Thirteen

2

I'm God by Clams Casino

My thoughts slowly crawl back to me. I feel like I've woken up from the dead. My brain is so slow at waking up. My eyes feel like a ton of bricks, and it feels like I've pulled every muscle possible in my body. The thought of opening my eyes fully makes my stomach churn, but I still try to pry my lids apart. When I force them open, I'm immediately blinded by the brightness of white florescent lights above me. The world feels like it's spinning too fast and I have to squint to let my eyes adjust to the light.
I struggle to sit up, feeling the blood rushing from my head causing me a splitting headache, it honestly feels like my brain is going to explode. I hold my head in my hands praying that the headache would go away.
Once having a grasp on reality, I look beyond my hands and down towards my whole body, realising I'm now in a completely white outfit, wearing a white t-shirt, white jogging bottoms and white ankle socks.
What unsettles me is that I physically can't remember putting this outfit on, or even owning it.

Around one ankle is a small black device like an ankle monitor. I try to pull it off but nothing happens and it only makes my skin go red.
Fuck.
Where am I?
My eyes desperately dart around me. Surrounding me are thick, white concrete walls, the same material as the floor I woke up on, nearly two stories high. I spin my head, looking behind me to see three long corridors. I lift myself up off of the floor, noticing how much my body aches. Each step I take feels like I have weights attached to my ankles. This strange environment and situation sends shivers down my spine. Anxiety bubbles in the bottom of my stomach.
A female voice suddenly speaks out of nowhere, startling me and making me jump.
"Subject thirteen, began Labyrinth test at 1:07 pm."
Holy shit.
My mind suddenly started racing. This is like some movie shit. Maybe it's some sort of social experiment or some fucking elaborate prank. My heart is in my throat and there is no way I'm doing this.

I take a single step back away from those corridors, my heart racing.
I suddenly feel a sharp pain ripple through my leg, around where the device around my ankle is. I collapse onto my knees, my breathing fast.
Was the device around my ankle meant to hurt me?
I'm assuming it was some sort of warning for refusing to go down one of the corridors...
I pull myself up off the floor and turn to look at the three long corridors. I take a deep breath and try to think straight. If the female voice said this is a 'labyrinth ', then surely this is just one big maze. And to find the exit to every maze, is to always take right turns or to always stick to the right wall. Out of the three options, I glance at the right corridor and hobble my way towards it, slightly limping.
As I walk, I glide my hand over the tall white wall, the bumps and irregularities of the concrete running underneath my fingers. I quickly come to a turn, following the right wall around the corner and ignoring the option to turn left. The silence draws my attention to how loud my heart is beating in my chest. The rhythmic beat is the only thing keeping me calmer.
I'm about to go another right turn when another shock is delivered up my leg and through my body. I crumple to the floor in agony. The short sharp shock is gone as soon as it arrives but the intensity is excruciating. My vision goes blurry with tears and my brain feels fuzzy.
How big is this maze?
How many more shocks?
I lean against the wall to stand up and to keep going, limping more with each step. My breathing is so fucking shallow and my muscles scream for a rest but I force myself to keep going. Every dead end makes me more frustrated and every turn looks exactly the same as the last. I try to drown out the pain in my leg, now at a speed-walking pace but the more turns I took, the more lost I felt.
How am I supposed to escape this hell hole?
Is there supposed to be a more efficient way of escaping?
I try to pick up the pace slightly, as now I'm getting thirsty.
That's when I feel that shock again, the horrible jolt that urges me to go faster. I'm now struggling to breathe, my headache coming back to me.
"Please- I'm doing it!" I say with a shaking voice, begging the pain to stop.
I take a moment to catch my breath before starting to sprint down the hallway as if running away from the pain. I forget about only turning right and run aimlesly down any corridor.
I look behind me as I'm running, and realise I'm leaving red footprints behind me, my socks now soaked with blood.
How much longer?
How long have I been at this? An hour? A day? A week? I don't know. My ankles throb with pain and my lungs burn. I gulp my thick saliva and try to control my breathing. Dehydration was beginning to take its toll. I feel like I'm going to pass out.
That's when I see an open spot in a wall at the end of the corridor.
My eyes widen at the glimpse of hope and I start to sprint towards it, a sudden burst of energy appearing out of no where. A small smile crawls across my face as I pass through the opening and into another small room. I take a deep breath and collapse against the wall infront of me, sinking down to the floor. I close my eyes, a wave of relief washing over me, thankful the shit is over.
I half expect another shock to radiate up my leg, but it never comes to me.
A wooden door opens I didn't notice before suddenly opens and and a small brunette lady in a white lab coat comes through. She has green eyes, her hair has been tied in a tight bun, and she looks like she can't walk properly in her black heels.
"3 hours and 36 minutes." She says, looking at her clipboard. "Not bad! But could be improved..."
I recognise the voice immediately.
She was the voice from earlier, at the beginning of the maze.
She looks me up and down with a disgusted look on her face. "Bit scrawny, ain't ya?"
What a bitch.
I'm so confused about where I am, how I got here and about the labyrinth I just ran. I try to speak, but she talks first.
"Get up." She barks .
I don't think I physically can. My breathing is still erratic and I'm struggling to calm myself. I shake my head.
"Water." I manage to croak, my dry and hot throat.
She crouches down to my level, and puts her clipboard on the floor, eyeing me up.
"Hm? Water?! Baby, you need to learn to adapt. Who said that you would be getting a stable source of water..."

"Dr. Monroe! Is that how we talk to newcomers?" A heavily accented voice cut in unexpectedly. Dr. Monroe froze and turned around.
"Ah! Dr. Vlad! I-I didn't know you were coming so soon!"
I tense up. I look up to see a tall, lanky man. He has thick blonde hair that has been combed to the right and his sharp eyes are framed by glasses. He also wore a black turtle neck and he's also wearing a lab coat. He gives me the creeps.
"Ah, well I had to come see my new one!" His voice definitely has a harsh accent, though I'm not sure if it's Russian or German. He crouches down to my level and brushes some loose hair out of my face. "Time?"
Dr. Monroe answers quickly but stutters, "Oh- uhm 3 hours and 36 minutes."
Vlad smiles.
"Very good!" he holds out his hands to lift me up. I hesitate, looking at his outstretched hands, my breathing still heavy and fast. My legs still ache from all the running, and my heart is beating through my chest.
"Come on Liebling. I don't bite." He continues to hold out his hands. I sigh and reluctantly take them, struggling slightly to stand up. I felt the device that was strapped to my bleeding ankle fall off, followed by a sigh from Vlad.
"Wie barbarisch." He mutters under his breath. (how barbaric)
"Well, thank you for looking after her Smith!"
And with that, he firmly but gently grabs my wrist and pulls me out of the room before I can even say a word.

A/N
HEYYY WE HIT TEN VEIWS IM SO EXCITED ‼️ PLEASE comment if you like it or not and whether I carry it on 🕸❤️