Complicated

Chapter 20: I Walked into that One

The first thing that I noticed right away was the smell. It was awful, it was stale and dusty, but also had a weird rusty metal smell. Stepping into the room it made me cough a few times, which made me wince.

"You get used to it, there isn't much circulation in here... and mixed with runners who have run all day in the sun.." Ben said with an amused look, watching me.

"Hmmm. Gross." I said dryly, wrinkling my nose.

"Ahh, you'll be part of the problem shortly , Tiger!" Minho chuckled at my face.

Minho walked further into the room and pulled a cord, turning on a bare lightbulb hanging in the middle of the room. I blinked from the sudden burst of light, once my eyes adjusted I looked around this once forbidding room. There wasn't much. A big scruffy wood table in the middle, it was littered with paper and pencils, a few papers were pined or tapped to the walls. I stepped closer to the walls. I realized almost right away they were drawings of the maze. they were very intricate and detailed.

"So. This is it." Ben swept his arm wide.

I slowly walked around the perimeter of the room, looking at the drawings.

"So you have two runners per door, and they memorize what they can and write it down as soon as they get back?"

"Yep." Minho popped the P.

"And your still exploring?"

"Yep." He popped the p again, hooking his thumbs in his runners vest.

"Have you guys brought note books and pencil into the Maze?"

It was quiet, and I turned from the map I was looking at to see the boys looking dumbstruck.

"The shuck?! Why didn't I think of this?" Minho whispered to himself.

I shook my head in amusement, "Because your head is too full of hair gel, and you're just not thinking."

"Well I walked into that one." He muttered.

"It would help you remember what you ran, and map later, and that way we can check notes too see if anything is different. 'Cause the walls change, ya?"

Ben nodded. Then folded his long arms over his lean chest, and he gave me a smug look, "I told you, Charlie you would be a good assets."

I just rolled my eyes, and turned back to the maps pinned to the wall. I frowned and cocked my head.

"What else is on your mind Tiger? Lay it on me!" Minho said coming to stand beside me. Ben followed and stood beside me on the other side.

"Well...I was just thinking...with all these maps everywhere...how do you keep it all straight? It looks so complicated."

Both boys hummed and shrugged. Minho turned around towards the table, I turned and watched him. He shuffled papers around trying to find something.

"Ahh! There is is. Come here Tiger."

I came over and leaned my elbows on the table. Minho had grabbed a pencil and blank paper.

"Okay, this is what we know so far..."

He went on to explain the sections and areas they have explored, and how it works so far, how the walls move, but only in select areas, not every wall changes. I frowned as I watched Minho draw the map, explaining. He finished and presented the page to me. I studied it, looking carefully at everything. There was something at the back of my mind, it was like an itch I couldn't reach.

"What's with the face? I can almost see the wheels turning!" Ben asked, poking my cheek.

I swatted his hand away with an eye roll. He tried poking me again, but I smacked it away. He just chuckled.