The chilly air sent shivers down my spine, my knuckles white, gripping my sleeves. A million thoughts waxed and waned as my mind went into overdrive. I didn’t have time to comprehend the acrid blood coating my taste buds, my teeth chomping down on flesh as I inveighed my situation.
Where were the early warning messages?! The thirty minutes it provided was vital to evacuate safely before an Irruption occurred. Wasn’t this place supposed to be state of the arc? Yet I was just sentenced to die here?
A frenzy of frustration hit me, my stomach twisting into a knot.
I clenched the dead phone in my pocket, wanting to call my sister to hear her calming voice. She had that effect. It was never an option in the first place. Normal communication didn’t work during an Irruption with certain types of Vlorn capable of detecting wireless signals.
The cold air engulfed me.
How would she react to my death? Without me, she had no one to protect her. She’d be vulnerable. Alone. Again.
I paced around, the artificial crimson glow from the lamp my main source of lighting as the cloudy dusk lowered into sunset. My chest squeezed tightly at the thought of leaving Maleia on her own. I couldn’t just lay down and die.
My eyes took in the bleak surroundings, before pausing as something pressed against the underside of my shoe. To my annoyance, it was Sarah’s messily spilled cigarette box and her pink lighter.
The reason I was stuck out here. The reason Maleia was suffering.
Rage blossomed in my ribcage. Snatching the filthy items without bothering to grab half the cigarettes that spilled onto the floor, shoving it down my small backpack, the names Sarah and Sonali scorched into my brain. That Ward. She knew I followed Sarah, yet left me for dead.
I angrily stomped the spilled pile of cigarettes into an unrecognizable snuff. Holding onto the emotion, my mind sharpened.
I could deal with them later. In order to do that, survival was necessary. I needed a plan.
Right now, only magi-tech was capable of calling for help, and tech like that was something I could only dream of affording. But with Wards from Golden Cicada and staff members in the Museum, there should be plenty of magi-tech to signal a distress call to Cloud Control so help had to be on its way.
I, however, couldn’t be certain of that unless I confirmed it myself. Trust was a loaded weapon when handed to someone else. You never know when they’ll turn and pull the trigger. My pride wouldn’t allow me to blindly rely on strangers, especially not Wards from Golden Cicada. Gritting my teeth ignoring the unpleasant thoughts bubbling up, I coldly examined the facts.
Based on memory from previous Irruptions, the lamps turning red indicated the Museum probably activated its Public Safety Power Shutoff protocol and was using backup generators. Since it wasn’t prioritizing the hedge maze’s exterior lighting, that probably meant other non-essentials also went offline to conserve power. Things like security door sensors and electronic access control systems might be offline to conserve power for the barrier and the safe room.
So the security rooms were probably unlocked. I sighed.
Firstly I needed to get out of this awful maze, then get to the safest place: the safe room. I didn’t have the map I needed in order to find the safe room, so once I got back to the Museum, I could look for one in a security office that was, hopefully, unlocked.
My brain hurt from thinking about what could go wrong. I stared up at the statue next to me, cold, inanimate and carved from stone. It was a figure of a woman with her hands outstretched, draped in flowing robes that seemed to ripple in the wind, still as if time stopped moving. But something about her eyes struck me as weird.
Did it just…? Carved eyes aren’t supposed to watch.
It fixed on me as I took a wary step back. Then it was gone, leaving no sensation of being stared at. A regular statue again, as if I had imagined it. A foreboding feeling shot through my gut and wouldn’t leave. I shook my head.
The stress must be messing with my senses, I lied.
I paused. Listening closely, I could hear the sound of crunching footsteps. Something, somewhere nearby, was walking around. I needed to move now, and fast.
My eyes darted away from the statue and up at the towering walls of the hedge maze. The hedge was tall, maybe thirteen feet of dense foliage. A vantage point. If I could climb high enough I would be able to see the exit, or at least see where the thing nearby was lurking.
My ice cold hands grabbed onto a thick branch, testing it. The wood creaked but held my weight. I quickly sunk into the tangle of leaves and spindly branches, hoisting myself up, shoes scrambling to find footholds. The foliage scratched at my cardigan, tearing holes in it as tiny cuts appeared on my arms and legs, but I ignore it. I force myself to keep climbing. The branches shift and bend with each maneuver taking a considerable amount of energy, and the higher I got, the more unstable it felt.
