Running Hopeful (NewtxReader)

Chapter 5: In Memory

I wasn't exactly excited to be back in the maze. But it would have been worse waiting around back in that clearing, glade-like place.

Neither place felt free. In the maze was like being slowly entombed on all sides. But that other place was like a stagnant pond. No where to run.

Blondie walked in front, quickly turning on a dime whenever it suited him to go a different way.

Floofy followed behind, jaw clenched and clearly on edge. He kept looking around like something was after him.

Curly came next, doing his best to scrawl the maze down on the small piece of paper Smart Guy had given us. He wasn't the best artist.

I brought up the rear, moving with less urgency so that I would fall behind them, then catch up as Blondie hovered at intersections, deciding which way to go.

We were wandering aimlessly.

"Are we heading in the right direction?" Blondie called back to Curly.

"I... Think so..." Curly said, turning the map in his hands, trying to make sense of it.

They were attempting, roughly, to head towards the other side where Dreads was yesterday. It was taking longer than they had expected. My stomach grumbled loudly. I was starting to wish we had taken Smart Guy's advice and grabbed some food before we started off for the day.

Floofy looked back at me. "Can you shut that thing up?"

"My stomach?" I couldn't tell if he was being serious.

"I could hear it from miles away." Floofy said dryly.

"Good. Maybe Dreads will hear it and come looking for us." Sarcasm bit at the edges of my words.

"And maybe he'll think you're a monster coming to eat him and run the other way." Floofy slapped the sarcasm right back.

Curly looked up in alarm. "You don't really think there's something else in here, do you?"

"No." Blondie said immediately. "Don't be ridiculous."

Floofy just shrugged. I rolled my eyes.

The three boys walking in front of me fell through the floor.

I started, unsure what just happened. They screamed, grabbing onto stone as the ground crumbled away beneath them.

I dropped to my knees, grabbing Curly's hand. He was closest. Floofy swung his other hand up to get a better grip but Blondie, furthest down was hanging on by fingers. Below the path had opened up into a rocky pit several feet down.

I tried to pull Curly up, my sweaty hands loosing their grip on his skin.

Floofy hung on tight, looking for handholds to grab and pull himself up.

Curly let go of the edge to grab my arm with one hand. I shouted in surprise at the movement, almost pitching forward off the edge with them. My toes snagged on a crack and I stabilized myself. Our hands turned white with how tight we gripped each other. It was enough to stop the slipping and I started backing up, pulling him out of the pit.

Floofy was starting to grunt as he moved. Shimmying along his hand hold to get closer to Curly and I.

Curly was halfway out of the pit. I let go of him and immediately grabbed Floofy.

Blondie slipped. I almost let go of Floofy in shock.

I watched Blondie fall, his head smacking painfully against stone at the bottom.