21. Max

B lood and violence have never scared me. I watch bodies get cut up and sliced into on a regular basis, what does though, is loneliness. Early hours of this morning, Draven gave me the heads up for as many of the mazes he could. All except Po's. If I make it that far, I'll be going in blind.

The look on his face when he told me nobody, not even the Hunters know what he does in his maze, was something similar to worry.

The cold night air blows across my face, the only part of my body that's exposed. Sasha stands beside me, her fingers fidgeting at her side. Deck, he's crouched down, making sure his laces are tied tight enough. I have no idea where Ben is, and I don't care either.

The way he touched me earlier is unforgivable, and the moment we're back at Stanford, our friendship is over.

The large grouping of people at the gate, are muttering and laughing with each other. All individually excited for what's ahead, and all of them ready to enter the first maze.

I thought I'd at least see the Big Guy before I went in, but with the way he just left me earlier, without a single word spoken after he crashed through the door like a bull in a China shop, I'm opting for the silent treatment again. Maybe this time I'll be on the receiving end.

I chose all black this evening, deciding to forgo clothing that could get me noticed, choosing ninja assassin instead. Black gym leggings, vest and a black hoodie, paired with black sneakers on my feet that have amazing grip and are soft to aid with running. I have a black half balaclava that I can easily pull up and over my face too.

You never know when you might need it.

On the way here, I secretly told Sasha this maze was her worst fear, the dark. The only light source—according to Draven—are the small dim spotlights in the ceiling. The aim is to reach the end in utter silence. Not making a single sound.

"I'm shitting myself," Sasha mumbles beside me. "I don't think I can do this."

"You can, I know you can." Her shallow breathing becoming a little more erratic as she begins tapping her foot rhythmically. Turning her to face me, I smile. "Stick with Deck, or me, and you'll be fine."

A soft chuckle leaves her throat. "Ok, G.I. Jane." Well, at least she's making jokes. "What's with the black clothing anyway? "

"Cool right." I turn in a circle. "I'm the ninja assassin sent to kick—"

Sasha's hand covers my mouth. "Please stop talking." Her giggle making her chest shake.

"NEXT GROUP!" Our heads turn to face the burly man at the front of the maze called Instinct. Following the seven other people to the maze, Deck takes hold of Sasha's hand.

"You're gonna be fine." He pats her shoulder, and she nods her head. Stopping at the gate, the maze attendant looking at all of us.

"Rules of the maze," he begins, "the aim is to be silent, the whole way through. The Maze hunter, Midnight, can touch you, tie you up, lock you away and even be rough enough to hurt you. We are not responsible for broken or fractured bones. You cannot–and I can't stress this enough–touch him, attack him, or hurt him in any way." He looks into the eyes of us all. "If you do, you will be immediately disqualified. Any questions?"

Making sure we all understand, he looks around the crowd of people, giving everyone the time to raise their hand or to speak up. Satisfied with the silence, he smiles. "Good, you will each have a thirty second start, when the buzzer sounds in your earpiece, Midnight will be released, and the game will begin. Make it out in five minutes or less and you'll receive a free ticket for next year."

Walking along the line, we each take a small earpiece from the white box in the caller's hand, putting them in. "If you are caught, you will be dragged back to a room, and kept there until the final maze is complete. Good luck kids."

I inhale a deep breath and release it slowly, pulling the black mask over the lower half of my face. The doors automatically spring open and we begin to walk in.

"Hang back." I tug Sasha and Deck. "Do not make a single sound. I want us all out. If we get split up, don't wait for me just," I turn to Deck, "make sure she gets out."

They both nod once and we follow the other people in. The moment the doors shut behind us, it's pitch black. I can't see a single thing in front of me, the sounds of footsteps and hushed words coming from the people before us. The further we walk in, the tiny little lights start popping on in the ceiling, just like the Big Guy said.

Thanks.