The footsteps grew closer. My muscles burned with effort, breaths shallow as I forced my body up inch by inch. Almost at the top.
Through gaps in the branches, I caught a glimpse of a hulking form lumbering by, sniffing at the ground in a way that reminded me of a police hound. It was moving towards my general direction, possibly following the scent of human left behind from when I trailed Sarah. Its ebon body was shaped like a lion, with a mane of pointed quills and a vaguely humanoid face warped into a distorted scowl. Its sleek black carapace with a protruding spine of spikes ended in a large scorpion tail, vicious stinger swaying side to side with each crunching step.
The branch I’m holding onto bends dangerously. I reached the limit. Any higher and a thirteen foot fall was certain. I cautiously peeked over the top. The maze stretched endlessly in every direction, designed to confuse and make its explorers take as many turns possible. And in the distance, I saw a clearing. The exit.
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Left, straight, left, right, straight, right, left… straight. I hastily use my free hand to grab one of my pens, the only supplies I bothered packing in my backpack, to write the directions on my arm. The thing was dangerously close to my position, sniffing the gravel. As my hand struggles to grab a pen, I feel the pack of cigarettes.
An idea sparks.
Grabbing one of five remaining cigarettes left in the box, I hold it in place with my mouth and grab the lighter, lighting it as quietly as possible. The thing was prowling about ten feet away and moving closer. If it was scent tracking, maybe I could throw it off my trail.
The cigarette burned to life, and I hurled it over the hedge as hard as I could, opposite from the path I need to take.
I pressed myself flat against the hedge, sparing a glance over my shoulder to observe the creature now below me as its grotesque form sniffed the bench Sarah sat at. Its cloudy onyx eyes devoid of sclera slowly swept the area in front of it.
I stared down at the hideous creature indifferently, impatient for it to leave as my muscles ached from the awkward position, legs shaking as though ready to give out. I wasn’t a sadist, but a morbid thought crossed my mind as I gazed at its tail.
What if, like regular scorpions, it would it kill itself when surrounded by fire? Or would fire only leave artificial wounds? It was being an incredible nuisance right now just sniffing about like a mutt. But that was a stupid thought. I wasn’t curious enough to test it, a million unknown variables were at play and I had no urge to risk my life over something as fleeting as a morbid thought. It could tear me apart at any moment, given how close it was getting to finding me. I wasn’t even sure of other basic characteristics apart from the fact it kept sniffing things.
Don’t be an idiot, I reminded myself.
My eyes glued to its body, low to the ground and moving closer, only a few feet away now. A low hiss emanated from the creature as it sniffed the air, then silence.
Sweat clinging to me from physical exertion made the cold more unbearable as I tried to remain still, struggling to hold the branches with extreme effort. With a shift in movement, it turned away, the crunching of footsteps echoing as it strutted towards the direction of the cigarette I threw. I waited until the coast was clear, my body giving out as the grip I held slipped, branches slicing my numb hands as I clumsily grabbed onto whatever I could until landing awkwardly with a dull thud. Not loud enough to alert anything, hopefully.
I quickly dusted myself off, sore from the fall. Mentally recounting my current supplies, I had four cigarettes left, a few pens, and a lighter. I patted my skirt pockets, adding my dead phone to the list. Not much to work with, but better than nothing.
I scribbled the directions on my wrist, limping off in a speed walk as silently as I could.
Left turn. I paused, forcing myself to wait for a few tense minutes until I heard the creature hiss further down the path opposite to mine. Clear.
Walk straight, then turn left. I burn another cigarette, throwing it down the leftmost path this time to hopefully attract its attention elsewhere. I wait for a little and listen for footsteps. Clear.
Right turn, then walk straight. I threw another cigarette over the hedge behind me as I waited, listening. A low hiss echoes from further away. Clear.
Two cigarettes left. I continued straight until reaching a crossroad. I was nearing the end.
Right turn— the sound of foot steps. I scramble to duck behind a statue on the path as something else enters the maze.
