The Darkest Maze, Part 1: Kept Running

Written by Eljay Hicks 

For my own sanity, I think. 

I must keep running . . . I must keep running. If I stop running, I die; if I stand and fight, I will die. I’m being hunted; the place I am in is cold and dark but familiar. I've been here before; I've been here a thousand times, and every time it's just as terrifying as the last. The thing that hunts goes by no name, but hundreds of names. It has no voice, but has thousands of voices. Its form shifts and morphs. It changes constantly, like a chameleon changing colors. One moment it’s someone I know, the next it's a stranger, and then a friend. I keep running, turning corner after corner, this place is like a maze, but I've memorized it all. I've been here so long that I have a hard time remembering what it's like to not be here. I go down another corridor; it's long, getting smaller and smaller as I move down it. It's cramped and dark, but it never follows me down here, but I can’t hide forever. I hear him moving in the maze, scratching at the walls, screeching a loud horrible screech. The longer I hide, the angrier it gets; it hunts constantly, never stopping. It feels tight in this hall, constricting my movements. If it were able to come down here, I wouldn't be able to escape. It becomes harder and harder to breath; the longer I stay, the worse it gets. I begin to move forward through the corridor again, leaving the crushing safety for the threatening darkness. My eyes are used to the darkness of the maze, but I can only see so far ahead . . . 

There’s a way forward, and various ways to my left and right. I choose forward; the right way is a dead end and the left leads to him. The hall leads downwards; deeper and deeper into the inky darkness. Dead end . . . but this isn’t meant to be a dead end. I turn around, but the hall isn't how it was a moment ago. There is a door; there are no doors in the maze. There is a faint light coming from the bottom of the door; there is no light in the maze. I can feel a slight warmth radiating from the door; there is no warmth in the maze. What is this? Some kind of trap I’ve never found? No, I've been through the entirety of this maze, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. I cautiously approach the door, expecting the monster to be on the other side. As I get closer, I hear noises-birds, I think? And I smell something sweet - I can’t make it out. I grab the handle, it warms my cold hand. I open the door, and I go blind; the warm light a polar opposite of the cold darkness of the maze. As my eyes adjust, I see something… beautiful. It's a field of grass that stretches out into forever over smooth, rolling hills. The air is fresh, and it smells faintly of rain. I step through the door, into this strange new world. This place seems familiar, but I can't remember where I’ve seen this place. I turn back to the door, I can still see the darkness within it. I contemplate closing it, fearful that the monster will follow me through. I decide against it, I have a feeling that it can’t cross the threshold. The door stands alone in the field, a storm looms in the distance behind it; it sends a chill up my spine. I turn from the door and begin walking, away from the door and the cold hell of the maze. As I crest the first hill, I see someone standing on the other side. The person is short, with long hair and a white gown. I'm mesmerized, the only people I’ve seen are the forms the monster took. I approach cautiously, afraid that at any second this world will fall away, and I will return to the darkness of the maze. When I am a few feet away, she turn towards me. 

It is a girl, she looks about my age, maybe a little younger, but at the same time, looks ageless. Her hair is a blondish brown, and a pair of glasses sit upon her face. Her smile is warm and friendly, like the smile you’d share with a friend. I stop in my tracks, unsure of what to do. Do I run? Do I keep going? She makes my choice for me and moves to me. She moves with a grace and elegance I’ve only ever seen in distant memories lost to the maze. Her eyes are green, like jewels. The air catches in my throat as she takes my hands. I feel all my fear melt away. 

“Don’t be afraid, everything is alright,” she says, her voice is like an angel, smooth and calm. 

“I..” I croak, it's been so long since I’ve spoken, I had almost forgotten how. She holds one of her hands to my face, caressing it gently. I froze, her hand is warm and calming. 

“You’ve been lost for a long time, haven’t you?” I don't respond, I find myself lost in her words. “Well, it's okay now, you’re safe now, you’re free.” Her last words cause my head to spin.

 “Free?” I ask, the word as foreign as this place is to me. 

She nods, “Yes, free.” She wraps her arms around me and hugs me. My head spins; the word ‘free’ playing over and over again in my head. I fall to my knees, and she follows me down, holding me as tears escape my eyes. “Shhhhh, it's okay, it's okay…” she says, her voice angelic, but different. I open my eyes and look at her. Her face is still just as beautiful, but there’s something different about it. Something that sends a chill throughout my body. Her eyes, that were so full of life and love, were cold. I want to ask her what was wrong, but before I could, I felt a sharp, cold pain in my wrist. I look down and see a chain, steel grey and cold, attached to my wrist. I look up to her, scared and confused, and find that she is no longer next to me, she is standing a few feet in front of me, and right behind her, the door. The chain on my wrist goes through the door, into the infinite dark of the maze. The chain snaps taunt with a loud rattle, and begins slowly pulling me in. I pull on the chain, desperate to stay in this world. As I pull on the chain, I feel a deep pain inside my chest. As my feet enter the doorway, I grasp desperately at the gown of the women. She stands there silently, ignoring my pleas for freedom, her head tilted down at me. Inch by inch, foot by foot, the chain pulls me back into the darkness. I grab the frame of the door with my free hand, trying desperately to stay. I lose my grip, but at the last second, she grabs my hand. Her hand is still warm, but her eyes are still cold, a storm cloud storms in her eyes. 

“Don’t let me go, please,” I plead, but it falls on deaf ears. She kisses my hand, her lips are cold - like ice, and she lets go. I’m pulled back into the maze at speed. The last thing I see is the woman closing the door slowly, a smile still on her lips. As the door closes, I’m enveloped by the cold darkness of the maze, like a friend welcoming another home. 

Welcome home, friend.