Short horror stories

The Deadly Maze, Chapter One- Perspectives

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever. I was stuck on what to write for it, and also I kind of hyper-fixated on writing the other books (as one with ADHD does). Anyway, I present to you...The Deadly Maze!

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The Host's POV

I'm watching the girl struggle, flailing about and trying to find a way out. That isn't going to happen, because there is no way out. She can't escape, no matter how hard she tries. She drags her nails on the door, trying to find a way to pry it open. All that results in is a few broken fingernails and bleeding fingertips. The girl curled up on her bare bed then and cried. I smiled then, knowing her spirit was starting to break. She'd make a great addition to my show.

Every hour or so, I hear her trying to yell for help. She hasn't spotted the camera yet, and I know exactly what she'll do if she notices it. Meals come at random intervals, so there is no way to tell how much time has passed. I did that on purpose, just to torture her. It's been a week since she arrived here, or, more accurately, since I kidnapped her and placed her here. I decided to test her, see if she can tell who I am and if she can tell why she was here.

"Do you know me?" I ask. She jumps when she hears my voice from the hidden speakers. It's been a day since the girl spotted the camera, and she flip me off. I laugh a cold, grating laugh, and she shivers at the sound. "Go away, you creep," she shouts. "I don't know why you are doing this-"

"Now now. Let's not get testy," I say. "I haven't even properly introduced myself yet. You're going to call me Host, okay? And you are going to be known as Captive. We're going to play a game, so listen close to the rules."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! You are holding me captive, and you want me to play a fucking game?!" Captive shouts. "Well then. I guess you'll never escape this place if you wanna play hard to get. Though you weren't that hard to get, looking back on it..." I trail off and grin at my silly little joke. "All right. The rules are simple. Ready?" I ask.

Captive nods and I smile, even though she can't see me. "Great. First things first, the door is going to open when I say the word "go". Then, you must go through my maze and find the exit. However, this maze is not going to be easy. It is filled with traps that will... Actually, you'll find that out for yourself. Just know that the maze is very dangerous. Once you start moving, the traps will be activated, and try to avoid them. Your room's door will close immediately after both of your feet leave the doorway. It will not open again. Understand?"

Captive nods again and decides to speak. "What about food and shit? I need to eat and drink, right?" This has probably been her least offensive statement or question thus far. "Of course, you have to last long enough to get food, but there is and will be food and water scattered about the maze. One last meal will be provided to you before we begin the game. Stand back against the wall, I don't want my lovely assistants getting hurt." She obliges and gets to eat a big meal, more food than she's had for any meal since she arrived. I like to spoil my Captives before setting them free in my little maze of horrors.

"So Host," she says through a mouthful of food. "Why me?" I'm startled by the question. Normally my Captive's don't like to make small talk with their captor. "Well, it's a fun little thing I do sometimes. I take the most interesting people I can find, and I stick them in my maze, and see if they can solve it!" I giggle. There have only been two, out of around twenty, who have come out of the maze alive.

"All right, my sweet little Captive. It's time to release you into the maze. Are you ready?" I watch her closely on the monitors as she nods. I press a button, and her door opens. She walks out the door, jumping when it slams behind her. "Ready? Go!" I push another button, and the lights go out in the maze. The cameras automatically turn on night vision mode and start recording.

She's a part of the show now, called The Deadly Maze. I get a ton of viewers every night, all watching how every captive is fairing in my maze. It has become a popular show, with many platforms and such streaming it. There are so many fan pages and whatnot, that I'm surprised anyone is normal. Apparently, everyone loves watching death when it seems to be fictional. No one questions it or thinks that it could be real.

I love watching these people struggle, even if I'm aware that I may be caught. So far, I've remained hidden, my location and identity are not known, but there is always the possibility that one day, someone will track me down, shut the Deadly Maze down, and kill me or send me to prison for killing off these people. I disguise everything about myself so the cameras and the viewers watching won't be able to recognize me. Some of the viewers will comment about who they think I am, pulling up articles and stuff that are going in the exact wrong direction, which is perfectly fine by me. I'm a person of mystery, and that will be how it stays.

For some of my more dedicated fans, I have behind-the-scenes videos, showing how different things in the Maze work, or how the camera set up is like, that sort of thing. I sometimes offer footage from inside the starting room, minus the bathroom breaks. This has created a lot of interest in the show, and some fans even made an app that gives live updates about what is happening, plus pages to rate how well certain things are going in the Maze. Captive's are rated on their performance, and the technology in the Maze as well. I love how dedicated my fans are.

The Captive's POV

The lights cut out, and I almost scream. Tiny red blinking lights are the only source of light I have to guide me, and that terrifies me. The maze does appear to be kind of familiar though, like I've seen it before somehow...shit. I'm in the Deadly Maze. I didn't think that this was a real place, I thought it was fake, a movie set or something. But no, it's real, and I'm in it.

"Hey, Hostie. Why choose me for The Deadly Maze?" I decide pet names are the way to go with this situation. Pet names always make me a bit calmer, and I decide Host can't be more pissed off than he already is by my words. "I'm not gonna move, so there won't be any entertainment happening from me."

I'm going to be as difficult as possible because now I know what happened to those people who were here before me. They all died, and not to be selfish, but I wasn't going to risk my life to help some nameless person gain views on multiple websites. I used to be a super big fan of the show, I still am, just not now that I'm in it, for obvious reasons. Host doesn't answer, probably because it's all up to me from here on out.

The whir of machinery sounds behind me, and I turn just in time to see the door sliding towards me. Host is going to crush me if I don't move. I'll die a painful death, feel my bones shatter as the air is squeezed out of me. Host is really smart, I'll give them that. The door moving is enough to get me going, to get me up off my feet and trotting through the maze.

I don't know the paths or the way to go, because the maze gets changed every time and so does the Captive's starting point. I hear the speaker crackle and the Host's voice. "Smart choice, Captive," the computer-generated voice says. No one knows the Host's real voice, age, gender, or identity, which added to the mystery and appeal of the show.

I reach the first fork in the maze and stop. I think I can hear something coming from the right, so I turn left. I want to avoid Host's traps, seeing how deadly they all were for the others. My knowledge of the maze is pretty good, seeing as I was a viewer from the very beginning.

I know my chances of surviving are slim, but there is a chance, and I'm willing to take the risk. I know that Host has a few people who help them with their maze, some with the construction, some with the killing... All right, now I'm kind of worried. I turn another corner and come face to face with the last thing I wanted to see.