They came rushing through the gateway like animals fleeing a wildfire.
One foot in front of the other, she thought, holding her belly tight. We can make it. We have to—
The crowd collided into their backs.
Millie screamed as the impact sent her stumbling. She windmilled, barely catching a glimpse of the others. She called out, reaching for them. But it was too late. She had lost her footing and she was falling. She was—
She hit the ground and the mob washed over her.
Immediately, someone stepped on her leg and her bruised knee erupted into agony. It was quickly followed by more feet smashing down. More pain. Then a body.
A woman screamed. Millie saw from the corner of her eyes, it was Katelyn. The tall woman had launched herself through the crowd and had landed on top of her. She was shielding Millie, even as she scrabbled to hold on.
The wave was covering them now. Drowning them in bodies. I’m going to die, her mind screamed. Another limb struck her. I’m going to be trampled if I don’t—
Her thoughts were kicked out of her head as her vision went white. She tried to curse, but breath left her as another person vaulted over her and Katelyn. She cradled her belly, desperate to shelter it, but the blows kept coming. She felt Katelyn’s voice go soft as she suddenly went limp atop her.
She tried to shout again. “Katelyn! We need—”
A boot interrupted her, straight into her spine. She twisted in teeth grinding agony before someone stumbled over the two of them. Jostled by the force, she was separated from Katelyn. She panicked and tried to scramble back to her before her outstretched hand was smashed. She tried desperately to ignore the pain and crawl but the weight of her stomach dragged on the floor. It was too much. And she was too weak. It was too much.
Her arms gave out and she fell to her side. In a final act of quiet futility, she curled into a ball and let out a muffled scream. Trying to her last breath to be heard. To beg them to stop. To please stop. For someone, for anyone to—
A huge arm covered in prominent veins sent someone flying past like a doll as its owner came barreling through the crowd. Millie’s head lulled, before being steadied as she found herself floating. She was...scooped up, like a child, held in arms the size of tree trunks. Sheltered by a stranger who never even stopped running as they grabbed her. Her mind was scrambled though, racing with pain as she struggled to breathe. Had her guardian angel just saved her?
But her eyes snapped open when she realized he was a devil. Twisting to face the crowd that still pressed against them, the stranger howled something. It was like a roar, low, guttural, and quick. His chest shook with the force of it. It sounded like a wolf straight from the bowels of hell barking out. Like a fucking Spartan screaming for blood. Millie’s scattered brain tried to register it before she let out a whimper of fear as she trembled in his grasp.
But she wasn’t the only one frightened.
Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear the crowd yelling in fresh panic as they fought to part around him. His intimidation was bolstered when a second person, somehow even larger than he was, came in like a freight train smashing people out of the way. The huge newcomer tossed them like ragdolls before trying to copy her savior’s roar, though the new guy lacked the same visceral effect.
“This way!” The person holding her shouted. Others followed him.
He’s…protecting me? Her thoughts began to clear as the man rushed into a tunnel. He had her in a princess carry, and a part of her wanted to protest. She could distinctly recall a time she’d once told her friends she’d rather die than be carried in such an embarrassing way. But now? Pride be damned.
“T-thank you,” she gasped, tears of gratitude wetting her face as she finally felt like she could breathe again.
“I’ve got you, miss, don’t worry.” The man replied. His voice was a rich baritone as it rumbled through her. She looked up, trying to take in the face of her savior. And she saw that it was…
Silly. It was completely absurd.
Front and center was a huge mustache. Black, vibrant, and bushier than most woodland creatures. It was the kind her grandfather had tickled her with when he kissed her as a child. The kind that snuffled, ruffled, and gave the impression of walruses. Thankfully, the rest of the gentleman was more reasonable. He looked to be of Indian descent, with short trimmed thick hair that contrasted nicely with his rich brown skin. His large, prominent nose did nothing to detract from his decently handsome features, aided in no small part by his incredible musculature. And yet—
Millie had the sudden flight of fancy that she’d just been swept away by a Bollywood superstar. Would he start singing and dancing soon? She’d be down for a musical routine.
