The Maze The Lost Labyrinth

CHAPTER 10



The room I entered next wasn’t so much a room but a nexus. Passageways branched off in six different directions like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from a central hub. It was up to me to choose which one I wanted to explore. The illumination given off by the walls was minimal at best, and it was difficult to see far in any direction. I took a few steps into each hallway and peered into the shadows, hoping to see where each one led. It was like staring into a swirling miasma of nothingness, as if the corridors were flooded with darkness.

At any moment it felt like some last point of reserve would break and send a rushing wave of shadows in my direction. I was sure such a flood would kill me, and I was scared to venture too far without more light. Yet I knew I couldn’t stay put if I ever wanted to see the sun again. I had to keep moving.

The possibility of running into the minotaur or something worse at the end of one of these tunnels frightened me; however, I knew I was going to have to make a choice. No doubt the creatures inhabiting this place knew the layout of this maze much better than I did. Whatever chased me earlier might have taken a shortcut and positioned itself inside one of these corridors. Maybe it was waiting there in darkness for me now. The thought of passing some nightmarish beast in the shadows without even realizing it gave me the creeps. It was enough to make me hesitant about venturing too far into unknown territory.

I peered into the inky blackness, looking for the faintest signs of motion or the glimmer of preternatural eyes staring back at me. I held my breath and listened for the thudding of a heart or the soft respiration of some unseen evil. If something crouched in wait for me, it gave no hint as to its whereabouts. That should have made me feel better about choosing a tunnel, but it didn’t.

I positioned myself away from all of the doorways where nothing could see me, and stood statue-still for a moment. I didn’t open my eyes. I controlled my breathing with shallow inhalations and exhalations. I even tried to slow the beating of my heart. If there was something hiding in one of these tunnels, I wanted to draw it out.

I must have stood there for ten minutes before a faint, almost imperceptible sound caused my heart to race. The noise was subtle. One moment it was like a chain being dragged slowly across a stone floor. The next it sounded like knives being drawn across each other in a sharpening gesture. I wasn’t sure whether running or staying put would provide me the greatest chance for survival, but I knew I didn’t have long to consider my choices.

With so much silence, it was easy to discern which tunnel the sound was coming from. At the last minute, I decided to duck into one of the other hallways. If I stayed out in the open, my chances of being discovered were absolute. At least this way the odds of remaining hidden were in my favor. Whatever was coming this way could choose from one of five hallways. I just hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t pick mine.

The corridor I chose wasn’t all that different from the others I had passed through. Most importantly it was dark, and I hoped that would be to my advantage. But it was difficult forcing myself to stand quietly in the shadows while an adversary of unknown origins searched for my scent on the air.

I kept my eyes glued on the nexus point and searched for any sign of movement. The nexus, however, was nearly as dark as the hallways. Shadows frolicked and danced on the ceiling, but they weren’t going to betray whatever lurked nearby.

My muscles cramped from remaining absolutely still, and the need to stretch was overwhelming. I’d had muscle cramps before, and yelling was usually a part of the equation. Making noise of any sort, however, would mean certain death. I still hadn’t seen what kind of creature was out there, but I had my suspicions it wasn’t friendly. Nothing here seemed to be.

As I stood there, pressed against the cool stone wall, I thought about Amy and Peter and what I would have given to see them again. I wanted to be a good father and a good husband. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be given the option now. At this moment, all depended on whether the creature slouching in the darkness found me or not. My thoughts quickly turned to survival when I heard the faintest whisper of rock or bone sliding across stone.

I said a silent prayer to God asking Him to deliver me, and closed my eyes. I heard the scraping sound again. This time it was closer. Beads of sweat slid down my face and back; my hands trembled and my stomach tied itself in knots. The scraping sound grew louder. It was only a matter of seconds before I felt a faint blossom of air bloom on my cheek. That flower smelled like war and disease, sulfur and dried blood. It was the breath of the creature that was stalking me.

Although I refused to open my eyes, I knew the beast was standing right in front of me, blowing its putrid breath in my face. It was all I could do not to cry out and faint. Somehow, I managed not to make any noise although I was sure it heard my trip hammering heart.

It stood there before me, making some sort of erratic clicking sound. I did my best not to move, not to tremble, not to do anything that might reveal me. The clicking grew louder and faster, making me think of crabs or lobsters snapping their claws. I was afraid if I opened my eyes, I would see some sort of monstrosity with chitinous scales, mandibles, and a proboscis that might be used to suck the life out of me, leaving me as little more than a husk, drained of all my fluids.

Even without the aid of sight, I could feel the thing moving closer to me, inching forward curiously, tasting the air, sniffing it. The beast’s breath stank of cancer wards and crematoriums, and I held my breath until it passed on by. Miraculously, it hadn’t found me. It hadn’t even realized I was there.

I waited until I was certain the creature was gone before collapsing into a gelatinous heap on the floor. My legs trembled from exhaustion, and my lips were quivering with relief. Tears streamed down my face, and I wiped them quickly away.

I had no idea if the beast that had passed before me was the minotaur or another creature. It didn’t matter. I didn’t want another face-to-face opportunity to make a positive identification. All I wanted was to get out of this place.

If only I could figure out where the doors were---