The Maze

Chapter 14

Arieth's pov

My fingers grip Harry like a lifeline. I knew if I let go of him, I would fall.

The weight of his arms around me and the slight shake of his body suggested he was feeling the same way. Cold, lost, scared...  terrified.

The midnight breeze now tugged at my hair greedily. No longer the cool, sweet air that had been our freedom only minutes before.

The maze loomed over us like an abusive bully. Threatening to kill us if we didn't measure up to Mrs. Edmonson's standards. With Harry's arms around me I took the first terrifying step towards the maze.

Harry took the second and so forth until we were standing between the massive cement doors, five feet in width.

We hesitated and stared down each dark, gloomy path. Fog seeped down two paths, twisting and winding like snakes. One led slightly left then abruptly ended in a wall of darkness. Sounds of something being slowly picked up then dropped into something wet echoed from the void. Then a low, threatening growing.

The further most right path was the one I could see the farthest down. Full, lush, green grass sprouted from the dirt all the way until it took a hard left.

Dull yellow, luminescent lights were imbedded into the stone, making it the lightest. I immediately made up my mind that this would be the right way to go.

"Let's go right." I said with as much confidence as I could muster. He gave me a look that said I was out if my mind.

"Do you want to diees. Let's go that way." He said shaking his head and pointing to the path I had heard noises from. " It's much brighter and I can actually see down it."

My eyebrows knit together in utter confusion.

"What?" I started to ask, but the word fell softly off my lips as a deep growl came from behind us. Spinning around my eyes met with a huge Great Dane and an equally massive Bull Mastiff.

Their lips were pulled back showing a set of dangerous, white teeth. They kept low to the ground, slowly creeping towards us. I had seen enough dogs stalking cats to know that this was not a friendly gesture.

I turned to Harry, but he had already got the memo. I made it one stride before I heard the dogs take off. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making me run as fast as I'd ever ran before.

Swerving to the right, I ran to the sunny path with the grass, but just as I reached the opening Harry's hand yanked my arm pulling me in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing!" I yelled.

"What are you doing!" He yelled back. We were getting dangerously close to the dark path now. Forgetting about the dogs I dug my heels into the ground refusing to enter the nightmare tunnel.

This slowed him a bit, but he still managed to drag me along.

"Stop! What are you doing!"

"We are not going down the darkest path, are you crazy?!" I yelled at him.

"Hurry up! Stop dragging your feet!" He threw an anxious glance behind us. Another demonic screech came from the tunnel. Like it couldn't wait for us to be alone in the dark with it.

Shaking off Harry's arm I spun on my heels and ran toward the light path. Harry called my name, but I didn't stop.

"Arieth STOP!"

A mouthful of canine chompers sheathed themselves in my calf. I gave a cry of pain and surprise. I beat blindly at the dog with my fists.

The dog bit harder and shook my leg as if my blows didn't affect it. I kicked and hit the growling dog with all the adrenaline filled strength I could muster. Which did nothing.

The dog gave a pained squeal then was thrown away from me, hitting the doors then falling to the ground limp. I looked up in shock to find Harry standing over me.

His eyes were wild as he bent down and in one fluid motion picked me up and started running towards the maze.

My calf burned and stung at the same time. Like a thousand fire ants bit me in one spot in unison. I could feel the blood gushing down my leg and soaking my sock, staining it red.

"H-Harry." I stuttered as I tried to direct his attention to my leg.

He kept his eyes forward without looking down. This time when I looked they had a desperate, determined look to them.

The second dog barked as he chased us. I could feel my mind slowing down and my vision blur. I'm losing blood too quickly.

I attempted to clear my head by shaking it. The world bounced as our pace increased and I realized Harry must be running. Fast.

My eyes widened as far as they could in my numb state as my mind processed where he had taken us.

"This is the wrong path!" I tried to yell at him, but I only produced a weak whisper.

Wild, inhuman, screeches and low, menacing growls echoed around me as we entered the darkest tunnel in the maze.

------------------------------------------------------(castiass_2)