Maze

Part Six

"How am I going to get out of this fucking place?" Tessa had lost track of which direction she was facing and the amount of time she had spent running from Brian. Was he even still chasing her? Or had he come to his senses and realized the severity of the mistake he had made? It was possible karma had given him what he was owed, and he could have fallen victim to the maze. But then it could have been just the opposite, and he could have taken out some of his competition. The uncertainty had Tessa at her breaking point. Sweat seeped out from every pore but not because she had been exerting her energy. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving a streak of black eyeliner in their wake.

The grief she was carrying had slowed her down. The image of Jefferson's death kept creeping up in her thoughts, and she could not help but to recall every gory detail. It caused her to imagine the potential anguish that could be heading her way. The thought made her place her hands over her stomach, as to protect her womb; what was growing inside it was the main reason she had to not give up. The idea of having a child was too precious to her. It was something she constantly fanaticized about, and she was not going to let any one stop it from becoming a reality. And the fact that this child would be the only thing she had left of Jefferson had pushed her will to survive even further. She could not help but feel that she was responsible for his death. The best she could do for him now would be to bring a part of him into this world since the rest of him was taken from it. That much she owed him.

A couple of paths away, Brian strolled along. He gazed at the displays in awe as if he had not noticed them prior. It was as if he had forgotten the unsettling feeling this place had stirred up inside him before, and was replaced by fascination; now truly able to admire their beauty. He felt as though he was appreciating them as a fellow artist would a painting. There was so much creativity around him and he had felt inspired. The old shell that he used to shield himself from the world had been cast off. He had no need to pretend, for the maniac he had revealed had always been. It could have spawned from the accidental murder of his Aunt. Or perhaps it was favorable in his neurobiology. Either way, there had been signs throughout his life that this was inevitable.

When Jefferson and him were boys and had lived under the same roof they got into trouble frequently. But it was not so much that they would get into it; rather, Brian would and took Jefferson down with him every time. The two had been tried by their guardians' multiple times for incidences involving fire. Jefferson played no part in these acts of arson but he also did not take many steps to prevent them. He would sit back and watch as his cousin burned whatever he could find, ending with an abandoned house in the woods behind their own. Another thing they would be held accountable and punished for were the disappearances of their friend's pets. After their playdates with classmates, Brian's mother would receive a call from the parent of a distressed child that noticed their small pet was not in its cage.

These events had been replaced by happier childhood memories fabricated by Brian's mind. But he could see clearly now, and it dawned on him how many fires that he was not caught starting or how many dead hamsters he ditched in the lake down the block that were not found. Yet he felt no remorse. He chuckled to himself, and shook his head at the concept of people overreacting to such insignificant things. The giddiness he was feeling dissipated when he simultaneously stepped onto the same path as Tessa, who was at the opposite end. Both froze instantly.

"Ah, fancy running into you here!" Brian exclaimed. One foot in front of the other, he moved towards her. He took his time and glanced about at the various mummified and preserved remains. Tessa's first instinct was to flee but then her fear turned into anger, which then became a need for vengeance. She stood her ground as he drew closer, tears pouring out of her eyes.