Okay, hold up. I think my mind might be more scrambled than I thought. She blinked up at him as he flashed her a quick smile before his face went back to looking focused. Okay, wow, even for me, that was a stupid thought, she concluded. The guy has a perfectly clear American accent after all. And whoever heard of a pregnant girl taking part in a musical number?
Turning her thoughts away, she looked quickly towards a hand that was laid on her reassuringly. Seeing that it was Liam looking anxious, though, she swatted it away. She was pleased, however, to see CJ nearby. He’d been swept up, but he, Catherine, and Tanya had weathered the storm. They were shaken, but healthy.
Nearby, the rushing crowd petered out. As much as it had felt like an unceasing flash flood tearing through, people were splitting off as the herd thinned out. They disappeared down dozens of different pathways that lined the long, central corridor that had greeted them beyond the dark gate. And the many paths seemed to twist this way and that, snaking back and forth just like—
“A labyrinth?” She whispered.
“Yeah, it looks like it,” Liam said. “Hey, big guy. Can you let her down now?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah—just trying to help.” Her savior said, letting her down gently.
“It’s fine,” Millie replied. It really wasn’t, but she didn’t want to make a fuss, even as her knees protested immensely and her body was covered in aches and pains. Her head still felt woozy as well, as her hand fell to her stomach. She could feel her son wriggling around. Was he scared? Was he injured? She was terrified that she didn’t know.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” The man asked her. “You’ve got some bruises showing, and I don’t know how long you were down there.”
A hand slid along her back supportively, but she turned to see that it was Liam’s again. She swatted it away with more vigor this time. Every time he touched her it filled her with equal parts excitement and revulsion.
“Yeah, I...I just need to sit for a while. Thank you though. Seriously, I...I don’t know what would have happened if...oh my god.” Her voice choked off. “Katelyn! She was with me! She was covering me, she…”
She looked around desperately, her cry drawing a gasp of shock from Catherine. The pudgy girl looked around furtively, before screaming Katelyn’s name. Then the group saw it. In the middle of the corridor, a body lying on the floor.
Unmoving.
“Oh God, no! No no no no...” Catherine stumbled as she rushed over. Millie tried to follow, but her savior held out a hand to stop her. His message was clear, even without words: you’re in no state to help anyone.
Millie bit her lip in frustration, before finding a large rock to sit on. She could only watch as several others rushed to the fallen form. Catherine knelt next to her friend and was gently shaking her while sobbing violently.
Millie’s body shook with the adrenaline, and she buried her face in her hands. Did…did she die saving me? No, that…oh god.
Her unsteady breaths were interrupted by one of the greatest sounds she’d ever heard.
“She’s alive!” Catherine shouted. “Thank you God, thank you Jesus. Thank you...”
“Please let me look.” The deeper tones of her savior spoke. Millie looked back, seeing him gently grab Katelyn’s wrist, before very gingerly shaking her. After a moment, Millie saw the tall woman’s legs moving. She heard the man ask her a few questions. Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Can you tell me your name? Does it hurt to breathe? When’s your birthday?
Birthday, Millie thought. Memories of a cake covered in glass flooded her mind.
The muscled man kept going, however, asking more and more questions that Katelyn’s weak voice responded to. But it was getting stronger. After a few tense minutes, Millie saw the tall girl sit up with the man’s help. She gasped in pain, cradling her side. After a brief back and forth, they seemed to come to a conclusion.
“You took a serious tumble, and there’s a possibility for a concussion.” The man said. “It looks like you might have cracked ribs too. Take your time, though, we’ll get you up when you’re ready.”
“Should we move her!?” Catherine yelled in the man’s face. Though Millie noted it was clearly more out of sheer panic than accusatory.
“I don’t think we have a choice.” The savior’s big friend said. “A few minutes to recover shouldn’t hurt, but we were given a time limit. We can’t stay here long.”
The small group in the tunnel looked about anxiously before Katelyn chimed in, interrupting the discussion.
“It’s fine,” she said, gasping. “We can get going. But…is Millie okay?”
“Is that your pregnant friend?” The savior responded. “She’s fine, thanks to you if what she said is right.”
Looking past him, Millie met Katelyn’s eyes and nodded to her. The tall woman smiled weakly, before letting out a sigh that made her wince. Millie decided then and there that come hell or high water that woman had earned a friend in her that day. It hardly seemed a steep price for someone who had shielded her from a stampede.
