Solo ◇Thomas◇

Prologue

Today was the day. Today, Spencer was going to escape the maze.

As soon as she woke up, she was ready to get out once and for all. While the eggs cooked in the pan, she went around ensuring all the animals had enough food and water to last—hopefully.

Then, she completed her daily workout: two laps around the prison near the walls, twenty push-ups, and fifteen pull-ups on the wooden pole in the kitchen while waiting for the rest of her food to finish cooking.

Once the food was done, she quickly sat down and ate her cooked ham and egg sandwich. Afterward, she grabbed her machete and daggers, sprinting toward the large doors that were beginning to open with a deep rumble.

"Today's the day," she reassured herself, trying to maintain her confidence. "Today, I am getting out of this awful prison once and for all."

The doors finally opened, and as the ground stopped trembling, she took a deep breath, pulled out her machete, and stepped into the maze. She started with a slow jog before breaking into a sprint.

If she didn’t want to be killed by the mutant scorpions, she had to be fast—but also quiet. Every time she had gotten close to escaping, they had stopped her, forcing her to turn back. But not this time.

No. This time, she was going to fight until she got out. And if she died trying, well, at least she’d be free one way or another.

About twenty minutes later, she reached Section 5. It was a large open space surrounded by towering walls, each marked with a red "5."

"It's awfully quiet…" Spencer muttered, peering around the corner. No mutant scorpions in sight.

Slowly, she crept forward, her eyes darting around in case something emerged. Staying close to the walls, she inched toward the gap she had discovered the other day—a mysterious opening that had appeared out of nowhere. Then, she took off in a sprint again.

Everything remained eerily silent as she passed through the gap and onto a concrete bridge. There were no barriers to keep her from falling into the darkness below. Keeping her machete in front of her, she walked cautiously yet briskly.

Just when she thought she was in the clear, a familiar sound echoed through the air—grinding teeth and metal scraping against the walls.

She spun around, searching for the source, but there was nothing.

Then, a metallic leg gripped the edge of the bridge, emerging from the abyss.

Spencer’s eyes widened. She raised her machete, backing toward the wall blocking her escape. The sounds grew louder as the mutant pulled itself up. Panic surged through her as she pounded against the wall.

"Come on, you stupid shit! Open up!" she yelled, slamming her fists harder.

"Password," a woman's voice spoke, making Spencer jump. A red circle appeared on the wall, displaying eight numbers.

"Password? What password?" she muttered, turning back to see the mutant had now fully climbed onto the bridge.

A loud, piercing screech erupted from the creature as it charged. She held her machete steady, waiting until it was close enough before swinging at its head.

The mutant retaliated, swiping its leg toward her. She jumped back, but it managed to graze her leg, drawing blood. Gritting her teeth, she slashed at it again, this time stabbing it in the eye. The creature screamed in agony.

"Password," the female voice repeated, louder this time.

"Yeah, I’m trying!" Spencer shouted.

As she struggled to pull her machete from its eye, the mutant thrashed, flinging her away. The machete finally came loose, skidding across the bridge as Spencer tumbled, scraping her waist and arm.