Puzzles

My guilt pledge

"You're not serious!" I say, stepping forward to Janet but Dr Prince answers.

"Yes, we are. As you, at this moment, are to be the next queen of the world, you shall help to convince him to come with you." He is smiling, which makes me mad.

"Why do people keep making awful jokes? I can't go to Australia to tell some guy he's got to rule the world! I thought you'd have special trained people to do this!"

"No, we are relying entirely on you."

"Well, don't get your hopes high." I say, sarcasm is the only way to communicate right now.

"I wasn't planning on, I don't mean to be rude, but I have a lot of work to be done, so if you wouldn't mind leaving now."

"It would be my pleasure!" And I storm out the room, slamming the door behind me. I am so mad right now! How can that stupid loser who sits in a chair all day staring at a computer think he's better than everyone else?

"Thalia!" Janet comes running up to me. "So...what do you think?"

"What?"

"The quest! Us three together! I'm sorry about earlier! I should have told you, I would of, but I wasn't allowed and I became your best friend! After a while I felt like I wanted to protect you, not just because I was told to! Because you are my best friend!" As she said it, she stares at her feet the whole time. "I'm sorry about Josh and your mum." My knees almost buckle. I'd completely forgotten that! I missed them so much!

"I don't want to go." I say.

"What!?"

"I don't want to go! My whole family is dead! Hundreds of people want to kill me! Luke hates me-"

"What!? Why does Luke hate you?"

"He just does. I'm glad he does, everyone should I'm a horrid person!"

"No you're not! Why do you think that!?" I think for a second. Why does everyone hate me? Luke, because I made friends with a guy called Asher. The world because I was born. Well that's a little harsh. I shrug.

"What did you do that made Luke hate you?" I shrug.

"Please go on this quest! We need to find this boy! He counts as royalty because he's Flora's son! You don't want to rule do you?"

"Of course I don't! I just want to be a normal fifteen year old girl living with my mum and Josh!"

"And I want my dad to come back for me and Luke, but we don't get what we want! So we have to deal with it!" I realise I don't really know any of Janet's past.

"Sorry." I mumble. She smiles.

"It's ok, but the quest?" I look at her.

"Fine, but I need to talk to Luke."

"Good, I'm gonna pack." She headed off towards the maze. I look nervously at it. I know the word is puzzle, but I'm not sure how that links to finding your way back.

I don't have to go far to search for Luke. He is in the computer room, typing up some document.

"Luke?" I say nervously. He doesn't look at me, he just carries on typing.

"What?" He says. I sit down next to him.

"I'm sorry, I know you're trying to help me and everything, I wasn't wondering off, I was kinda exploring, plus Janet just told me my mum and Josh are dead." I stifle a sob at the end of the sentence, hoping this will add to my guilt pledge. I think he notices because he stops typing.

"I didn't know that." He looks at me. "Im not mad at you, I was just annoyed that you ran off when we were trying to help you. That's all."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing else." He repeats. I nod.

"I'm gonna go on this quest with you and Janet." I say like I had a choice anyway. He smiles.

"Seriously? That's great! We better go and pack now then." He switches off the computer. He starts to go, then turns around to me.

"Coming?" He says.

"I don't know my way back." He laughs.

"Ok, this is how it works." He pulls me to the front of the maze. "You follow down the route that spells 'puzzle'. Like this," he walks forward and I follow. "I'm going the direction of a 'p'. Up, then a half circle going right." Something clicks in my mind.

"I get it! But if everyone goes that direction, won't we end up at the same place?"

"No, because you think of the place you want to go, then your mind concentrates on that place, you choose your path that you need to go." It is utterly confusing but I do as he says.

"You guide me back to your room, picture it in your mind." He says. So I do. I see the bunk bed and the load of boys, Luke carrying a plate of toast, that I forgot to eat, I wondered why I was so hungry, if see myself shouting at Luke. I suddenly feel so bad.

"Are you ok?" He asks.

"I-I'm fine." I walk forwards, my mind is telling me left. I choose left. It now says do a half turn going right. So I do. Two zig zags left. Walk forwards some more turn slightly. Do a full turn and carry on going. I stop. I am facing my door.

"I did it!" I cry. Luke is behind me. We hug each other. I am so happy with myself. Suddenly I am looking deep into Luke's sparkling eyes. They are so blue.

"I need to go and pack." He says. I nod. He walks away into the maze, staring at the floor.

I can't dwell on Luke. I need to pack...and eat toast. I am so hungry