“Alright, can you help me stand?” She asked, before groaning in pain as the two muscular men helped her up. Once on her feet, with her friend Catherine hovering around nervously, they helped the tall woman over to where Millie sat.
Katelyn said something then that Millie missed, only to hear her savior speak up.
“Hey, I’m not about to just let people get trampled. Especially, someone that’s, ah…” The man laughed awkwardly, gesturing at Millie and her belly as he gently helped Katelyn to the large rock Millie had found.
With a chance to rest, Millie took the opportunity to look further around herself. The stonework that formed the tunnels branching off from the main corridor were chipped, with torches intermittently illuminating the area. Debris seemed commonplace, and the whole place had a ruined, broken vibe to it. But as she gazed down the mysterious path, the larger man who’d barreled through the crowd after his friend stepped up to clap her savior’s shoulder good-naturedly. It was then Millie realized the conversation had continued without her.
“Don’t mind Raj,” the bigger man said, “he’s a big softy no matter how ugly he may be.”
Her savior, Raj it seemed, looked at his companion and snuffled his mustache imperiously, right before he swatted the other guy below the belt. The two broke into laughter as Millie rolled her eyes. Their mirth sounded...a bit forced, but it helped to ease the tension in the group and Millie took a closer look at Raj’s friend.
He was white and tall. Much taller, in fact, than anyone present—including Katelyn, which was impressive in and of itself. Raj for all he was wide and massive was actually a hair shorter than Millie. The new guy, however, was built like a linebacker—easily six foot seven and probably pushing past three hundred pounds, given that he was near as jacked as Raj. His potential linebacker status was supported in Millie’s mind by his long, tied-back brown hair that was braided into cornrows. His face, however, was unfortunately broad and lacked fluffy mustaches, or any facial hair for that matter. Even still, the big man gave Millie and Katelyn a large, welcoming smile and they gratefully returned it.
“Thank you both,” Millie said. “Thank you so much. I’m Millie. Nice to meet you, Raj—”
“You too miss,” Raj replied, offering his hand in return. She shook it emphatically, before turning to his companion.
“And you are—?” She asked, before the other man offered her a hand, and she clasped it.
“Braylon. Braylon Rowland. Nice to meet you, ah, Millie, despite all this.” He waved towards the dark and ominous architecture of the maze surrounding them.
“I’m CJ—” her scrawny friend jumped in to grab Braylon’s hand. Millie suppressed a smirk, she knew his type after all.
“Yeah, pleasantries are nice and all,” Liam said, jutting in, “but we can’t keep waiting. We only have an hour to get to the end of this maze.”
Both Raj and Braylon exchanged glances as Liam walked up to them. Her once beau had a fierce look of determination to him, his deep blue eyes making her heart flutter despite herself, but he looked practically adorable next to the two bodybuilders flanking him. Yet, the two muscled men didn’t seem intent on leaning on that. Instead, their silent exchange ended as Braylon looked to Raj, and Raj crossed his arms in thought. It was quickly apparent that Braylon deferred to the shorter Raj, and now that she got a chance to look at him—rather than simply be carried by him—she could tell why.
Raj had an air of authority about him when he wasn’t acting goofy. Even as he rubbed a hand against his bare chin, shuffling his mustache, the gleam of concentration in his eyes was anything but cute. The intensity of his gaze was startling, the kind that could stop you dead in your tracks with barely a glance. It reminded her of Liam’s father—a colonel in the US Army that her own father had served alongside during her childhood. It was the reason she and Liam had grown up next to each other and she’d been his ‘girl next door,’ as he’d often put it.
“Well,” Raj said, turning to face Liam. “First let's look around the immediate area while we give Millie and Katelyn a few more minutes. We may not have time, but they need it. You’re the husband, I take it? What’s your name?”
“I’m Liam—”
“He’s not the husband.” Millie corrected. She chewed on her lip, before dipping her head. “He…is the father though.”
Raj raised an eyebrow at Millie’s hostile tone as Liam scowled.
“Ah—my apologies…” Raj trailed off, before looking confused as the blond-haired petite woman nervously approached to stand next to Liam possessively. Tanya looked no worse for wear, all things considered.