I light a cigarette, throwing it to the left path of the crossroad. I clench my jaw in irritation, another enemy. Now I needed to wait until confirming the new hostile goes that way, otherwise I risked running face first into it.
The crunching drew closer as I lied low, waiting to see another lion thing enter the left path. I froze. Instead of another lion, my eyes met with the sight of a car sized human head skittering on countless tall jagged arachnoid legs. Soulless white eyes that wrinkled at its corners, a hideous grin was plastered on a pale face illuminated by maroon light as it weaved through, revealing serrated teeth the size of my arm.
It walked— no, skittered onto the left path. I waited. I could leave, but first...
I held a flame up to the underside of a hedge, igniting its tangled branches, then ran.
Right turn, then left turn.
I could hear footsteps in multiple directions now, my senses on full alert. I didn’t spare a glance back as I lit the last cigarette and threw it randomly. Straight ahead was the exit. I bolted out, feeling side pain from the effort.
I lit the entryway on fire, just in case.
Through the garden ahead lay the Museum, the coast looking clear. Catching my breath, I stealthily crouch-walked on the side of the walkway in case other hostiles made their presence known, taking the same path I had taken earlier. While fiddling with my sleeves to create warmth, I passed several statues and taped off structures, nearing the Museum as the maze set ablaze behind me with distant echoes of screeching.
To my side was a fountain with a cherub sculpture holding an empty water pitcher sitting atop the upper portion of the structure, presumably to spit water when construction finished. It was looking at me, the feeling of being watched from before present again.
Then I felt it. A searing pain on my side as something tore my flesh ripping through my cardigan and uniform, propelling me forward, my body skidding across the rough walkway in a mess of limbs and black hair. Still disoriented from the assault, I whipped my head around to glower at the attacker.
A large pale mans head attached to sharp arachnoid legs stood ominously in the dim lighting, smiling down at me in an amused fashion. It laughed, with an impossibly deep multi-layered voice like a cluster of demons giggling over each other, the noise sending chills down my spine. Then it charged.
I rolled to the side, biting back pain that blurred my vision. I forced my wobbly legs to jump into the waterless fountain before taking cover behind it, hoping the stupid statue would buy me enough time to reorient myself and gather enough strength in my legs to run.
A smooth synthetic female voice suddenly rang in my ears.
[Congratulations! The Xentinols have deemed you worthy of a position amongst the esteemed Guardians. You were entrusted with this vital duty. Embrace this noble calling and prepare to face the challenges ahead.]
I closed my eyes and let my head fall back for a brief moment, wondering if I finally lost my mind. The head creature screamed, its serrated legs slicing at the statue as I dodged the falling rubble with a roll. I got up, my eyes failing me as the Museum became a blotchy mess.
If I could bolt to the Museum, the barrier could hold this thing back for a bit.
[Should you choose to become a Guardian, you will have access to provisions capable of self defense and healing. If not you will bleed out within 3 minutes and 33 seconds without treatment.]
[Would you like to make a contract?]
I ignored the disembodied voice of my newfound hallucinatory problem, scampering onto my feet to roll again over the fountains edge and onto the walkway as an arachnoid leg toppled the statue. My lungs burned, the prickly air piercing my skin as I hauled myself down the walkway. The creature, screaming in multiple voices with outrage, pursued me.
My legs were on fire, the pain in my side threatening to fall my consciousness. My vision tunneled in on the blotchy incoherent Museum.
Ten feet. It was ten feet away, and I was so close.
A sawtoothed appendage tore through my calf as I bit back a scream, ignoring the pain as I ran harder than I ever did before in my entire life. My breathing came out in ragged gasps, heart pounding violently in my chest, each beat slamming against my ribcage like a drum in overdrive. It felt too fast, too wild, as if my pulse lost rhythm and control, the noise deafening in my ears. Slowing down for even a second meant death. I couldn’t see anything at this point, my vision completely white.
I stumbled into what I assumed was the exit door with a slam, the reprieve of static telling me I made it through the barrier. I blinked the stinging sweat out of my eyes, my body in agonizing pain as I panted for air.
Then to my annoyance.
[Would you like to make a contract?]
“Yes, fuck, whatever!” I screamed.