Fever Dreams

Medusa's Maze

The air was sulfuric and heavy with dread. My friends and I walked in single file, hand in hand, our backs pressed against the wall. Ivy grew on the eroded bricks, coiling skywards before withering, like our hopes of freedom.
We crept silently onwards, 3 mice in a maze beyond our comprehension. So far we had encountered nothing; yet we were frozen with fear. Something unspeakable lived within these stone walls.
The labyrinth seemed alive in itself, a beast that had swallowed us whole. There was no escape. The birds would find our bones, perhaps starvation would take us before the creature did.

I heard footprints and paused, my friends forced to a halt as I did. The footprints ceased. We continued and they started again. A low hissing seemed to come from everywhere, surrounding us on all sides. The hand on my hand went clammy, the one on my left damp with sweat. We would stay linked through it all. Then we were running, and I didn't know why, but I couldn't catch my breath to ask. Heat rolled over me in relentless waves as the sun also gave us chase.


There were screams, maybe mine, maybe not. Someone clamped a hand over my mouth, it was Eli, cutting of the sound.

"You've doomed us all."

"We were doomed anyways. Let me go." My cheeks were wet with tears I was unashamed to shed because no one would see and I was trembling.

"Nah, we came together, we're going the same way."

"Both of you, shut up," came a higher pitched voice on my right. "No one is dying. At least not if you keep quiet."

We kept quiet after that. Eli's hand was uncomfortably warm in mine. I forced my slacking grip to tighten around his, and he squeezed my hand back, and I squeezed Viv's, and she squeezed back, and I smiled, cause the three of us had been through worse. Suddenly I was laughing. Then we both were. Annoyed, Viv smacked my arm.

"Hush,"

"Why, are you scared?"

"What?!" she whisper-shrieked, bringing a smirk to my face.

"You don't actually believe all this monster bs do you?"  I teased.

Silence.

"And here I thought you were smart."

Beside me, Eli scoffed, his vice-like grip loosening. 

"I was just riling you two up, I wasn't scared."

"Sure you weren't," I chortled. He was probably the one hissing. Eli was a great voice-thrower.

"Please be quiet," whispered Viv, her voice wavering the way it did when she was on the brink of tears.

"Fiiine, fine." went Eli, never slowing his pace. "Hey," he continued. "There's the exit just up ahead."

Viv jumped up and down gleefully, sneakers thudding against the ancient brick.

"Finally, it's all over! You each owe me five bucks."

Suddenly, Eli stopped, yanking me back and Viv in turn. 

"Hey, what gives?"

"Yeah Eli, wha-" his warm, moist hand had turned cold and rigid in mine in a matter of seconds. I found myself trapped in a grip that felt hostile. 

"Eli!" The hissing was back, and it was definitely not coming him. I stood perfectly still.

Viv was cutting off my circulation on one hand, Eli on the other. She was shaking me, trying to snap me out of it. 

"We have to go. Now. Where do we go?"

"Straight ahead right? That's what you said isn't it Eli?"

I yanked and yanked but Eli didn't let go. His grip only turned colder and harder. Never letting go, Viv swung around me and there was a sound like breaking chalk as I was released. Viv quit karate two years ago, I remember thinking dazedly as we ran hand in hand, unable and unwilling to process what had just happened. A disembodied hand still held mine. Viv clasped the other one like a lifeline. She was murmuring something over and over again, maybe a prayer.  I sprinted like I never had and she was pacing just behind me, allowing me to lead- something no one ever did. 


For I am blind, you see.