The Third Clearing || Outsiders SMP DISCONTINUED

Chapter 23: He's Back

⚠️TW: Swearing⚠️

The snap of our trap caused me to rush back into the kitchen only to find Avery hanging upside down with the rope from our trap tied around her feet.

"Oops," She said, giggling at her ridiculously hilarious mistake. I rolled my eyes and laughed as I went over to flick the lever that sets her down. Unfortunately, it doesn't help you down easily as she then crashed into the floor on her head.

"Ow," She said as she stood up and held her head with one hand.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"At least we know the trap works," I pointed out causing her to chuckle.

"Good observation," she joked sarcastically. "Now we just need to reset it."

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I sat up in my bed. The trap has been set off. I heard grunting in the other room as I scrambled out of my bed and hurried into the kitchen. A shadow was struggling to try and get down from the ropes as I switched on the lights with a click.

I paused. Dangling from my ceiling, was Liam. He had bruises and cuts all over him. His shirt was torn on the bottom and it looked like he tried to repair it but failed miserably. His bandana was tattered and blood stained.

"What the actually fuck?!" I exclaimed. Liam looked at me as he stopped struggling.

"Oh, hey," He deadpanned.

"What happened?! How are you alive?!" I said.

"I don't speak while I'm upside down, let me down," Liam said.

I thought for a moment before I started to laugh and walked over to the lever that loosens the rope. Liam fell down on his head just like Avery had earlier. I started laughing even more at the ridiculous sight. I don't know why I was laughing. The person I have been missing for months is still alive and here in front of me and I'm laughing.

"I actually hate you," He said as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Why? I'm absolutely lovely," I joked, sounding offended.

"That's the last word I would use to describe you," Liam said as he walked over and took the basket out of the cabinet and put it back on the counter.

"I cried for your dumbass," I stated which caused him to start laughing. I rolled my eyes

"Why have you been doing that by the way? The whole basket thing. Wait, are you the one who has been stealing the food?!" I exclaimed.

"Stealing?!" He asked.

"Yes! You haven't been replanting anything!!" I stated.

"What!? I have! I swear I have!" He reasoned. He genuinely looked confused and that made me confused. So, he's been harvesting them but something else has been destroying the seeds he has been planting? This doesn't make any sense. I guess nothing makes sense to me anymore after me and Miles stayed overnight.

Liam mumbled something about what I just said.

"How'd you- how are you here right now?!" I said. I swear the wall was there the last time I checked. "What the hell happened that day?!"

"Long story," Liam said.

"I have time."

Liam sighed. "The day we found that campsite, while we were on our way out, I left something behind on accident. It was something that I found in one of the chests and I had to go back for it. It sounded like a clue or something that could help us get out. I thought it would only take a few seconds to go back and grab, so I did, I went back. Once I grabbed it and went back over to try and find you guys, nobody was there. I didn't remember the way back and so I thought I was screwed. I stayed near the campsite and hid in the shadows overnight. There was something walking around, it sounded like it had metal feet or something. I searched the Maze the next day and couldn't find anything but walls on walls. I then heard somebody scream my name so I followed the sound only to realize that the sound came from behind a giant wall. After months, the wall finally came down and now I'm here." Liam finished, but there was something I feel like he wasn't telling me.

"What aren't you telling me?" I confronted.

Liam was silent for a moment, staring at the ground, and then he looked up at me. "You might get mad at me for this, but I have my own reasons which I can explain later." He paused as if scanning my face for my reaction. After I didn't give anything he looked back over at the basket next to him and continued. "After about a month and a half of being stuck in there and exploring what was behind that wooden wall, I found my way back to the campsite. However, on one of the walls there were two levers and one sign in the middle of them. The sign said that one of levers would bring death and that one of them would bring mercy," He paused again and sucked in a breath, "I flicked one."

"You WHAT?!" I exclaimed. It took everything in me not to run over to him and punch him in the face.

"It didn't do anything!! Nothing happened!" Liam said panicky.

"You still flicked it!!" I said.

"I know!! Okay? I know. There's something in that maze, Brielle. Something can kill every single one of us. Remember how I said I heard metal?!" I nodded. "There's a creature in there that looks like a giant metal spider. It has purples eyes and a lot of legs. It's not safe in there, Brielle! It's not just the traps anymore, it's a giant monster that can kill somebody without even trying!"

Word count: 981

Took a break. I'm back now I hope. <3 Sorry