46. Max

I hit the ground with a loud thump, my tailbone screaming as the solid ground beneath me connects with it. What did he do? No, no there's no way. I can't see, my eyes are blurred with all the unshed tears my words and heart didn't say... couldn't say.

Why couldn't I say them?

"No!" I scream, as he winks at me, closing the door instantly and it slams with a bang. Scrambling to my feet, the dirt gripped within my hands, arms wrap around my waist. "Draven you son of a bitch! Open this fucking door right now!"

"Max!" I hear the call of my name from the person holding me, but I can't breathe. I can't do anything but fight to get to him. I need him, I need to tell him how I feel before it's too late.

"DRAVEN!!!" My scream making the birds still left in the trees squawk and fly from their nests, echoing into the emptiness of my once dead heart. "Please," I sob. "Please let me in." The arms surrounding my waist becoming tighter, squeezing against the bloody mess on my side but I don't care. I can't feel anything without him.

"Why would you—get off of me!!!" I swing my elbow back into whoever is holding me—the person huffs in pain—and bolt for the door. Grabbing onto the handle yanking as hard as I can to drag it open.

"Get back out here!" Smashing my hands against the metal frame, tears spilling all over my face, pain crashing into my hands the harder I bang against the door. "You promised you would never leave me!" I know it doesn't matter how hard I scream or how hard I cry, he left me. "You said I would have to put a bullet in you… you… you said," I can't control the tears streaming from my face.

My heart has never felt this much pain, I've never begged for the life of another person before. My chest heaves with a surging ache cascading through my entire being.

"Baby!" I scream, banging my fists against the door until I can't breathe, pressing my forehead to the cold steel. "Please, please, don't leave me. Don't leave me like everyone else has."

I cry, the words flowing from me with such ease as what's left of the strings holding my shattered heart together, snap.

"Draven please... I... I love you. I'm begging you! Let me in you fucking asshole!! I... I…" I can't talk, my words won't come, nothing else matters to me anymore.

"I chose you!" I scream again, banging my hand against the door as my throat burns from the ragged screaming. "Why are you doing this to me!? Draven… please come out! Stay with me!"

Stepping back, I begin kicking the door with as much force as I can muster. The connection of my foot to the steel rippling through my bad ankle. But I don't care, I just want him back. "Open the fucking door you Lurch looking asshole!" I slip, falling to the dirt, landing on my side. "If you don't let me in... I'll... I'll... FUCKKK!" I wanted to choose him. Nothing else mattered but choosing him.

Bringing my hand in front of my chest, I grip the fabric of my top and scream. I scream for me, I scream for him, and I scream for everything that could've been. I realize it's no use, looking at the clock to the right of the door, it reads 12:02. The sobs rack through my body as I crawl back.

Arms come back around my waist, and I immediately turn to a familiar face. "Max," Troy breathes softly, his eyes glassy and bloodshot.

"T-Troy," I stutter. "H-he... He left... Me." I sob through the words. "P-please tell me there's—"

"Max, I'm sorry but there's not." He cups my face. "He's gone."

"No…" I wail as he pulls me into a tight embrace, dropping to the floor with me and dragging me close to his chest. My hands fisted in the fabric of his shirt as I cry over the man I never expected but always dreamed of. A man I could give all my shattered pieces to, and he would repair them without a second thought.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers, rocking me on the spot as though I were his child. "Max, we have to go. Please, I need you to get up."

"No, I want the door open." I pull from his grasp. "I need him…" No matter what parts…

Troy grabs me by the shoulders, shaking me swiftly. "Max!" I look up at him, hiccupping from the tears. Wiping the tears from my face, he speaks further. "I know you're hurting, but you need to get the fuck up right now. This isn't over and I promised Draven I would get you out of maze six."

"Maze... what?" Standing up, Troy grabs me by my upper arms and drags me to stand. "What do you mean a sixth maze he said—"

"Nobody knows until after five. Make sure you choose to run, Max, no matter—"

"Well, well."

I immediately look over Troy's shoulder at a man I've never seen, a gun in his hand and raised.

"Damn this roly-poly bitch," he bites out. "Whatever happens Max, I need you to choose to run." He pinches my chin between his fingers. "It's why the contract ends tomorrow, not today. Choose to run, and we can protect you. Do you hear me?" I nod. Watching Troy turn around, he grabs my wrist, instantly pulling me behind him protectively. "Jarvus."

