The Wolf's Den

Path 1: Adrieve, Chapter 12

        "This is it," Red said.

        "Are you sure about that? This is seriously the center of the labyrinth?"

        "I've been here longer than you, I remember this place better than you."

        "Well... Uh, thank you, for getting me here. I think you need to leave, though."

        "I do, but I don't want to. There's some dangerous things in this room."

        The door had nothing on it, only an x in red on the outside. "Well, this is goodbye, then. I hope you get out someday."

        "Thank you, Adrieve, I hope you do, too."

        Watching Red leave, she took a deep breath and opened the door, forcing herself to enter, and when she did, she stared in disgust at the room she was in. It was the room they'd been showed to stay in that first night, the exact same room with the exact same items. It was in disrepair, and in the beds, lay her sisters, both looking rather similar to wax.

        "You can only choose one, and you must choose wisely," Mr. Wolfe said when she shut the door, which was reattached and the cloaks fixed. I've brought some guests, but we'll get into that later."

        "Why are they made of wax? Why this room? What have you done to my life?"

        "One question at a time, my dear. Wax is the easiest way to preserve their life for so long, without torturing them." A wink, he sat on Adrieve's bed, the covers below his feet. "I've frozen time until it needs to be unfrozen. They haven't gone anywhere, you see, they've been here the entire time. Do you not recognize this room? You are the center of your own world. You've gotten what you wanted."

        "I didn't want this! This is carnage, you've frozen their lifeline and broken their connection from the real world. That's not alright, you can't just do that."

        "But I already have, darling. All that time I flirted with you was to distract you from this, this room, these people." Sneering, he stood, approaching Adrieve in the doorway. "You have a choice: you can choose me, or choose them, but you can only choose one."

        "But I don't want that. My choice is my dictation."

        "Not so, Adrieve. This is my world, and I let you live it. Your verdict is mine to decide. However, before we get to that point, let's meet some old friend, yes?"

        There, behind her, stood Hansel and Gretel, causing her to pale. Both children looked irate, and both children were staring at her, and when they approached, Adrieve stepped back.