Sasha will always be my main priority. She's petrified of the dark and other than me, Deck is the only one who can keep her from freaking out. They walk ahead of me, and I decide to stay back a few steps, making sure there's enough space between me and them.

Mainly for the fact that once that claxon sounds, that motherfucker will be running through the halls and if there's any way, I can make sure they get to the next maze… I will.

I slide my hands along the uneven wall, careful to stay away from the small beams of lights. We make it into an open plan room that's glowing with a dull red color. Three different doors, three different choices.

Looking above the doors, they're all numbered one to three. I tap both Sasha and Deck, nodding toward the door on the right. The rest of the people in here are scrambling about, running through the doors, making enough sound to wake the dead.

Taking advantage of the thirty second head start, the moment we close the door behind us, the claxon sounds, and the crash of a steel gate smashes against a wall somewhere in the maze.

"Oh-" I cover Sasha's mouth with my hand and slowly shake her head left and right, removing it and placing a finger against my lips. Turning them both around, I push them forward and the three of us begin to run down hallway after hallway, the shape of this whole maze like a fucking mousetrap. Our hands gliding along the walls, trying to find a way out.

A huge bang engulfs the area behind us, smashing to the wall the moment we burst into a second open plan room that glows orange.

Shit, shit, shit!

The numbers above the doors have now switched. The number three, now situated above the middle door. The heavy footsteps getting closer with every second that passes. My adrenaline merging with my fear and bringing a lump into my throat. Taking hold of the handle on the door to the right, I yank it open and usher the others inside.

"Don't wait for me," I whisper, "go." I shove them again, silently watching them scramble down the hallway. Sasha looking back periodically. The footsteps of Midnight stomping with determination as he moves through the maze with total ease, making me sick to my stomach.

This maze is supposed to be easy!

I pull open the middle door as a distraction. Leaving it slightly ajar but move through the same door I shoved Sasha and Deck down. In a split second the footsteps stop outside the door I'm now hiding behind and I freeze, not daring to breathe. My heart beating ten to the dozen and I do everything I can to slow it down.

Please stop…. Please don't find me .

That's when I hear running in the opposite direction, and I take that as my queue to bolt down the hallway, trying my hardest to stay as light on my feet as possible, even though I know that it's entirely impossible to do so.

I run out into another open plan room and this time, its glowing with a brown color, Sasha and Deck nowhere to be seen. The moment I step toward the doors, something catches my eye. The numbers above have now changed to letters.

What the fuck?

Choosing the same door again on the far right, I pray they made it out. In fact, I hope I'm not fucking everything up and just running in a Goddamn circle. The musty smell of the room hitting my senses the further I run down it, and fuck if the stench isn't disgusting. I bound through the darkness, sweat running down the back of my neck, my palms clammy, and my chest tight with the burn of running so fast without a break.

I watch three guys scrambling for the door as they try to open it. The moment I cross the threshold to meet them, I catch my foot on something and go tumbling to the group. The solid floor covered in some kind of sawdust causes the wind to leave my lungs on connection and I heave. Maniacal laughter crying out from behind me.

Rolling onto my back I cover my mouth, silencing my struggling breath. Watching the three men with wide eyes as they look down at me, then back at whatever is down that hallway.

There's not much light in this room, but the moment I see the mass fill the archway, I know he's found us. The three guys begin scrambling through the door to the right of the room, howling, and laughing and I use the sounds they're making, to shield myself as I move as close to the wall as possible.

The moment the three men close the door, I hear them cheering. That's the outside. That's the exit, not the three doors beside me. Shit.

Ok, Max, think.

Keeping as deep in the shadows as I can, I push myself silently until my back presses against the wall.

"I know you're here little one, I clipped your ankle on the way through. Quite a fall you took."

His deep and melodic voice blankets me. There's something different about the way he's speaking, something off. The pronunciation is... different. Footsteps come closer to me, I immediately hold my breath, trying so hard to keep my shaking to a minimum.