When I tell you I have no idea what I'm looking at, it's not an understatement. The creature—and I use the term loosely—standing in front of me is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.

The smell emanating from him, that the wind just so happens to carry downwind is making me want to vomit. He's no taller than Troy, short and with the most rotund belly I have ever seen. His black hair sticks greasily over his head in a combover and all he's wearing is an off-white vest and trousers.

"Troy, get out of the way, you know the rules."

"As do you," he retorts. "She's supposed to get a choice of being hunted by the Hunters, or Russian Roulette."

Dropping his head backward, he laughs haughtily. "A choice!? I barely have any fucking Hunters left thanks to that son of a bitch Draven!" He takes a step forward, Troy's hand tightening even further against my wrist. Cutting off more circulation.

"She would've had her choice if Draven was here to be the hunter for his maze. Instead, he put his dick where it didn't need to be, and died for it."

This was his maze…

My free hand grazes the handle of the hunting knife in Troy's back and I look down. What's that saying ‘ never bring a knife to a gun fight ' or some shit. Too bad I have no preservation of life anymore.

"He would have given her the choice, to run or to face the barrel. Him being dead does NOT change that!" Troy bellows, pushing me back but still holding my wrist. Carefully, I take my free hand and while he's distracted, pop the button on the holster, gently sliding the knife out and into the back of my jeans.

"With him dead, it falls on me to be the maze's hunter. I choose. This is my fucking carnival, and you—" He freezes, looking to the left and right of us. I slowly drag my gaze away from him, following his eyeline.

One by one, a new attendee and worker emerges from the forest just outside the maze. Each holding a weapon, each with a look of disdain on their face. Stepping forward as far as they can, they take a stand in front of Troy and me, working to keep us safe from this assholes gun.

"Oh! You're all here... willing to bite the hand that feeds you over a woman!!" he growls. "A woman who was fucked like a whore and by a stupid fucking boy that fell in love with her!" He begins laughing hysterically. An idea pops into my head, and if I time it right, it could work well for me too.

"Not just for her," Troy says. "For Draven. You haven't taken care of us, he has, for nearly seven years. We aren't fucking blind, but you are."

If I don't make a choice so many people here will get hurt and I can't allow that.

"Draven was nothing but a fucking mistake from the beginning!" He laughs, pacing up and down the line of workers who stand in front of me, ready to help me, save me. "Gabe was an idiot for not going for the head."

An attendee I recognize from maze one, shouts, "Fuck you, Jarvus."

Damn you for leaving me, Draven…

"I gave you work when you had nothing... NOTHING!" He shakes the gun from left to right. "If you think for a second I won't kill you all for this, you are fucking mistaken."

"I choose the barrel!" I call from behind Troy. He whips his head to me, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Max, no, this isn't—"

"Move Troy. I made my choice." I cut him off, snatching my wrist from his grasp.

He leans over me. "He wanted you to run. Jarvus is a snake, I don't—"

"Well, well, we have a brave one—"

"Please Max." Troy's plea goes on deaf ears as I walk around him. "This isn' t what you—"

"The last person who chose that was shot in the hand and chest. You're more like him than I thought. Too bad the fucker is dead now and can't save you."

I shrug, jutting my chin to him. "How many bullets?"

"Only one." The way he smiles at me makes it hard for me to believe him.

"One?"

"Yes, only one, beautiful," he repeats. The word rolls off his tongue and it makes me feel sick.

I'm not beautiful, I'm perfect. His version of perfect.

He spins the chamber.

"Come here." He points in front of him, his face full of hate. I make my way over, stopping directly in front of him. "No wonder he lost his mind over you."

"Shut up and press the fucking trigger." I roll my eyes. "You're taking too long and talking too much. Fucking kill me already."

"My pleasure." Raising the gun to the side of my head he looks at me, brushing his free hand over my cheek. "Such a pretty little thing, shame I'll have to kill you."

I slowly reach behind my back.

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I smile the best I can. "And I can't wait to watch you die."

He licks his lips and I know I won't make it out of this. But I don't care, at least I'll be with him.

I take a deep breath, listening to the slow creaking of the trigger. The moment I hear the click, I raise the knife and pierce it straight under his chin as everything goes black.