Out Of The Labyrinth

Vagueland

"She's up" I heard a girl say. It was dark and what I could make of my surroundings was merely alternatives shades of the darkness. I could hear people. A whole crowd. Through my blurry vision I could barely make out the silhouettes of the people around me. I tried to get up. Pain started from my stomach and shot through my body as I did. Of course. I was hit last time I was here. Here was the strange place I could only visit in my dreams. I still had no idea where or what this place was. All I knew was that the effects of what happened to me here, stayed with me when I woke up back in the real world. It was all so confusing.

"Morning wee princess. Napped well?" Said the badass guy. The person who had hit me.

"YOU" I said standing up in anger, forgetting all about the pain in my stomach. "Who do you think you are? You think you can go around punching anyone you like?" I strode in his direction, fists clenched and ready to punch.

"Calm down hot-head." He said coolly. "First off, nobody asked you to jump in and play hero-"

"But you were beating the sh-"

"I'm not done talking." came an irritated reply.

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from screaming at this guy. I started to say something but he began again.

"Secondly, Ali and I have our matters settled." He grabbed the guy who was beaten by his hand and pulled him forward. "Also, I would like to sincerely apologize for literally blowing your stomach off." He cackled at his own joke, a few others from the crowd joining him. Ali smiled too. I narrowed my eyes at him. He mouthed "thanks" and smiled again. Only this time I could see his teeth. Even in the darkness. White. Straight. Perfect for a toothpaste commercial. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I don't care. I just wanna get out of this freaking Vagueland."

"Oh so you gave this old place a name. Nice" I heard Mr.Badass say as I stormed off, unable to stand this guy for another minute. I needed answers. Answers that maybe didn't even exist. As I was moping, I noticed a willowy shadow beside me. I wouldn't care to see who it was if he hadn't tripped over a stone and almost fallen down. I stopped.

"Why are you following me?" I spat.

"Following you? Don't flatter yourself..." he said with a pause like he wanted to know my name.

I muttered, "Amal." I had no idea what on earth made me say that. But I felt stupid after doing it.

"Hi Amal. I'm Hadi" he said.

"We're not here to socialize." I said in a cold tone.

"Well then what exactly are we here for Miss Know-It-All?" he said in a mocking voice.

"Uhh. I don't know. Why are we here? " I asked.

"I don't know" he shrugged.

"Why are you so calm? Do you have any idea what is waiting for us in the dark? And why is this happening to us? "

He didn't answer for a while.

"No." he stated finally. "But mystery is what keeps us alive. Most of the times when we have nothing to hold on to, we live only by the hope of what's coming next. " This was the most serious I'd seen him so far.

"I can't even tell whether it's real or not." I said more to myself than to him.

"Everything that happens is real. It doesn't matter if it's your imagination or a dream or even a manipulated dream. It happens for a reason. It is related to you and only you. You might not know the reason now but sooner or later you will."