Look Behind You

Chapter Nine

кιтту'ѕ ρσν

"Just great. Another one."

All my friends groaned. The maze that lay awaiting us wasn't a creepy hedge maze, nor a hospital.

I didn't even know what it was.

Darkness swept over half the room, while bookshelves leaned against the wall. Large empty spaces where closets had once been stood dusty and empty.

"What is this place?" Maggie gasped in shock.

"It's like a hospital upgrade," Kate's voice quivered.

"Let's hope we can get through this quickly," I murmured, stepping through the door, Maggie at my heels. Nitro and Kate followed.

Maggie's breathing quickened. "This place is so unusual. There's lights, but they don't seem to illuminate the place at all. Plus these shadows are so... unnatural. It's confusing."

"Don't let it bother you," I sighed. "Let your mind rest. You've been thinking so much, your brain will explode if you don't take a break."

Maggie's shoulders slumped. "I just want to help. I feel useless. Like a burden."

"You're not a burden," I sighed. "Without you, we'd be lost. You're smart. Funny. Caring. Don't forget you're my sister, and sister's stick together."

"Looks like Kate and her sister are far apart," Maggie murmured, glancing over her shoulder.

"Not exactly," I shook my head. "The memory of Iris still lies in Kate's heart. They're always together, just not in person."

"Will I feel alone if you die?" Maggie whispered nervously.

I leaned in for a hug. "Maggie, I'll never die. I'll stay at your side, continuously fighting for my life."

"And if I die?"

"I'll die, too, so we can always be together."

• • •

My feet were sore, my eyelids were drooping, and I was about to collapse.

The pitch-black shadows of the third maze reminded me of my room. Every night the darkness lulled me to sleep, and it was impossible to hold back the many yawns that rose up within me.

"I need a break," Kate groaned. "Can we stop soon? I need some shut-eye."

"Kate," Nitro rolled her eyes, "we're in the middle of a maze, there's obviously a monster hunting us, and there's nowhere to sleep."

"Okay," Kate shrugged. "Then can I use the bathroom instead.

"I swear, this girl's gonna have a difficult future," I whispered into Maggie's ear, and she burst out laughing.

"Why didn't you just relieve yourself in the hedge maze?" Maggie pushed her glasses up.

Nitro's head lowered.

"Before anything happened," I added in, trying to make Nitro feel better.

But Nitro's spirits didn't lift. She continued walking on in silence.

"There was a boy there!" Kate's shook her head wildly. "Not to mention three other girls. Now that would've been embarrassing..." she trailed off, grumbling about how weird it was to use the bathroom in the open.

"Look!" Nitro interrupted Kate's mumbling. "It's a giant room!"

I stepped into the room, relishing the fresh air greeting my skin. We were near an exit, that was for sure. I grinned.

"Tables!" Kate leaped onto one of the broad, flat surfaces that pushed out of the ground. She landed with a thud. "Not as comfortable as a bed, but it'll do!"

"You're not seriously thinking about sleeping, right?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't slept in weeks!" Kate cried, stretching.

"We've only been her for a couple days," Kitty snorted.

"And I'm getting sick of it!" Kate closed her eyes. "Can I just have a couple hours to sleep? Please?"

"We have to go!" I rolled my eyes. "Don't be that one spoiled person who gets us all killed..."

"Fine," Kate grumbled. "But when we're out of this creepy place, don't come looking for me. I've got some sleeping to catch up on."

Kate climbed to her feet, stomping angrily at my side.

I swear, if Kate keeps that up, she'll alert every monster in the maze, I thought.

I poked my head around a corner, sighing as I noticed another long hallway with twists and turns. I glanced at Nitro for guidance.

"Do you want to go left?" She asked, pointing at another hallway.

I shook my head. "Last time we went right, and now we're in a brand new maze. We might as well keep going that way."

"But the path changes. If it went left first, then right..."

"That's probably just a trick to fool everyone," I disagreed. "Can we try going right?"

"I guess," Nitro shrugged. "But remember, we took a few lefts on our way here. The whole path might get screwed up."

"Let's just pray," I sighed, and turned down the right hallway.

While we were walking, Kate let out a gasp. We all halted, turning to see what was wrong.

"I smell fresh bathroom scent!" Kate declared, sniffing the air.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think bathrooms have smells, unless your talking about what goes into a toilet ."

"Ew no, that's gross!" Kate shoved me with her shoulder. "But I just know when a bathroom is nearby. Almost like the gods gave me a magic ability or something."

"The chances of that are slim," I scoffed. "Besides, even if you did get a power, that would just be weird."

"Maybe we need some new friends," Maggie joked with a smile.

"Hey!" Kate spat. "We need to find that bathroom, so we must follow my nose! After me!"

Kate marched down the hall with such confidence I almost burst out laughing.

"Are we really following her?" I murmured as Nitro began to follow.

"Well, if you know Kate well," Nitro explained, "you'd understand that there's no way of convincing Kate otherwise when she's already made her decision."

"What a stubborn girl," I laughed, beckoning my friends forwards. "I assume we're following Kate now. And if she does find the bathroom, I guess we're all going to take a long potty break."