The Band of Misfits

Chapter 20

Everything went still.

Panting, I stop to catch my breath, my legs numb. Before, the sounds of the earthen walls could be heard shifting around, contorting itself to trap Monica and I. But now, everything stopped, the silence sending a shiver down my spine. Maybe Monica took Joe down. But wouldn't that mean the maze would fall? Assumptions run through my mind while the burning sensation in my lungs dull. My breathing evens. Something moves to my right. I turn quickly, my blood pumping again, only to find more maze.

Slowly, I trudge forward.

"Monica," I whisper, almost to myself, hoping she'd turn the corner.

No response. I cautiously edge farther down. Something moves behind me. I whip back around, but again there's nothing to be seen other than the maze. I want to scream in fear and frustration. Whatever's following me doesn't feel right. Slowly, I edge backwards. The more I move, the farther the temperature seem to drop. I'm pondering this when my feet fall from under me and I land on my back.

"Ugh," I groan as I prop myself up on my elbows.

Immediately, I recognize the feeling of ice.

'Monica?' I think, and quickly scramble to my feet, a little unsteadily. The floor of this section of the maze is completely covered in a thick layer of ice. She's been here. A giddy feeling rushes through me. Maybe she's nearby. With a smile on my face, I continue down the icy path, until I reach its end. The ice abruptly stops where the earth around it seems disturbed. A section of a wall must've shifted here. And on the floor are two icy spikes with black fabric stuck on the edges of them.

Tentatively, I bend down to retrieve them. Jason was wearing a black shirt during the battle. Monica and Jason must have crossed paths.

'Iris' a voice resonates in my mind. I immediately recognize it as Joe.

'Ready to finish this battle?' I reply with a smirk.

'That's why I'm talking to you know. I lost track of Jason. He had just taken out Monica. One second he was in the maze. Then he was just...gone.' He said, flustered.

My heart sank, my smirk dissipating. If Joe was telling the truth then-

'Did you take Jason out?' he asked

'No' I replied,'you were keeping track of me the entire time. I felt you in my mind.'

He was silent for a while.

'What if somebody else is in the maze?' he mentally suggested.

My stomach dropped to my toes, and my heart rose to my throat. I heard it pounding in my head. I couldn't think. What if he was here already? I thought we still had time to prepare. I wanted to cry and punch something at the same time. Fear coursed through my veins. Then I remembered that I thought something was following me.

'Joe, drop the maze. Something is in here. Drop it NOW!' I pleaded.

The earthen walls quaked aggressively, some shifting, some receding into the ground. I kept turning, making sure nothing was coming for me. Too many thoughts swirled in my head. Too many things could go wrong in the next moments. We just weren't ready to face whatever was coming for us yet. Finally, the maze had gone. My eyes adjusted to the light and my surroundings. Monica and Sarah were both standing off to the side, looking confused. Joe stood at his end of the battlefield looking exhausted. The maze must have wiped him out. But that's not what caught my eye.

Somebody was standing behind Joe.

I could vaguely make out the shape of a girl before both her and Joe disappeared. Confused and afraid, I teleported to where they stood just moments ago, my head swimming with exhaustion and confusion.