Push the Limits

9

Thea shivered. "Somehow I think this time it will be harder than when we were first in the labyrinth.."

There was a sinister shriek coming from another part of the maze. 

The sound wasn't human.

"We need to move," Dan said quickly, "come on guys!" Thea knew he was referring to Michelle, Caleb, Denise, Harry, Nina and Jake. 

"We have to stick together." Denise said, and they all nodded. 

"Now let's go! I don't wanna be lizard chow!" Harry remarked, and they all began to run. 

Thea cleared her head and focused on the pounding of her heart and the thumping of her feet hitting the floor. 

Somehow Michelle and Caleb found their way to the front, and were leading the group through the hallways. Thea was becoming aware that they had been passing the same wall markings again and again.

There were tally marks scratched into the wall, and it seemed like one mark was added every time they passed it. 

"Guys! Stop!" Thea called out, and the group came to a halt.

"What is it?" Michelle asked, almost bitterly. 

"Where are you taking us?" Thea asked, suspicious.

Michelle and Caleb shared a look. ".. Through the maze. We're all trying to find our way here." Caleb snapped.

"Then explain to me why we've been going in circles." Thea hissed. 

"What..? We.. haven't.." Michelle defended, even though she was visibly breaking.

"Don't lie to me, Michelle!" Thea shouted. 

"They promised us we could leave if we got you killed! They said they'd make us rich!" She blurted out angrily.

Fury was building up inside not only Thea, but the others as well. 

"You &^*%$!" Denise screamed. 

"You would do the same!" Michelle shot back.

"No, we wouldn't!" Nina growled. 

Michelle stepped back, tears stinging her eyes. "Then have fun dying."

Thea was suddenly aware of the snarling behind them. "Run." She muttered to her friends.

Nobody moved. 

"Run, you fools!" She cried out, and they all snapped into motion. 

Thea sprinted down the corridor, and Dan was at her side the whole way.

Denise and Harry were hot on their tails, but Nina and Jake were nowhere to be seen.

And then she heard the screams.

Thea heard Jake's cry for help first. And then she heard the echoing sounds of blood splattering and the beast throttling the body. Nina was screaming, maybe mostly from the fear, until her pitch changed and Thea knew she was being ripped apart.

One of her best friends was being slaughtered and there was nothing she could do.

Thea bit back a sob. 

And then she heard a sound that she didn't expect.

"No! Don't come after me- er- us! Your masters gave us protection! You can't kill us!" Michelle screamed. 

Then there was a deafening shriek of the beast, and then came the all too familiar sounds of a body being ripped to shreds.

Thea knew what it was at once. 

Michelle and Caleb had met the same fate as Jake and Nina.

They were all dead.

Thea couldn't handle her thoughts. She fell to her knees and cried out in jeopardy. She dug her nails into her palms and sobbed. 

"Why is this happening to us?!" She screamed.

"Thea! We have to go!" Dan shouted at her, and he tugged her to her feet. 

Dan and Denise pulled Thea along while she stumbled blindly. 

Pull yourself together, Thea! She thought viciously to herself.

Thea wiped her eyes and shook her head of all the thoughts of her dead friends.

She started running again, analyzing the twists and turns. 

"Guys! We have to hurry!" Dan said, panicked, looking at his watch, "we only have ten minutes to find the arena!"

Thea cursed. 

"Let's MOVE IT then!" Harry puffed.

Their future was looking bleak and dreary, but Thea told herself to stay positive. 

"We can make it!" She said through gritted teeth. 

They took a right turn, and then a left.

"I have to catch my breath," Denise panted, "I have to stop."

The group of four stopped, breathing heavily. 

"I don't think the lizard thing is following us anymore." Harry said.

"Guys..?" Dan said, suddenly concerned.

"What?" They responded in unison. 

"We have five minutes. We have to keep going." He wheezed.

"#$*%!" Denise snapped. 

And they began to run again. 

They took a left, then a right, and then another right.

Thea turned sharply down a corridor and found herself in an ancient stadium.

It looked like they were inside the Colosseum in Rome, but it was teeming with firelit torches.

"This is it." She whispered.

Then the doors shut behind the four students.

"Welcome to the arena, where you will partake in the tenth and final test. You are the last ones left." Boomed the 'automated' voice.

"How are we the only ones left? Did the creature get everyone else?" Denise mumbled.

"In the center of the arena, you will find four guns, each loaded with one bullet. That's one gun for each of you. For the final test, you must kill your partner.."