Through the maze

Chapter 17

Sorry about the really bad last chapter. I will try to make it up with this one.

I wake up and my whole body aches. It is a lot better then yesterday though. I start to get up when I realize that I am not wearing anything. I took my armor off to put on the cream! Oh my gosh! The voice was watching me while I slept. I rush to grab my armor and slip it back on as fast as humanly possible. I am so grateful he doesn't say anything. Everything hurts a little more from all that movement. I hope the areas under my armor don't need anymore cream. They shouldn't it wasn't too bad under there. I reapply the cream to my hands, face, and neck. It stings a little but nothing compared to last night. I go to my backpack and take out a water bottle. I am beyond thirsty. I also eat some of the nuts and fruit. I feel so much better now. I slowly get up. I grab my backpack and start moving. Everything I just are comes right back up. I sit down on the floor again. Okay, so maybe I'm not ready to move again. I glance nervously at the walls. I really should be moving, at any moment the pink mist could come back. The thought makes me cringe. I don't think I could survive that again. All that pain. I don't even think I have enough cream for afterwards. So that's it then, I have to move no matter how bad it makes me feel. I take another sip of water to get the taste of puke out of my mouth. I get up again but this time even more slowly. I take carful steps. It is agonizing to go this slow but I don't want to vomit again. By the time I get to the end of the hallway I am breathing heavy and sweating. I sit down just around the corner. I hope there are no more tubes in this hallway cause I can't walk anymore.
I lay down and sleep.

I feel so much better! There is no more pain unless I touch my hands or face. My hands are still scared and red, I can't help but imagine what my face looks like. I get up and my legs still feel a little wobbly but I make it a couple feet before I need a rest. Yay, I walked I couple feet. Such an accomplishment. I would eat but I do not want a repeat of earlier. I settle for a little water instead. I get up and start walking again. I don't allow my self to rest until I have made at least five turns. Then I get up and do it again. This is absolutely useless! How am I ever going fund my way out if I have to take rests every five minutes.
What of I am not supposed to get out?
The thought creeps up on me and makes me shivers. He did mention there were others but I have never heard of anything like this, which means they didn't escape. What if he just wants to see how long I last. Even worse what if its like a group of sick people taking bets on when I will die. That's awful! How could they do that.
Calm down. I think, you don't even know that's what it is happening. I need to think positively. I mean I have never really paid attention to the news or anything. Just because you didn't hear a about it doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Besides we could be in another country, I could be his first victim from the U.S. That would make sense, right?
My thoughts have distracted me from how tired I am. I have turned way more then five times.
I sit down and drink water. Maybe the voice will tell me what happened to the other. I mean its worth a shot. Not that I can full trust anything he says.
"Hey voice." My voice is hoarse from all the screaming.
"Yes, " he replies, "how my I assist you?"
I hate all of his sarcastic comments. It makes me want to scream, "you said there were others. What happens to them?"
"Why the sudden interest?"
I shrug, "dunno. Why are you dodging the question?"
There is a moment of silence, "some of them were failures," he sounds almost disgusted, "weaklings. They count make it through."
I gulp, "but some got out?"
"Did they survive, you mean? Yes a few survived. they reached the end."
So some people did survive. That's great! Maybe I will get out. But why didn't he just say got out. He just said they survived. Did they survive all this just so he could kill them when they got to the end?
"Why did you say survive and not got out?" I ask but I don't get a response. He is done sharing.
In a way his silence answers my question. It doesn't matter if I get to the end. He will just kill me then. That's why I have never heard of anything like this. No one has ever escaped. This is just too hopeless.
I sink to the floor and tears stream down my cheeks. I am so tired. I am not strong enough to keep going, not now that I know what will happen.
"I can't do it anymore." I whisper so quietly I doubt the voice can hear me.
I am done constantly running, trying to find an impossible exit. I am done searching for checkpoints just so I can survive.
I want to die now. Why wait until I get to the end I think. I consider trying but I also think of whoever is up there watching me, laughing at me for being weak.
Suddenly I don't care what he thinks. I wasn't going to play his stupid game. I was going to do whatever I wanted to do, and right now I want to die. I reach to my side where the long pastel blue knife is. I fingers tremble as I wrap my frail fingers around the handle.I pull and my armor releases its magnetic grip. The tears fall faster when I think of everything I have done with it, when I think of what I will do. I look at the long sharp blade that once terrified me, now it will save me. Whatever is after death cannot be worse then this. I smile.
This is the end.
"You won't win." I say knowing the voice can hear me, "you wanted me to get to the end... well this is it."
I take one last look at the whit wall in front of me. I look at the bright blinding light above. I would do anything to see the sky again, to bask in the natural light of day. To see the sun set and watch the stars come out. I wanted to go to collage and get a job. I wanted to fall in love and have a family. I take a deep breath and raise the knife to my neck. It just barely touches my skin when a sharp electric current through the knife and into my hand. I yelp and drop the knife. It clatters to the ground and the sound echoes through the hallways.
"This is not the end." the voice says, "there will be no cheating aloud."
I read the words over and over again on the wall I front of me. It makes it so real. I throw the knife at the wall in a fit ad rage. Then I cry again. I am so angry with this stupid computerized voice. I have done everything it said to do. For so long I have walked through this maze. I am tired. There is not a body part that doesn't ache, I do not feel like I can continue. And after all of this time that stupid voice does not have the decency to let me die.
The tears flow faster and faster until I can no longer see.
I don't remember falling asleep.