The tense silence was broken by a piercing cry that echoed through the halls. Listening closer as the ringing in her ears began to fade again, Millie could hear the sounds of people still running and yelling in panic through the twisting pathways. Ominous thrums, like lasers going off, accented the cacophony. They were more often than not accompanied by heartbreaking screams that went silent shortly after.
“Alright,” Raj interjected, “let’s, ah, just put that aside for now. We can push forward a bit while the others rest. CJ, was it? How about you stay back with the girls. Liam, you can come with Braylon and I. We won’t go far, and I’ll go first, but I want everyone to keep an eye out. There’s clearly traps of some kind so let’s find them before they’re triggered. Sound good?”
“Who put you in charge?” Catherine said with a snort. “Why should we follow you?”
“You’re welcome to go first instead, miss. I’m just bein’ polite.” He smiled, his wide mustache twisting with his grin.
Catherine opened her mouth to reply, but another sharp sound echoed in the distance, followed by a scream. The pudgy woman blanched and meekly nodded to the muscled man before backpedaling to stand next to Katelyn.
Raj gave a quick sweep around the group, but when no one else argued, he nodded. “Excellent. After me then.”
He walked forward rather briskly, his head swiveling about scanning the walls, floor, and ceiling with a practiced pace. Millie watched him and the others go. After about a minute of their slow progress, they stopped a dozen yards down the hall as Raj held up a hand.
“There’s something on the walls,” he said. “Anyone got a light? I don’t have my cell.”
“Here, I got it,” Braylon said.
Millie watched the larger man fumble about, feeling a brief pang of anguish as she patted her dress. Of course, I left my phone behind, she brooded. This is why I like jeans over skirts. I always forget my damn purse.
As the light flashed across the surface in the distance, Millie tugged on CJ’s rolled sleeve.
“Hey, can you help me up? I want to go see what they found.”
CJ looked like he was about to protest, but she shot him a pleading look. He gave in, with a sigh and helped her to her feet. She had to hobble slowly, but her pain was receding to a more manageable level.
Some of the others turned to look at her, and Katelyn quickly followed, hovering closely even as she leaned against Catherine for support. Tanya trailed quietly behind them. Stepping closer, Millie got a look at what they were staring at.
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The stone had an oddly golden appearance, despite its otherwise dull and unassuming surface. On it, were a collection of pictures depicting unknown scenes. People gathered around circles and diagrams, with the occasional strange bit of writing or drawing layered around them. Monsters and mythic-looking creatures were scattered amongst the squiggle-writing. For some reason, the scratchy iconography gave Millie a headache to look at. It did remind her, however, of the mark that had appeared on the back of her hand.
“This is some real Ancient Aliens stuff right here, huh?” CJ said, elbowing the large Braylon. The linebacker snorted in agreement.
“What do you think it is?” Katelyn asked. But it was Catherine who surprised everyone by stepping up to point at the details.
“Murals of some kind? No…this is a language, I’m sure of it,” she said, running a hand along some of the frames defining the borders of the pictures.
“It looks a lot like the stuff the Egyptians had,” CJ commented.
“Hieroglyphics?” Millie prompted, to which her friend nodded before the homely Catherine scoffed at them both.
“I don’t suppose you can read this kind of stuff?” Millie asked the girl light-heartedly, trying to keep things civil. But Catherine seemed to think she was serious as she turned her nose up and glared. She was acting as though Millie had accused her of something.
“What? Of course I can’t read it. You’d need an expert for that kind of thing, and even then they wouldn’t get far without reference materials on hand. All I can tell is that it looks a bit like Cuneiform—which is like Egyptian Hieroglyphics in that it's a form of logographic writing, but there’s a big difference in their languages. You see—Egyptians didn’t represent their vowels while the ancient Sumerians did, but...you know, actually, the more I look at it the more it also kind of reminds me of oriental languages. Specifically, Japanese hiragana and katakana, for example. I almost…ugh. I can’t pin this down.”
Halfway through her miniature tirade, she ran out of steam before cutting herself off in frustration. Then, she blushed fiercely when she noticed the group staring at her.
“I got...like none of that,” Braylon admitted. “But how do you know that one thing but not the other thing?”
