Hunting the flame

CHAPTER 8: YOU DON'T EXIST (1)

MAUDE

Sometimes I hate how obsessed I am with not showing my weakness because someday that will end up with me dead. But for now it ended up with me getting trapped in a maze that looked infinite.

I don't really believe in the supernatural world, but for a minute I really thought we were being haunted or some Bloody Mary shit will get out of one of the mirrors and eat us alive. Silas is lucky that didn't happen because I wouldn't think twice about sacrificing him if it would mean even the tiniest chance for me to run.

Once we get out of the maze, I get this weird, unsettling feeling in my stomach, but it's probably from all the adrenaline that pumped through my veins. I look around, blinking at the world around because for some good twenty minutes all I saw was my reflection.

"That's weird" I say, as I stop at the end of the steps" I could swear the ferry was to the left and not to the right. And I haven't seen this before" I point to the Mexican food stall. "I think all those mirrors inside made me lose my sense of orientation and distorted my memory" I chuckle because it's unusual from me to get my orientations wrong.

Silas forces a laugh but I ignore it for the moment. He's probably trippy too.

"I'll drive you home" furrow my eyebrows at him and then remember he drove me here too, because my car is probably still near the forest.

"I can take a cab" I respond, as I really don't want to spend even more time with him "I don't want you to know where I live. Even though you probably already do. Stalker" I roll my eyes and a wide grin shows on his face.

"It's late I won't let you drive in a stranger's car, even more now with Halloween approaching. There are a lot of weirdos out there" his face is a mix of emotions I can't really comprehend.

"You're one of them, and also, Lynn is probably waiting for us at the Wheel" I start walking towards the Wheel and Silas huffs. "She's my friend. You're not, you can go home if you don't want to come look for her" I roll my eyes and walk ahead of him but I hear his footstep behind.

When I get to the Wheel, Lynn is not there. It would be hard to find here because there are many people here. I snuck my phone out of my pocket to call her. I press call but there's no service.

"What the fuck?" I try to call again. "Why don't I have service we're in the middle of the town?" I mumble to myself.

Silas scratches the back of his head, and looks around confused.

"I don't know, it happens sometimes. I think Lynn left, Maude, let's go home, okay?" his voice confused.

"Fine. But only because I don't want to pay twenty dollars or something on a taxi" I say and head to the parking lot"

As we turn the corner, I feel a growing unease in the pit of my stomach. I know this street by heart, but something feels off and unfamiliar. I can't seem to shaken off the emotions that bundled inside of me in the maze earlier. Maybe I'm just really tired and need sleep.

But as Silas goes a few more meters, panic starts to rise within me as my heart starts racing. I tell him to stop the motorcycle and I take my helmet off.

"Silas, where is my house?" I stammer, my voice quivering.

"You're asking me? You really need to stop with the stalker accusations" he furrows his brows, as he takes his helmet off too.