The Price Of Wishing

The Door

 "Have you lost your mind?" Caleb asked.

Miriam leant back and regarded them casually.

"Davis, did you not say that no one could get through this maze without knowing the way?"

"I did but-"

"-And did you not say that the maze has been changed so no one knows the way?"

"Yes, but-"

"So why shouldn't I speak? I have to talk to the Queen soon. I would rather be able to ask questions now rather than insult her later."

Caleb nodded, deciding to agree with her. Davis just looked at her. She had thought that he might be happy like he had been when she let him into her mind with the necklace.

"So what's with the door?" she asked, touching the hinges.

"We have no idea," Caleb admitted. "We can't even smell anything behind it but that's no surprise. We can't smell anything since Echo rubbed our nose in the stupid bush."

Echo walked up to the door and pushed against it. Nothing happened.

"I'm guessing there's a trick to it," Miriam said, looking at Davis. 

He looked away from her, refusing to meet her eye, and nodded. His arms were crossed and his fingers were drumming against his triceps. Something was definitely agitating him. 

"Well? What is it?" she asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, let's just pretend you're the only one of us to have been here before and here your best guess."

"I think it takes two people. But that was when it was oiled and well-used. It'll probably take all three of us to open it."

Miriam bit back another insult. She was tired. They were all tired. She had gotten used to the constant pains in her legs, the blisters on her feet and the feeling that she couldn't ever sleep enough to feel rested. Her legs never felt fully comfortable. But she had adapted to it, gotten used to it and tried not to think about it too much. 

Now, in between the hedges and so close to the end of it all, it was harder than it had ever been before.

She had felt happy and sad and mad and disappointed and expectant and lost and hopeless so many times in the last few days, that she didn't know if she could even tell them apart anymore. It was too much in too short a time. 

She needed to be safe, to be home, to be away from this place and on her own. She needed time to digest, to think. She needed to be away from Davis. But none of that was his fault, not really. It was her fault for letting him get to her so much and for letting this place mess with her mind.

She knew that people had no control over certain things, not even her. However, she also believed that they were responsible for them. You were going to feel how you felt and nothing you could do about it but choose how much you let it get to you. 

She believed that you could control your reaction to those feelings. Yet, looking at Davis in front of the door, with his arms crossed as he refused to meet her eye as he drummed his fingers, she didn't feel very in control at all.

She walked away from the group and stood near the entrance. She was so busy trying not to scream at him that she didn't realise. 

Echo, the first to notice, ran yelling to protect Miriam but a large blue claw shot out. 

Echo was blown back into the door with a sharp, wet cracking noise. 

Miriam was on the floor and didn't know how she got there. Something heavy and sharp on her chest, pinning her down and cutting into her skin.

Prendre gazed down at her, showing his very large teeth, worst of all of Miriam's fears.

"So you were what was making that delicious smell. I can see why you follow her around, Davis. It's nice to see you, little miss human. Or should I say that it's nice to hear that sweet voice? I wonder how it will sound while screaming."