Andrew Bailey & The Eternal Maze

Chapter - 7 v1.1

"Cough cough cough. What happened to me? Where am I?" Emma said.

As Emma got herself up slowly, she found herself wet and exhausted. As she looked around at her surroundings, it was then she saw a slightly awkward scene. She thought she was seeing me kiss Michelle.

"Andrew! Michelle! What the hell are you two doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Well from my point of view, kk-kissing."

"Just try to recall what you last remember."

"Well we were running from a boulder and then... Oh my gosh, is Michelle alright? Wait did I drown? Did you-"

Emma stopped talking and blushed the moment she realized it.

A few moments ago, we washed up onto land after the constant struggling of carrying both of them while staying afloat. They were in a bad situation, both of them weren't breathing. I tried giving them cardiopulmonary resuscitation, also known as cpr. I was certified to perform it however it wasn't working, on both of them. I tried the standard thirty chest compressions so what was left was mouth to mouth... I performed it on Emma first and that's how we landed in this situation.

A few moments later, Michelle was coughing out water.

"Cough, cough. What just happened?" Michelle asked with a confused looked on her face.

After another awkward conversation that explained what happened. All three of us sat there with a blushed look on our faces. As we looked around, we were in another strange place. There were dead leaves all over the place, a very strange smell which made all of us want to gag. The smell was very familiar, it was the smell of rotting corpses.

Not only that, there was a strange sight around us.  Glowing blue balls were flying all over the place. It's similarity was sort of like fireflies however there wasn't anything that was emitting the light. The sight was simply eerie and creepy.

"Anyways, just where are we?"

"Run. Get away from here." A voice whispered.

"Guys did you hear that?"

"What? Did you hear something?"

"Quiet down, I heard something, it was like someone speaking."

As we headed towards the sound, I came across a huge silver metal gate, with fences as far as the eye can see. With not a single spec of rust in sight, it looked new but it shouldn't be. Just who would have installed it in the middle of nowhere.

At the side protecting the gate with fierce looks were two gigantic statues. The statues were wearing chlamys, a cloak that were fastened by the right shoulder with a brooch. Followed by a helmet, and a really long sword. These two statues were both around three meters in height, completely made out of stone.

"Wow, this is amazing. These statues are basically art. Just who built these?" Emma looked at them with admiration.

"Guys, what does that sign on top of those gates say. I can't seem to see what is written there."

The letters were Νεκροταφείο, however I had no idea how to read those words, I couldn't exactly say letters I had no idea how to read them to Emma. As we went beyond the gate. Stood something rare and beautiful. It was a tree, not just any tree, a thirty meter tree that was glowing on top of a hill. All around it the dead tree leaves covered the hill however in it's place
 It had the blue round lights as leaves, it was creepy looking seperate but combine the two just imagine if watching fireflies were nice, just picture this.

"So this is where the blue blobs of light came from, this tree is amazing." Michelle said in awe.

"If this didn't convince us that we were in another world. I don't know what would." Emma said.

As we headed for the tree, I stepped on something, hard. As I looked down, it was covered in leaves. I was curious so I moved the leaves off. Guess what I found...

It was a skeleton. Why do I always step onto something so wrong? This wasn't the first time I stepped onto a body. I was expecting the girls to scream any moment now but they were silent.

"This is really bad, usually I would be screaming by now but somehow I gotten used to this. My seniors were used to crime scenes but most of them just bared with it. This is just unsettling to me now, rather than being afraid like I used to. " Said Emma.

"That was my exact thought Emma, to not be afraid of this anymore, I don't like the woman I'm turning into."

I patted them on the head.

"Girls, it just shows that you are getting used to it. This place may be really scary in certain ways but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I know it's not exactly right to get used to death being around us however, this is the sort of place that you have to be mentally prepared for."

"Anyways the flesh is completely off this skeleton. I wonder how long has this body been here. Is it even possible to keep kidnapping people here without others knowing I wonder..." I said while examining the body.

"I know we can't do anything for you, but I offer you this prayer, may your soul find it's peace." Michelle said to the skeleton while offering a prayer.

As we finally reached the tree, there wasn't anything else there. The hill was considered the highest point of land from where we could see and well from that point, there was absolute darkness beyond the blue blobs of light.

"Well this was a dead end." Said Michelle, while leaning against the tree. Out of the blue, the tree made a sound, it went clunk.

"Oh god, why does that sound, sound so familiar...." I said.

"Erm, I may have done something again Andrew...." Michelle said.

"Come again?" I said.

"I leaned against the tree and well..."

"Michelle, agai-"

Before I could say another word, the tree's trunk started to move, it was opening almost like a door. It went creak, stood inside was a book.

"Could that book be the treasure the spirit was talking about?" I said

"I have no idea, should we just grab it?" Emma said.

"Erm, guys.." Michelle whispered.

"Michelle, not now. Andrew don't you think that may trigger another cliché event. This screams a trap will occur."

"That's true, I wonder what should we do."

"GUYS!" Michelle screamed.

"What?" Emma and I replied.

"I think I just found the trap." Michelle pointed downwards.

Michelle indeed found the trap alright. It was cliché I admit but, hell of a lot scarier than any boulder. The skeletons were getting up, one by one. Yes I meant it, literally pulling themselves out of the ground and they were all headed our way.

"Are we in a horror movie? Are we?" Emma looked really scared.

"If we are, let's make sure we get out in one piece. Since the trap has already been sprung, let's grab the book and go!"

As we grabbed the book, the tree started to shake. The roots were coming out of the ground, flying all over the place. It was almost as if the tree was a living creature.

"This day just gets better and better doesn't it!" I started laughing about how weird this situation was.

"Andrew more running less talking and laughing!" Emma yelled while pulling my arm forward.

As we were running, away from the trees and skeletons, I turned my head and looked back at the strangest thing. The skeletons weren't chasing us but attacking the tree instead. The tree's roots were hitting and destroying each skeleton but it was almost as if the skeletons wanted to destroy the tree. Perhaps they were moving towards the nearest living creature. Especially one that is moving that much.

"Run! Get away from here. Get that book away from the tree." A voice came out from nowhere.

"Did you guys hear that voice?" I said.

"Hear what Andrew? The only thing I can hear is that tree destroying those skeletons!" Michelle exclaimed.

"What the hell was that, first it was skeletons, next came a moving tree. This place is really strange." Said Emma.

"Could it be possible that the skeletons were protecting us?" I asked.

"That's impossible, right?" both of them said while looking back

After running quite a distance, as we stopped to rest, Emma asked me a sudden question.

"Andrew, the words at the top of the gate, could you try just telling me what are the letters you recognize."

"Hmm, if I remember correctly, they were nekopota something."

"Do you mean Νεκροταφείο? Andrew." Emma said.

"Yes that it! Do you know what that means?"

"We have to get out of here!"

"What? Why? Aren't we a far distance from those things?"

"The word you just told me, that's cemetery in Greek! If we are still within the fenced area, they might still be able to find us!"

As we were about to leave, there were sounds coming from the ground, hands were reaching up from beneath the ground, skeletons were pulling themselves up from the ground. This was extremely bad..... We were surrounded...