Max fumbles over his words a bit. He's struggling to find them. I realise then that I've just told Max my whole past. More or less. Suddenly I'm not sure why I did that. The tidal wave of panic that only just left my brain returns to my already cluttered thoughts. Before I even realise what's going on, I've gotten up and left the room. I'm climbing up the ladder - out of the safety of the tunnel. Now I'm running. As fast as I can. My heart is racing, my lungs burning, legs sore as tears stream down my face. I don't know where I am. All I can hear is a ringing in my ears. I can't keep this up for much longer. I stumble over some fallen bricks and that does it. I stop running. I stand, glued to the spot, crying, panting, panicking, wishing my mother was here. I want to scream. But I can't. I won't. Or maybe I will. I'm not sure. All I can do now is stand here and cry. Let myself fade into the silence. Do I really deserve this? Did I deserve to be lied to by my 'father'? Is it my fault? Knowing me, probably.
"Jonesy! Jo..." Max's voice cuts through the silence like a knife. It's almost as if the non-existent knife stabs be because suddenly, I start to tremble. I feel like my legs can't hold the rest of me, so I just let myself collapse. Max runs up to me. He kneels down beside me. I'm still crying.
"Holy crap, it's freezing," Max whispers next to me. "Oh yeah.." I reply, only then realising just how cold it is. My heart is still soaring. Until he rests his hand on my shoulder. I don't know why, but his presence his comforting. I allow my breathing to slow down, accept the patch of warmth where his hand is and my thoughts start to disintegrate. The world around starts becoming real again.
YOU ARE READING
The Labyrinth of living
AdventureKnowledge is power. But too much can kill a man. Every step into knowing they step onto thinner ice. There's only so much it can take before the ice cracks and they escape the labyrinth.
