looked like.

Over this month of exploring, we haven't come across much of anything. I learned that the Maze changes at nighttime, you can hear it from inside the Clearing, but that's about it. Every corridor looks the same. The same kind of vines, the same leaves, the same cracks in the ground, the same rocks, the same everything! It doesn't make any sense! I slapped my hands down on the table in frustration, quickly pulling back. Maybe I hit a little too hard.

My arm is healed fully now, I mean there's a scar, but I don't need to wear a bandage anymore. It still hurts sometimes whenever I bend it, but overall it's fine.

Things have been going pretty good in the Clearing. I've become closer with a few more people. I've become especially close with Avery and a lot closer to Claire and Thomas. Those three are the only people I can truly trust. Maybe Gulia can be included in that list too. I like Gulia's company, and I like how she's always so positive.

Liam has been just sitting in his house and running into the Maze with Thomas and somebody else. I join them occasionally, but I also like to help here in the Clearing. Avery's been getting all the rest she needs thanks to me, Claire, Gulia, and sometimes Denis. Devyn and Isla have basically been sharing the cooking role. Every two days, they both work together to cook us a tasty meal. There's a clock tower over by the gate of the Maze for people to see. Claire and Gulia worked on that after I suggested it. Ivy and Devyn seem to of gotten closer. Anthony finished his armor, so now some of us have armor whenever we go into the Maze.

When I say some of us, I mean everybody who does have it forgets it before going into the Maze and Me or Thomas end up sharing armor. It's fine though, we don't really mind as long as nobody dies.

I've started a little training area next the Gate too. I try and help some people out before they go into the Maze. I also helped Thomas teach people how the tripwire traps work. We've encountered other traps, but those are easy to see.

I've only gone into the Maze to map areas out. There's so much that still hasn't been explored and we've been here for a whole month!

An event happened where Liam almost got himself stuck in the Maze overnight. Thankfully, due to that event, we've made a little system for whenever someone goes into the Maze. If you go into the Maze, you take the torch underneath your name that's carved into the wood. When you come out of the Maze, you place the torch back underneath your name. Simple as that. Surprisingly, people have actually followed it. However, all these things have taken up a lot of resources to make possible. Fortunately, because of the system, we are able to get people out before the Gate closes.

I think that may be a good thing.

Miles has stopped by my house every once in a while to show me a painting and to just chill. I've led him into the Maze once, but I don't think he enjoyed it seeing as he was almost shot by an arrow.

Speaking of the arrows, after me, Thomas, Liam, and Tanner entered the Maze a month ago, we figured out what the red stuff is. We don't know an exact name, but we know it's extremely harmful if you touch it multiple times.

How did we figure that out? Well, Dylan's still recovering a little from the incident. We ran into the Maze, me, Thomas, and Dylan just for a quick run. We didn't see a tripwire and Dylan set it off sending three whole arrows into his legs. I can still hear the screams of agony from him. He's mad at me and Thomas for it, and I can't really blame him. It was kind of my fault for not seeing the wire I guess. I feel guilty every time I see him limping around the Clearing. It's safe to say he isn't going into the Maze again anytime soon.

My eyes traced the multiple lines sketched onto the papers in front of me. Replaying the corridors in my mind, and I see absolutely no hint as to where the exit is.

I slapped a hand on my face in frustration. I'm supposed to find these people a way out! That's why I was elected!

"Brielle?" A voice called from the ladder. I jerked my head around and saw Claire.

"Hey, Claire," I said, calming myself a little.

"How's the mapping from today coming along?" She asked walking over to the map table and scanning it with her eyes.

"Nothing new besides two more traps and another dead end," I said coming back over to the table.

"It's alright. We'll find our way out eventually," She said walking over and placing her hand on my shoulder, "Don't stress about it too much." She smiled and turned around, climbing back up the ladder.

I sighed and put the worn out pencil back into the barrel before making my way up the ladder.

I also haven't had anymore memories which is strange. Not one little bit this entire month. The question I keep asking myself is if I even want to learn my past. I don't know who I was before this, and something tells me that maybe that's a good thing. It could just be me overthinking though. I've been trying to figure out what the horns mean as well. So far, they're just horns. Definitely a possibility that I could be overthinking.

What I really want to do is learn more about the Maze changing, but that would require going in overnight. Believe me, I've definitely thought about it. There's just so much that can be learned from going into the Maze at night. You can even probably get more resources. Over this month, we've also found many chests with items in them. It's extremely risky to go in overnight though. Since the Maze changes overnight, if you go in there with the idea of staying for just one night, you could get locked out there for a long time.

I opened the trap door and closed it as I stepped out into the beautiful light of the moon. Stars sprinkled the sky and I wondered how many there were. They show up every night—thousands of them—shining almost as bright as the moon. Tiny specks just sitting there watching over us.

A loud moo sounded over to my right and I smiled. "Hello Spots!" I called and waved.

We've finally gotten animals sent up in the box and Ivy decided to keep a cow as a pet and name him Spots. We use plants from the garden to breed them. Sadly, and this definitely sounds messed up, but we need to kill them for food. At least we have people who can cook nicely or else they'd die for no reason.

I looked next to me to see the hay dummies I created with sticks, fabric, and hay. I normally use those to teach people melee combat. Next to the dummies was one target with an arrow near the center from my shot earlier today.

Gulia was over harvesting berries again, but she seemed to be the only one awake. I smiled silently to myself as I made my way over to my house to get to bed.

I kind of fixed the way I sleep. Meaning I don't wake up midday anymore and I actually sleep normally.

I took off my shoes and hung my goggles on a hook by the side of my bed. I need to clean those tomorrow. They're a little dusty and have a small bit of dirt on them.

I sighed as I laid down on my bed and watched as the moon outside my window slowly faded away.

Word count: 1388