The Test [#1]

Chapter 20: Daniel

Macy relaxes a little. "Yes!"

I know Lissa picked her because she thought Macy would fall behind. Out of all of us, she's the fastest. But she gets scared easily. If any one of us needs the extra person, it's Macy.

Lissa gives Diana a sheepish look. "Sorry."

Diana shrugs it off. "I understand."

"Okay," Lissa says, looking down at our maps. "We have to make it to the middle in twenty minutes. We won't have any way of communicating with each other. But I don't think we need to. I know we can make it."

I look down at my map. "It doesn't look hard."

Diana glares at me. "Not everyone is good at these kind of things, Daniel," she snaps.

Peter shakes his head. "No. I know we can do this. Diana, do you want to switch sections?"

She looks over his map and shakes her head. "I like mine."

Lissa looks down at her leg with a pained expression. I know what she's thinking. She needs me or Peter to help her walk around. But she also needs to make sure Macy is motivated enough to make it past the maze.

Macy looks up at me. "Daniel, I can't carry her," she whispers. "What if something happens?"

I give her an encouraging smile. "I don't doubt for one second that you two will make it back in time. Lissa will take care of you and you take care of her."

She nods, but the fear is still evident in her eyes. "What if I slow us down? Or what if she ends up hurting herself even more? I would have some sort of heart attache. I would literally die. She can't---"

I cut her off. "I'm not even going to let you finish talking. You'll do great. And she's a strong person. She can handle anything."

Macy runs a hand through her hair. "Will all of us be there? I don't want to Fail."

By then, tears were falling down her face. I send Lissa a look and she limps over to us. "What's wrong?" she asks Macy.

Macy doesn't say anything. Lissa frowns. "Macy," she says sternly. "Do you think we can make it?"

Macy shakes her head. "No," she cries. "I don't."

Lissa purses her lips and doesn't say anything for a while. In a softer voice, "Then let's not try."

Her head quickly snaps up. "What? Not try? Won't that Fail us anyways."

Lissa shrugs. "You don't think we can do this. There's really no point in trying to do something that you already know we can't do. So you and I can go up to the leaders and tell them we forfeit."

That's makes Macy cry even harder. "I don't want to do that either."

Lissa places a hand on her shoulder and makes her look up. "Look at me, Macy." When Macy looks up, Lissa gives her a small smile. "I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that you and I will do perfect. I may slow us down a little but I still think we can do this. If you don't think so, then tell me now so we can go ahead and Fail ourselves. But I need to know if there's even a tiny amount in you that knows we can do this. Because we won't waist our time for no reason."

Macy wipes her eyes. "Will you be okay? I can't carry you if something happens."

She laughs quietly, though I can tell it was forced. "I'll be fine, Macy."

With a sudden determined look in her eyes, Macy nods. "Okay," she says. "You're right. We can do this. Sorry. I just get really---"

"You don't have to apologize," Lissa says softly. "It's okay. I understand."

Macy leaves us to go talk to Peter and Diana. I put my arm around Lissa's waist. "You sure you're okay?"

She looks up at me, her own eyes were wide with fear. But she nods. "I think I am. I just... I know we can do it," she says quickly. "I know that much. But what about everybody else? Will you guys be okay? I mean, we're a group. What if one of use doesn't make it?"

I look her in the eye. "Do you believe in us as much as you believe in you and Macy?"

She nods quickly. "Of course I do. But I just don't want anything to happen. We don't know what's in this maze. This isn't something we've practiced for. And I am absolutely positive that this isn't some kind of game like in those books our moms would get us. This is real. If something happens, it will be on me."

I place a kiss on her forehead. "Baby, I wouldn't worry about that right now. Just concentrate on doing your best."

She nods after a while. "You're right." After a while, "Is it a bad idea to separate ourselves?"

"I don't know," I answer honesty. "But you're right when you said it's better if each try to find a way out. We won't slow each other down."

She smiles at me, already starting to calm down. "Okay. Thanks."

"Alright everyone," the leaders say through a microphone. "Find your places."

Macy looks back at Lissa with a worried look but starts walking towards their section anyways. I can't help but worry about this. Knowing the leaders, there's probably something wrong with what we're doing. But I won't let that get to me now.

The bell rings, signaling the start of the round. Everyone started going forward into the maze. At first, nothing happened. But then, the walls started moving. If we got locked out, we immediately Failed. Quickly, I ran through the walls. My foot barely fit through the closing walls. But I made it. My heart felt like it was going to explode from inside. And I knew my hands were shaking. The clock read seventeen minutes left. I quickly look down at the map trying to decide where to move to next. My mind keeps wandering off to Lissa. Is she okay? Did she make it past those doors? But I know I have to focus. I try to keep my hands from shaking as I make a left turn and another left turn up ahead.

I hear people screaming everywhere. My eyes literally bulge out of my head as I stare at the stupid walls in front of me. I am surrounded. Then suddenly, the floors open up from under me. Letting out a startled scream, I back away, not wanting to fall through the hole.

"Crap," I mutter under my breath.

How in the world am I supposed to get through that?

HEY!!! THIS UPDATE CAME SOONER THAN NORMAL!!! BUT I HAVE IT DONE SO THERE IS NO POINT IN WAITING.

I KNOW ITS NOT MY BEST BUT I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT. BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO WRITE NEXT.

THE TEST ACTUALLY STARTED!! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I COULD USE SOME FEEDBACK. IT IS VERY WELL NEEDED.

THERES STILL A LOT MORE CHAPTERS LEFT. I CANT SAY HOW MANY SONCE IM NOT EVEN SURE MYSELF. BUT THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING MY STORY!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE!!!!