Catherine shuffled nervously to the side under his curious gaze, but then Katelyn spoke up to answer for her.
“Please don’t mind Catherine,” Katelyn said diplomatically. “She can be a bit harsh, but it’s just the stress of the situation. She’s got a degree in Biblical studies, though, and she’s also studied a lot of ancient languages related to the Christian faith.”
“Is Japanese hira-whatcha-call it related to the Christian faith?” CJ muttered teasingly.
Catherine glowed even redder as Katelyn chuckled. “Well, she might have studied that on her own—”
“Katelyn!” Catherine squeaked.
“No offense—” Liam said, interrupting the exchange, “but is there any way this can help us right now? Can you translate this alien language? No? Then let’s move on. We have a time limit and if Millie and the other girl are up, let’s not get distracted.”
The taller girl blanched at the rebuke, as she hugged her shorter friend who looked to be fuming.
“And how do you know this is distracting?” Raj spoke. He stood, his huge arms refolded as he faced off against Liam. Jesus, Raj’s biceps are the size of freakin’ watermelons, Millie observed, before reluctantly tearing her lingering gaze away.
“Look, I’m just saying that looking at pictures and jabbering on isn’t going to help us—”
“Holy shit—is that a dart hole on one of those distracting pictures?” CJ interrupted very loudly as he pointed.
God, I love this man, she thought, squeezing her scrawny friend. CJ flashed her a quick smirk.
“Well, lookie there. CJ found a trap.” Millie said cheerfully as Liam scowled again. “Any idea what triggers it?”
“If this was a video game it’d be a pressure plate or string, right?” CJ offered.
“Hmm,” Raj hummed before he stepped back and had everyone do the same. He followed the trail of holes, which covered the wall all the way to the ceiling, marking them in his vision before looking along the floor. Then, he squatted down, feeling at the rubble before cocking his head. His gaze followed an invisible line before he pointed down the tunnel.
“You’re right—it looks like there's a series of plates across the passage. Braylon—can you shine the light here?”
The large man did so, and the shadowy lines dividing the floor into squares became apparent. There were five different panels, about two yards deep lining the floor from wall to wall, leaving no way past without stepping on one. It was incredibly faint, but they each had their own series of pictures carved into them.
“Maybe we could jump it?” CJ offered.
“Um, not all of us could make that,” Catherine said, a tad bit nasally as she flushed again, wrapping her arms around herself defensively.
“Hey, I wouldn’t do much better right now,” Millie said with a good-natured chuckle. However, Catherine only nodded matter of factly, not seeming to take Millie’s words reassuringly. Jesus, this girl is literal, Millie observed. I should just stop trying, and leave her alone.
“I couldn’t either,” Braylon mumbled. When everyone turned to him in surprise, he shrugged awkwardly. “I, ah, tore my ACL in college—I can run if I stick to a slower pace, but trying to jump something like that? Not going to happen.”
“That sounds like a bit more than a torn ACL there, pal,” Liam said, raising an eyebrow.
Braylon paused, before nodding as he shifted in place. A flash of bitterness crossed his features, but he remained silent.
“Well,” Millie said, “what about the pictures? Anything else we can use there?”
The group converged to hold a quick conference. After a minute, those with smartphones on them took them out and lit up the dim tunnel as they scoured every surface nearby. While there were several theories bantered about, it was ultimately an unexpected voice that piped up.
“Um…I think one of the panels matches images on the wall’s mural.”
The group turned to look at Tanya. The petite, quiet girl gulped when the attention fell to her, but she pointed out the panel she suspected, and then quickly the parts of the mural she saw the corresponding pictures on. Raj walked over and looked it over, quickly confirming her discovery.
“Well spotted,” he told her. “Alright, since we don’t know if that means it's the trap or the only safe one, I’d like to test it out. Everyone step back.”
Everyone did, though Braylon stopped to pull Raj aside. They argued briefly in hushed tones before the cornrowed Braylon cursed softly and rejoined the group. Nodding back to them all, Raj then faced the panels and fiddled with a stone he’d picked up from nearby. He then tossed it at the panel.
Nothing happened.
He frowned, before throwing another stone at another panel. One at each in turn.
But once again—nothing. None of them reacted.
