The Sound Eater

Twisted

Suddenly I felt I was in unfamiliar territory. I swore I went back the exact way I had come, no way I would've messed up. But Boxy wasn't there...nor was the hallway where he was supposed to be. In its place was the exact same room where I was before. I was too stunned to think.

Same walls, same pathways, same air of terror. I held my breath and summoned all of my willpower to look behind me. Still nothing in sight. Still that same dread that it was there, right outside of view. Waiting for me to move again. I stepped backwards, towards the far end wall with one of the pathways. The dread strengthened, but I still couldn't see it.

I turned around and just made a mad run for it. Vision turned into a motion blur as I ran as fast as I possibly could, picking paths, turns, scrambling though the grand maze without thinking. I didn't care if I was lost, I just wanted to hear again. I looked back for a split moment and saw it at the back of the hallway. It was at that point every time I looked back, whichever passage I was in. Looking right into me.

I felt something struggle in my backpack. Chippy! How could I have forgotten him?! My hand unzipped the bag and out he came, flying chaotically around the hallway and moving his beak as if to say some trash towards the thing. Its fast movement became disoriented and it shuffled around aimlessly, apparently confused. I realized this was our chance. I bolted down the path and continued my wild escapade. Or what I thought was one. Suddenly, I saw Chippy land right in front of me. I almost slipped in halting. He just stood there, eyeing me sternly. He wouldn't budge. I just stood there, staring back at him and glancing over my shoulder every half minite. The feeling of dread I had was still there, but it was less this time.

Chippy turned forward and very slowly began to walk. I could only follow suit. The pace of action became agonizingly sluggish as we progressed almost on tiptoe. Nothing was known as to where we were going next.