THE MAZE

Chapter Five: Professor James Eilers

Well, what are these other people waiting for?

The only thing I know for sure is that I want the one million dollars. Correction: I need the one million dollars. I love being a professor, but the money is not great and a million dollars sure would change my life.

If none of these other people are gonna do anything, then I may as well be the first one to make a move.

Without further hesitation, I step forward and push open the door that the guide went into, walking inside. A few moments later, the seven others shuffle in behind me.

I have decided to work alone. I feel as if it is a wise decision; I do not know any of these people from a hole in the wall and I would like to have the one million dollars all to myself, thank you very much. Please don't think of me as selfish though because usually I am a very charitable person.

Room One of The Maze.

It is much more brightly lit than the entrance hall, with sunlight streaming in through two large, circular windows on the ceiling. I blink repeatedly, my eyes taking some time to adjust to the difference. Once they finally do adjust, I slowly observe the room. My eyes scan around, trying to take in as much as they can of the small room.

Room One is quite plain. There are four doors on the opposite wall, each with a number on a brass plate above them. The doors are divided into two groups of two by a large, blazing fireplace in the wall, giving the room the somewhat pleasant smell of burning wood.

20. 26. 41. 21.

Believe me, I do not know squat about what is going on right now, but I am pretty sure that these numbers indicate what room each door leads to. How we know what room we are supposed to go to, I have no clue.

On a similar note, I really do not like our guide. There is something about him; something...off. I cannot put my finger on exactly what it is about him that is so peculiar, but the only thing I can discern right now is that he is not here to help us.

Breaking out of my thoughts, I continue to observe the room. I didn't notice it at first, but one corner of the black, wood floor is covered with what seems to be torn scrolls of parchment paper. Trying my best to block out the whispering conversations of some of the others, I walk over and kneel down. However, just as I am about to pick up one of the scrolls of paper, it is snatched out of my hand. Looking up, I see that the elderly man has grabbed it out of my grasp. He stares at me, clutching the scroll to his bony chest.

"Um excuse me, but I don't think you are allowed to take from other players," I say as nicely as possible.

I hold my hand out, waiting for him to give it back to me, but he does not. Instead, he reaches out and begins to rapidly seize the other sheets.

"Hey!" I exclaim.

In the end, I manage to take hold of only one scroll. I watch, vexed, as the elderly man unfurls the scrolls, quickly pores over them, then dashes through Door 26. He is the first to leave Room One.

Turning my back away from the others, I unroll the scroll. Expecting to reveal a clue of some sort, I am disappointed when I find that the only thing on the paper is a hand-drawn picture of a stupid redfish. Wow, very helpful. I fold the paper up and stick it into my jacket pocket. I highly, highly doubt it, but who knows, it may help me at some point later.

Everyone watched the man leave, and now I can see that everyone, including myself, is deliberating whether or not they should follow him.

"I say we go to Room 26 as well. That old guy seemed to know what he was doing," I hear Mr. Fitz murmur to his wife.