Gifted Ones

Chapter 36 Haven

"Bullshit!" Chase yells, slamming his fist against one of the walls. "It's all bullshit! They aren't going to save the humans from themselves, they're going to commit genocide and force them into real oppression. This horrible life of hiding we're supposedly living in, the humans don't know about it. They don't f****** know what they're doing and these New Gifted are going to slaughter them for it, it's sick!"

It was the explosions that woke us up, and it was the cracking that made us run faster. At first we assumed that the sounds were some kind of obstacle the others were facing somewhere in the maze, but then the speech had started. Chase had instantly frozen, eyes wide with horror. At first the voice had sounded rational, reasonable; a politician making a speech. But then it became angry, threatening, slowly losing its sanity until the words were being growled and spit into the open air. And with it, Chase's face became stormier and stormier until he looked ready to hit something. When the voice had finally died out and the faraway cheering ceased, he started pacing and ranting, making wide hand gestures and cursing for the first time since I've met him, I think. I agree with every word he said, though.

"We need to go," I tell him, nodding towards the passage.

He takes a couple of long, slow breaths. "Right. Let's go."

This time our run is fueled by anger, and filled with purpose as we whip around the endless turns of the never ending labyrinth. I'm really starting to hate this place. What if there really is no end to it? I mean, it is magical. What if we just run through the maze forever, unable to escape? I shiver at the thought. This whole cave makes me uneasy.

We run for a very long time. Of course, everything seems to slow down here, because of our inability to look at a clock, but I feel nauseous and lightheaded before I trip over my own shoes and crash to the floor. I don't even break my fall properly, so my shoulder hits the stone painfully. I'm too exhausted to make a sound, though, so I just lay there, gasping on the floor.

"Haven?" Chase asks. "Are you okay? Here, let's stop for a minute."

I let him help me to my feet, clutching my arm and wincing.

"Yeah, let me just. . ." I trail off, breathing hard. My throat feels so dry. I need water, desperately, but that's not going to happen and I know it. I just want to be out of here, and I pray that will happen soon.

I get to my feet shakily, leaning against the wall for support. Chase looks winded too. His chest rises and falls quickly, and his hair is damp with a sheen of sweat.

"We need to get to the Amulet," I tell him. "If we spend too much time in here, we could dehydrate." I feel like my throat is full of sand.

"I know, and that's. . ." He trails off, looking further down the hallway with an alarmed expression.

"What is that?" He asks, leaning in that direction.

I follow his line of sight, noticing a slightly whooshing sound, like the noise wind makes going through trees. There is something there, a few somethings, actually. This hall is particularly long, but way far in the distance I can see four dark dots moving towards us. And the sound is getting louder.

"That doesn't look good," I say, backing up slowly. The whooshing is getting more aggressive, and more ominous as time goes on. But Chase doesn't move. His eyes narrow into slits as he looks at the dots moving closer. Except. . . No, I can see it now, they're people, and they're running.