“If it's a pressure plate then it won’t go off without enough weight.” CJ volunteered. Raj nodded to him and took a deep breath before walking over and grabbing a rock the size of a Doberman. He then hurled the damn thing at the panel with a grunt, where it cracked against the floor and rolled sideways.
But again, nothing happened. So, very slowly and very cautiously, he took a deep breath and stepped onto the plate. When he wasn’t struck down, he walked across slowly. Standing on the opposite end unscathed, he let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Well, that’s that then. Good job, again. Tanya, was it?”
The blond nodded.
“Well, Tanya, I’d like you front and center with me as we go forward. Where there's one trap, there easily could be more and I could use your eyes. Let’s go, people.”
He waved, and they followed.
Progress was slow but steady. True to Raj’s predictions, there were several more panel puzzles, but each followed the same logic. There was a brief scare with a mural that was missing a large chunk, but the two bodybuilders in the group left no stone unturned—literally—digging up the missing piece and flipping it over for inspection. They easily made it past after that thanks in no small part to Tanya’s quick work in comparing the pictures.
At the end of the hallway, the path curved off. It continued unobstructed for hundreds of feet more before ending in a wall of darkness—another portal awaiting them. With an anxious breath, the group walked forward. One by one, disappearing into the void. Millie followed.
The first thing she heard on the other side was Raj immediately shouting to all get into cover. They had walked into hell itself.
The world in front of them was a warzone. Explosions were raining down as small lights whistled through the air, punctuated by the occasional flash of larger detonations that thumped across her skin, making her heart jump. The world was dark, however, and the blasts served as the only source of illumination.
The group had barely moments, stumbling at an unexpected downslope that greeted them before they slid or tumbled into a crater at the base of the portal. For the brief moment that Millie had before tumbling down as a flash illuminated the world, she caught a glance of the trench-filled blasted landscape. At the other end was a wall of stone, like a castle’s, but it had almost modern-looking fortifications and cannons built into it. It was the source of the non-stop barrage.
But as she slid backend first into the crater, Raj wasted no time hoisting her up as he ushered the group into the mouth of a waiting trench. As she took shelter, she saw another flash illuminate the overcast sky. No more tunnel? She thought. Where the hell are we?
Seconds after they’d made their way in, however, the world behind them erupted into fire and thunder. Millie felt it in her bones as the world went silent—replaced by yet another renewed ringing in her ears. Muffled voices called out around her as dirt and rocks showered them. The pelting stung but cut off abruptly when Raj turned stepped forward to shield her with his body.
“Further in!” Raj’s muted voice rumbled through her deafness after the shower ended and he pushed forward. The group followed through the eight-foot-deep trench, though it barely had room for two people abreast. Taking the first bend round, though, they hunkered down. Explosions continued to intermediately thud nearby while they all looked at each other, shock covering their features.
Everyone except Raj that was. His eyes were lit with intensity again, his arms stretched out as though to protect them all.
“What are we going to do?” Katelyn yelled. “W-we can’t go back!”
The tall girl’s friend shrieked next to her as another flash lit up nearby.
“If you stay here you’ll be safe!” Someone shouted. Turning, Millie realized after a moment it was a stranger when light from another blast revealed him.
He was poking his head out from a tunnel further forward, waving towards their group. He wore a pleated coat and a set of cracked spectacles that gave him a professor vibe. The passageway he leaned out of had blended in with the wood-paneled dirt walls of the trenches, especially given the lack of reliable lighting. Unfortunately, it was only one of several diverging routes.
“Thanks,” Raj called back as the group saddled up next to the new man. “Did you just get here?”
The new man hesitated, before nodding, causing his glasses to bounce on his face. Hunkered next to him was a woman, dressed for an evening out on the town. They held hands tightly, and both looked to be in their early thirties.
“We came with a group, but they split up.” The man replied with a slight Québecer accent. “We’ve been waiting because we don’t know which way up ahead to use. Whatever you do, don’t go down...there.” He gulped and waved towards one of the pathways that awaited them after the first.
Raj walked over to glance down the trench and grimaced. “So...no one goes down this way. And try not to look if you can help it.”
Millie, for one, took his word on it.