Think, Think.

"Where are you?!" he screams. The tone of his voice coming out nasally, similar to when you have a cold.

What did Draven say last night?

What did he tell me about Midnight?

Think Max, goddamn it!

Feeling something hard around my hand, I grip it, he's so close to me I can feel his breath fluttering against my chest.

"I can smell you..."

Chucking whatever is in my hand as best as I can, it hits the ground. With a giant huff and growl, he turns on his heels, running toward the sound frantically. As the light filters over his head, that's when I see them, as clear as day.

Hearing aids.

As slowly as possible, I stand to my full height. Turning on my feet, my sneaker slips through the sawdust with a squeak, and everything goes silent. Nothing but the blood pumping through my ears and the rushing through my veins to break it up.

"I found you little one!" His voice echoes and I'd be lying if it wasn't scaring the shit out of me. I yank open the door and bolt down another hallway.

My ankle is killing me from where I tripped and my knee is screaming at me to stop running and relax, but I need to get out of here. I can feel him hot on my tail.

The sounds of his grunting as he runs, his footsteps gaining on me as I imagine the tips of his fingers reaching out to grab me like the monster in a children's program. He's a hairs width away from the back of my neck, I just know it. I see another set of three doors in front of me, I know none of them will get me out because the exit is behind me. I yank the middle door open, pressing my body back against the wall and hide behind it.

The rush of air flows in front of the door as he runs past me and that's when I make my move and run as fast as I can back to the original room. I grab onto the door handle, snatch it open, and the moment I push myself through it, the cold air hits my skin and I smile.

That feeling however, is short lived because a hand wraps so tightly in my ponytail, I feel as though he might tear every strand of hair from my fucking scalp. With a screech leaving my throat, everyone outside turns around as I hit the floor. My back scraping through the sawdust.

"You're not going anywhere," he laughs, dragging the last word out with humor on his lips. Hoisting myself up, I press my body back against the wall.

"I think you'll find I am."

Midnight's laughter howls through the room. "You couldn't even make it through the door, like your little friends." He begins to pace back and forth in front of me. Staring at me like a tiger waiting to be fed. "I've seen who claimed you and—"

"Then you know he's about to fuck you up!" I spit.

"He can't enter here… you," he points, "are mine."

The smile on his face menacingly visible against the small amount of light creating a halo above him. "They left you here alone."

Think Max, fuck!

That's when it hits me. Draven said he was disabled by an explosion, which would explain the hearing aids. His maze is dark, no color, no sound, nothing.

He has sound sensitivity, light too.

Looking around the room, there has to be a speaker here somewhere. My eyes strain on the small box in the corner of the room. Let's just hope I'm right about this.

"You won't get out of here." He laughs through his words.

"Fuck you!" I retort. Watching him the same way he watches me.

"I'm going to enjoy my playtime with you." He stalks toward me, arm outstretched as I lift my hand. Removing the earpiece, I slam it against the speaker netting and the high-pitched feedback screams into the room. I squint through the sound and watch as Midnight howls in pain, covering his ears with his hands, dropping to the floor in what looks like severe pain.

I rest the earpiece on top of the small box, the feedback ringing even louder than before, and bolt for the door as quick as I can before the sound system blows, yanking it open. I end up falling down the ramp, rolling onto my back; finally allowing myself to breathe. Sucking that beautiful fresh air into my lungs .

The door swings open and Midnight steps out in wide strides, screaming toward me, his hands raised in the air as he launches the small speaker box toward me. Curling myself to the side I roll my body out of the way just in time before the item smashes behind me. Plastic and wood spraying everywhere with the force of his throw.

Looking up at him, he raises his fist, then freezes. Raising his eyeline behind me and then back down, spitting at my feet before he stalks back into the maze and slams the door. I burst into fits of laughter. Not caring who's watching.

"What a fucking rush." I chuckle through the words. "Praise Satan."