The Crystal Code

Chapter 23

My hands were freezing and my body throbbed in the chilly air. My head pounded against the cold stone floor and the distant memory of warmth completely disappeared in this freezing maze. I opened my eyes and I looked at where a fire should have been, but it was gone. I got on my elbows to look around at where my friends should have been sound asleep. They were all gone, everything was gone...

I shot up to my feet and pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my freezing, still-wet hair. I unshealthed my sword and looked around at the intersection I was mindlessly sleeping in. I could have been killed, where did my friends go? The maze had eerie white smoke rolling across the ground like a snake and the walls were glowing in the gloom. I rolled my shoulders and walked down a hallway I thought was correct, but my senses were blurry from sleep. I squeezed my eyes closed a few times and rolled my shoulders again to wake myself up. I heard a low growl come from behind me and distantly I heard a scream. I spun in a circle looking around for danger, but I couldn't tell where the scream had come from. The scream sounded again, this time closer. I knew in the morning that my voice would be useless and it would just give me a head ache.

The scream was so loud it could have come from directly next to me, or... behind a wall.

"Stupid! Idiot!" I heard. "You scared me!" I heard a female voice said, was that Bethany?

"Sorry, jeez." I heard else, in wining voice I'd recognize anywhere. I cleared my throat, I needed then to hear me.

"Guys!" I managed to scream once I trusted voice would work. "Logan!" I yelled.

"Did you hear something?" A voice now I know was definitely Bethany's.

"No." Logan replied. I pressed my ear to the wall I heard them from.

"Guys?" I shouted at the wall.

"There it is again." Bethany said. The wall I was pressed against just disappeared and I fell in my face in between Bethany and Logan. "I knew I heard something!"

"Hey guys." I got to my feet and summoned my sword back which had clattered to the ground. I stuffed my freezing hands in my pocket and looked at Bethany who had a red nose from the cold. "Its freezing."

"What in hell happened?" Logan asked. "One second we were all sleeping around a fire and then I wake up on the freezing floor!"

"You think I have the answers?" I asked. "I only just woke up on that freezing floor!"

"I wish I brought gloves." Bethany whispered.

"Come on." Logan turned around with his arms crossed. "We should get moving."

"Did none of you notice that the wall I was behind completely disappeared into thin air?" I asked. Logan turned back.

"We've had enough crazy in this maze, It honestly doesn't surprise me. Plus, we can go through walls now! Don't you think that's helpful?" Logan said with a cold smile.

"Let's go." I mumbled, stepping forward to follow him, but my toe collided into something. I punched the air in front of me and my knuckles cracked against an invisible wall.

"Uh, guys." I said.

"What?" Bethany asked. She turned and saw me with pressed hands against an invisible wall. "Crap."

"Force field. Ember said there were barrier tests, this must be it." I said trying to find a way through it. "Stay together."

"Don't say that like we are going to leave you here." Bethany said stepping closer to the wall of air separating us.

"There is no way through. You guys need to continue, I'll find another way." I turned around and unshealthed my sword.

"Persia don't go." Bethany slammed her hands on the force field making it ripple in red light. I walked away from Bethany before she could protest. "Don't go!"