“Do you have any clues about which ones are safe?” He asked, and the gentlemen shook his head reluctantly.
“I’m not sure. This one’s safe, but there are just more splits ahead. There are markers along most of the paths, but they don’t seem to indicate anything. We can’t read any of them.”
He gestured to the woman at his side who nodded anxiously. She said something in french, and the man nodded back to her. He then pointed out a few more tunnels that, presumably, weren’t safe to travel.
“Wait here.” Raj proclaimed. Another explosion rocked the group, showering them again. Walking forward, he found the markings that the stranger had indicated and ran his fingers over them. One by one he went, only to frown at the end.
“Hey, Tanya?” Braylon spoke up, spitting out dust as he offered his flashlight. “I don’t suppose you can find a difference in any of these, eh?”
The small blond stared between the signs for a few moments, before flushing and shaking her head. “I…I don’t see anything. I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine,” Raj said as he rejoined the group. “I think I know which one to use.”
“I’m sorry, did you say you found the way?” The stranger asked, clearly struggling to hear as well.
Raj nodded. “I think so. The signs are useless, but this path is more twisted. Most of the others are straight.”
“That’s not a lot to go on,” Braylon commented.
Raj shrugged helplessly to the group. “All I can go on is the fact that trenches aren’t made straight normally. It’s too easy to shoot down. Besides, as Liam would say, we’re running out of time, yeah?”
He smiled at Liam, who returned it with a grimace.
“I’m willing to risk it,” Liam answered, “but I want the girls in the back.”
Raj nodded. “Alright, let's line up then and get ready to go. How are you holding up, Millie? Katelyn?”
“I’m fine.” Millie lied. She felt like shit. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Yeah.” Katelyn agreed. She looked about as good as Millie felt.
With that, the group reformed and began to march forward. Millie stood near the middle, with Katelyn at her side, both of them using a jacket Braylon lent them as a shield against the raining debris. The group moved onward, with Millie doing her best to ignore the occasional whistle, blast, and shower. In the distance, a particularly large detonation that was far too close sounded out, followed by the sound of a man screaming like a madman. He continued to wail in agony as Millie’s group arrived at the next junction.
Searching the marks, Raj once again found them useless. Instead, he led them down the most twisted path.
Junction after junction. Winding path to winding path. Explosion to explosion. Again and again. Millie lost count after a while. Another blast. Then another. The wailing man finally went silent in the distance. Another junction. Dirt rained from another explosion. Then—something began to change.
The trenches were getting shorter.
At first—it was Braylon who had to crouch, as he was the tallest. Then, Katelyn joined him, trying not to slump too hard against Millie. Liam and CJ were next. Raj and Millie joined after, Millie’s back screaming in protest. Finally Tanya and Catherine. Progress slowed as they shuffled, the explosions feeling even closer. The lights were too vivid, too quick, making a strobe effect that left Millie dizzy. She spit dirt out of her mouth.
She turned back once, however, to notice the man and woman they’d met up with were missing. Had...he been the one wailing?
Had they not even noticed?
“Everyone, hunker down here,” Raj said, as the group squatted in what looked to be an exposed crater. It made her nervous, but all of the winding paths had brought them here. Alive.
Most of them at least. Not everyone was so lucky. Raj took notice of the missing newcomers, but could only shake his head bitterly as the group caught their breath.
“If this is right,” Raj said, pointing towards a small tunnel to the side, “we’ve got to crawl through this area to get under the fortifications.”
Millie looked in disbelief at the two-foot-deep trench to the side. It did seem to lead directly to the walls that were far too close. Many of the others seemed to share her feelings.
“You can’t be serious?” Liam said, spitting out a fresh face of dirt as a ball of light whizzed by, clipping the ground. “Would we even have room?”
Raj nodded. “Should. It’ll be a tighter fit for the guys, but the girls shouldn’t have a—”
He broke off as he suddenly looked at Millie. She took a breath as she sat, kneeling in the dirt after her knees had given in. As she met his eyes, the color left her face and she hugged her stomach. Oh my God. I…I can’t crawl through there, can I? Maybe…I can shimmy on my side?
Her arms felt like jelly at the thought. The undeniable truth was: she was exhausted. She was hurting. She…didn’t have the strength needed. Tears of frustration began to well in her eyes turning to mud with the dirt on her face.
