Into the Darkness

Chapter 25

More walking but for the first time it wasn't really in silence. We talked a lot. Mainly in hushed tones in a rather weak attempt to hide from the Voice. Our topics ranged from our home life to our experiences in the maze. It was good to finally get to know somebody here. Everyone here was always nice and we all had that immediate connection because of what we all went through but I didn't really know any of them. Now I knew Carina. A part, a very small part of me almost wished we wouldn't find Benedict and Nevada because I was afraid that being in a somewhat larger group might cause us to lose the friendship we had forged. It's a silly fear and every time I thought about it I felt guilty. Like I said it's a very small part of me that wants that, the rest of me desperately wants to find them, preferably alive too. But that was seeming more and more unlikely with every minute. Wasn't it much more likely that they had died in the flood. That was a really scary thought. There had to be a better alternative then that. Like, maybe they were just walking in the wrong direction. Towards the room instead of away from it. They had no way of knowing and the entire path looked the same. Suddenly that thought became just as scary as the previous one. That would mean they weren't making any progress at all and they were getting further away from Nevada and Benedict rather then closer.

I decide to share my fears with Carina, "Carina?"

"Yeah?"

"How do we know we aren't walking in the wrong direction."

She shrugs, "We don't really but I think the voice would have told us that."

"Why? When has he done anything to help us?"

"Despite what you think and as much as I hat to admit it, he has. There is a trend in all of these challenges he gives us. Survivors. He wants some of us to survive. If he wanted to kill us he could but he always leaves survivors."

"What if in this challenge we are the survivors?"

"There is no way of knowing but I don't think so. In most cases it takes about 7 minutes to drown. The flood lasted five, if he intended to kill them it would have been longer." She pauses, "And then there's phase 3."

"What about phase three besides the fact that you have a free pass there? Lucky you." I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

She rolls her eyes, "Well, he obviously wants at least a few of us to get there-"

"So he would tell us if we weren't heading in the direction of phase 3." I say finishing her thought. I feel like that should make me feel a little better but it doesn't. Now I pretty much know for sure I am heading into the Voice's next challenge or whatever he calls them. That may not be something I want after all.

"Exactly." She grins but then her face gets serious and she stares intently at the tunnel ahead, "Have you noticed that the path is starting to curve?"

I hadn't and it seemed unlikely. The tunnels had been nothing but straight since we started, "No. Are you sure."

"Yeah..." Her voice trails of as she squats down on the ground. Carina slips off her pack and digs around for a moment pulling out a granola bar.

"Are we stopping for a break?"

She waves her hand at me, she is telling me that she needs silence. She sets it on the ground and bends even further down until her cheek touches the ground. Her eyes are now level with the granola bar. After a few moments she sighs and puts the bar away. Carina leans back on the wall and closes her eyes.

"We're going uphill now too."

"Are you sure?"

She nods and then stands up, picking up her backpack, "Nothing we can do about it though. We have to just keep moving."

Something in her voice changed when she said that. It takes me a moment to figure out what out what it is. Then I know, it's dread. Dread masked in a fake cheeriness. She must be assuming that this means we are getting closer to whatever phase three is. For the first time I also realize that she is not happy about her free pass. I don't know why, survival has been on my mind since the moment I got here. And here Carina is with a guarantee of her safety but she isn't happy. It's like survival isn't what she really cares about. But what could possibly be a better driving force then that? What else is it that makes her keep fighting but reject this free pass?

"When we find them, Benedict and Nevada, please don't tell them about what the voice told me." She says confirming my suspicions. Despite all of my curiosity I don't ask why. Some things are personal. I respect that.

We walk for a long time after that without any meaningful conversation. Just the trivial small talk. We sleep twice but Carina says that doesn't necessarily mean two days. It could be more or less but two days is a good midpoint. Still no Benedict and Nevada and I am beginning to think we will never find them. How could they have possibly gotten this far away from us? Then, just like that, we do.

We find Nevada first. When we first see the lump of black lying on the tunnel floors we both sprint to it. We don't even discuss it first. It had to be one of them We call out but there is no response. When we reach her she is lying motionless on the ground.

Carina reaches her first and kneels next to her, "Nevada?"

No movement. My mind jumps to the worst possible scenario, "Carina... you don't think she's-"

"Don't jump to conclusions." She snaps, then she gets to work in pushing her body over so we can see her face, "Well, I guess sleeping is out of the question."

Her eyes are closed and I'm glad. If... if she is... I just don't think I could handle her blank eyes staring at me.

"Carina what if she's dead?"

Carina takes a long look at Nevada. She takes a deep, shaky breath, "Then we keep going. Find Benedict. Whatever happens Tori, that's the plan. Okay?"

I suddenly feel dizzy and like the walls are closing in on me. We can't lose anyone else. We just can't. I also cant afford to freak out right now. I decide to follow Carina's lead and suck in a deep breath. It seems to help in some small way. The dizziness is gone at least. I can think clearly and can see the logic in Carina's plan. Nevada is our friend and if she is dead then she wouldn't want us to stop everything because of her. She would want us to survive, get out and probably get revenge. One more deep breath, "Okay."