I'm crazy. I'm insane. I spent almost 8 months in the labyrinth wandering the endless halls and rooms. Every night is a nightmare and every day is torture.
I will never see my friends again. I will never see my family again. I will never be normal again.
I shake my head trying to push those thoughts out of my head, but they continue to ring through my mind. I don't want to believe these words, yet I know that they are true.
The streets of a city I don't know the name of are lit with bright lights like a party. The labyrinth had only disappeared a couple hours ago, and I don't know where I came out.
It's late at night, and the city is lit up with bright lights. I stumble down an alley way. An apartment building sits up ahead. My mind propels me toward it, telling me I have to find out where I am.
Stumbling into the building, I breathe in the details. A glass chandelier hangs from the 30ft lobby. The carpet is soft under my feet (I had lost my shoes a long time ago).
I walk up to the front desk and ask, "Can you help me?"
The man behind the desk looks up. "Are you okay?"
"Where am I?"
The man, whose name tag read Donald, gave me an exasperated look. "Stop messing with me, stupid teenager."
"I'm not kidding," I plead. "I don't know where I am. Just tell me what city I'm in."
"You're in California. Now go away."
I know I won't get any more information so I leave. Back in the alley I curl up near a brick wall and try to get some sleep.
********
My dreams are strange. They start out with nightmares, and I wake up screaming, attracting the attention of an old lady. But one time I manage to sleep well enough because this dream isn't a nightmare.
There are two of them. Guarding something. I don't know what it is, but I move toward it. Maybe whoever they are can help me.
I get the feeling they're like me. Both are dressed in armor and carry deadly weapons. No normal person would do that.
Finally I reach them. Safety for a little while. Waiting for my friends.
The dream ends there, and then shifts into another nightmare. I wake up in a cold sweat, huddling on the ground. It's cold.
Someone appears from the apartment building I'm leaning against. It's the old woman that noticed me earlier. She comes closer.
I back away in fright and start screaming. She is not to be trusted.
"It's okay, darling," she says.
I stop screaming. "Help me," I whisper.
She squats next me, placing a blanket around my shoulders. I wrap it around myself tightly, soaking up the warmth.
"I will help you. What's your name?"
I squeak, "Leanna."
"Come inside. You look like you could use some tea."
Eagerly I stand up and follow her to her apartment. I have another chance to find my friends and the mysterious boy that is the other half of my future.
