Death Maze

Chapter Three

Death Maze _ Chapter Four _ Rules

That bastard. If I ever get my hands on him I'll-

"Seems like you two go back, Alexis?" I can't tell which of the twins has spoken, but I just glare at the ground, fuming.

"Not in the slightest way."

"C'mon guys, eat. They'll bring us out for the Game at some point today." Josey says with a sigh.

Annoyed, I decide to speak up for once, "What is this Game anyway?" I look around the room at everyone, while they scrounge around for food.

"Like Josey said, Neil and Jack like to tell the newbies. Learn to listen." Kaitlyn says, glaring daggers at me.

Looks like someone doesn't like the 'newbie'.

"Eat." Josey demands, handing me some meat and a handful of peas.

Scooping them into my mouth, I sit in a corner of the room farthest from everyone else.

I wonder if my mother misses me. Does she even know I'm gone? Has she called the police at all? This town isn't too big, I'm sure they haven’t brought me far. I wonder how long I was out for anyway, not that I'm going to ask. Everyone here seems very distant, like they don’t want me to know anything. Actually they don’t want to tell me anything.

Josey is nice, Shane and Nick seem to just be making the best of the circumstances, Isaac just stares at me, Austin doesn't look or talk to anyone, while Kaitlyn... I think she copes with this by being mean, defensive. Always having her gaurd up. Not letting anyone in. Not trusting a single soul.

"I hear them." Austin suddenly speaks. How long had I been out of it? And how can Austin hear them from this cement room? He must be able to hear really well.

Everyone stands in front of the door, hands behind their backs and feet apart. With a raised eyebrow, I follow their lead. My head held high.

The door begins to slide open. I stare blankly at the 'door' waiting for them, these Hunters, to enter. They enter wearing black paint on their faces, black short sleeved t-shirts, and black shorts that reach their knees. Neil has a black army bandanna wrapped around his head, while Jack has a black hat that just covers his eyes.

"Follow Neil, you all know the drill." Jack bellows.

Yeah, everyone knows but me.

I take up the rear, while Jack follows behind me. A little too close for comfort.

We're led out of the cement room and into darkness. The air feels chilly and I can tell I'm walking on soil. Jack swats at my ass and I quicken my pace up a little. I swear I'm going to kill him.

Ahead of me I see a light and we're quickly walking out onto a metal bridge, with chunks torn out of it. Our heads are close to the roof of this building, there isn't a single window in the room, and half of the lights are either not on, or broken.

At each end of the bridge, there are stairs that go down to each end of the room. Below us looks like a hedge maze, but far more advanced and with brick walls. The room is filled with a fowl stench, which causes my face to take on a prune look.

Jack and Neil each stand beside our group, "Face this way," Neil says in a gruff voice.

First time I've ever heard him speak. They stand tall, hands behind their backs, sizing us up.

"Let’s go over the rules now," Jack finally begins.

"We are the Hunters," Neil walks back to where we all came from.

For what, I don't know.

"And all of you are our prey. You see that Maze below?" He points at it.

“You will all have to go through obstacles and will be tested on certain abilities in this maze. If you fail, the consequence is death."

Neil throws some guns, knives, and other weapons onto the floor by Jacks feet. I look at Neil and see a group of kids by his side, their faces shrouded in darkness. I guess that's how the people in my group know about all of this.

But why can't I be with that other group? Knowing what's coming is better than going in blind. But, if I had the choice, I'd wish not to be here at all.

"Those kids," Jack points to them.

"Are going to watch you all. There can be more than one winner of this little Game. What happens when you win... Well, Neil and I have never had to worry about that, but, I'm sure it'll be something nice."  With a smirk, Jack hands us each a few knives.

"You may need to work together. Someone may have to stand on or touch something in order to open a door, while other parts you may be forced to fight against each other. You never know. It's different each time."

Each time? That gets me wondering, how long have they been taking kids and forcing them to do such cruel things? And what do they do with the... bodies?

"Turn around." Jack now sounds bored.

"You see that, written in red all over that wall?"

We all turn and what I see is repulsive. What's written on the wall is 'Death Maze' and below it are bodies. Mountains of bodies. No one else looks at all moved by this, but -to Jack's amusement- my mouth is hanging open in horror.

"When you hear over the intercom, 'go', you may all run down the stairs on the right. While Neil and myself will go to the left"

We're about to start, right now? I'm shaking. They make it sound like a simple school game, nothing horrible about it. Jack's acting as if it is to be fun and alluring, but... people are bound to die. Horror music and people screaming come over the intercom.

"Don't die, and try not to kill each other." Jack yells over the intercom, smirking. The kids by the door stay there, silently watching.

"Oh, and good luck." Jack whispers in my ear, touching my hip with his hand.

I walk away from him and over to my 'team'.

"Let's do what that the other group did, partner up. They got far." Austin says.

Everyone nods their heads in agreement, all but Kaitlyn. She doesn't say yes or no, rather just stands there.

"Alright. Shane and Nick, Isaac and I, Josey and Kaitlyn... Oh, Alexis-"

"I'll be by myself, Josey and Alexis can be together. Don't get in my way or kill me, and I'll return the favor." Kaitlynn speaks.

Austin nods. "Alright, Josey and Alexis. Ready guys?"

Everyone nods, and holds up a knife. They almost seem practiced. I hold mine at my side and stand, ready to run forward.

"Three, two, one,"

Here we go.

 "GO!"