The Other Maze (Group B)

10

As the light disappeared from the sky, the two girls watched the maze look different, almost haunted.

The walls seemed larger and paler than during the day, and the silence wasn't helping at all. It looked like a scene from a horror movie.

"What are we going to do now?" Rachel asks standing up and looking around.

Eliza looks up at the walls and then back at Rachel.

"We could try climbing the Ivy all the way to the top to get inside the stade." Rachel says already getting ready to climb the Ivy.

"It's not going to work out, some girls tried before but they didn't really succeed. " Eliza says giving Rachel an apologetic look. "The walls look a certain way but once you start climbing something is a little off." Eliza says and Rachel nods curiously examining them.

"Do you have another idea?" Eliza asks raising an eyebrow and Rachel doesn't respond.

"Has this happened before?" Rachel asks.

"Not often, I think just when the first group arrived to the stade. After that, they found ways to not get stuck out here." Eliza says. "Besides, why do you think Harriet thought us what she did."

Just then they hear it.

Click. Click. Whirr.

The sound was a mixture of mechanical whirrs sending a shiver down Eliza's spine.

Without a word, both girls look at each other and move the Ivy to give them a place to hide.

Crouching together, both girls watch as a weird creature approaches them. It doesn't look like anything I can remember. Eliza thinks to herself. Is it also man made? Who would make such a hideous thing?

Rachel accidentally touches something and lets out a small gasp before Eliza covers her mouth and pulls her closer.

Both heartbeats increased as the griever came closer and closer.

As they wait, the sound grows louder and louder, almost like a ticking clock indicating that their time was running out.

The anxiety almost made Eliza jump out from their hiding spot and run towards the griever so it could be over soon, but she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing herself to remain still.

And then it is completely silent again, as if the griever was never there.

"Is it gone?" Rachel asks.

"I think so." Eliza says and they both let out a relieved sigh.

"I felt something crawl next to me." Rachel says examining her hand.

"It was probably a bettle blade." Eliza says.

"Would you call me crazy if I said that I think I saw something written on it?" Rachel asks looking up at her.

"No, I wouldn't. I thought I saw something too." Eliza says with a small smile.

"Did you read...."

"WICKED" both of them say at the same time.

"I'm getting a weird feeling." Rachel says and the girls crawl back into the long corridor and stand up.

"Let's go before it comes back." Eliza says but Rachel keeps looking somewhere in the maze. "Rachel?"

"Hold on. I want to check out something."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you are not at least a little curious about the maze?" Rachel says raising an eyebrow.

Although Eliza didn't like to admit it, she was very curious as well, and Rachel could see it because she gave her a smile.

Without another word, Rachel starts running and Eliza follows her.

They walked for what seemed like an eternity until they saw something that didn't make sense, or at least more than the usual.

It seems like the maze came to an end.

"Liza? Are you seeing this too?" Rachel whispers.

"I see it, but I'm not sure what I'm seeing, if it makes sense."

They walk closer towards the dark wall, slowly making their way forward, and it was a good thing because the ground disappeared when they reached a certain point.

"Are those stars?" Rachel asks.

"That's impossible." Eliza says. This doesn't make sense at all. It those starts were real, that would mean that we are flying. A maze this size cannot float, that's for sure.

"It might be an illusion." Rachel says extending her arm.

Eliza imagines herself jumping and floating away as if she were in outer space, but the weird feeling remains.

She grabs a rock and throws it, listening as it falls.

"Here, let me try." Rachel says grabbing another rock and throwing it, but this time it doesn't make a sound. "That's so weird." Rachel says frowning.

"Agreed." Eliza says but then a faint sound in the distance makes the bars on her arms rise up. "We need to go Rachel, the griever is coming again."

"But-"

"We'll come back later or talk to the others okay? Let's go!" Eliza says taking Rachel's hand and dragging her along.

They run and run until they reach the familiar walls that lead them to the stade.

Rachel looks back and notices a griever following them. She looks at Eliza and they both stop, waiting for the creature.

"As soon as it comes closer, we dodge alright?" Eliza says and Rachel nods.

The griever momentarily puts its menacing weapons away and starts rolling towards them, but as it approaches both girls dodge to different sides and the griever smashes against the wall, bringing ivy and rocks with it.

They turn around to leave now that the griever was momentarily down but it reaches one of its many arms out.

"Rach! Watch out!" Eliza pushes Rachel out of the way and she feels a sharp pain on her left side.

"Liza!" Rachel screams "no no no no" Rachel says "this can't be happening" she takes a deep breath "come on Liza stay with me"

She starts dragging Eliza through the long corridor, struggling with every step.