“That’s not going to work!” Liam shouted. Did he know what she’d concluded, or was he just being protective? “Are you sure none of the other paths are—”
“I’m sure.” Raj interrupted. “But it’s okay—I know how to get her through. But I want the rest of you to go first. Just in case.”
“In case…?” Katelyn prompted.
“In case something goes wrong and the pathway gets closed up,” Catherine said quietly. Katelyn became as pale as Millie.
Liam argued with Raj for several minutes more, but Millie stopped paying attention. I’m not part of the conversation anyway, she thought bitterly. I’m just...dead weight they have to drag along.
After a few minutes, the arguments died down. It sounded as though the group had agreed to go with Raj’s plan. They had no reason to doubt his judgment now, not when he’d gotten them this far.
So it was that one by one they went forward. Braylon went first, leaving his jacket for Millie to use. Crawling on his stomach, he made quick time before CJ followed suit. Her scrawny friend gave her a tight hug before he left, and was followed by Catherine who protested loudly the whole way. Katelyn and Tanya followed before Liam reluctantly left as well. No one could do anything but wince to the sounds of pained struggling from Katelyn’s journey.
But she made it. And now, with only the two of them left, Millie glanced at the shadowed figure of Raj squatting next to her.
“How…how are we getting through this?” She asked him.
He sighed, before fiddling with his belt. She stared at him, askance, but as he took it off, he then looped it back through the buckle to make a loop. He then began to fasten it to his leg.
“I’m going to tie this to my foot and then you’re going to wrap it around your arms. I’m sorry, Millie, but I’m going to have to drag you behind me.”
She stared at him blankly, but after a moment’s pause, she nodded. What else could she do? She watched him numbly as he double-checked and triple-checked the strap on his foot. Sitting on the soft dirt, she could feel her heart racing in her chest. What happened if she slipped and let go? What if she was left behind? Or he was hurt and couldn’t keep going?
If she got stranded in that tunnel...she’d die.
“Hey. Hey.”
Raj was shaking her. She blinked as she met his eyes. Were her ears ringing? Was the sky still flashing?
“It’s going to be okay,” he said. She watched his mustache bounce on his lip. “You’re going to make it through this. Millie?”
She looked up and met his eyes. They held her with such intensity. His hands rested on her shoulders. They were so steady, so warm. How was he so calm? It didn’t even make sense. She blinked again as another wash of dirt hit her. But she nodded, and then he instructed her on how to wrap the belt around her arms. It would…probably hurt, she realized. The leather was going to dig into her skin. Probably cut off circulation. Maybe even pull her arm out of its socket.
But she didn’t have a choice. Dead. Weight.
She continued to stare blankly as Raj approached the tunnel. In another flash, she caught a glimpse of something on his arm. His sleeve had ridden up, and she’d absently looked over his arms again. Only, this time her lingering gaze saw a bit of a tattoo that was hidden. Raj said something, only to turn back and notice her staring. Following her gaze, he let out a sigh and reached around to lift his sleeve. She had to wait a moment for another flash, but this time she saw it all.
A globe. An anchor. An eagle. She reached out to touch his arm.
“You’re…a Marine?” She asked.
He grabbed her hand gently. “Once. A while back.”
She tried to swallow. But there was dirt in her mouth. It was too dry. “Have…have you seen this kind of stuff before?”
“…not exactly. But also…not so different.”
She spoke with a quiet voice. “Are we going to make it?” She trembled when another thump went off. Dirt rained down. A rock smacked her neck. It felt like an insect biting her.
His hand rested on her shoulder. “Yes. I will do whatever it takes to get you through this. You hear me, Millie? Whatever it takes.”
He met her eyes again. She coughed up sand. But also...began to believe in his words. She had to. There were no other options.
“Whatever it takes.” She nodded in agreement.
And then, it began. It was not dignified. And it was not fun.
Millie clung to the leather strap, her back grinding against the wood that reinforced the short wall. Only the jacket Braylon had left her protected her as she curled up. But even still, rocks found a way to dig in. To cut at her.
She bled. Splinters from weakened wood jabbed into her too. It hurt.
She screamed. Bolts of energy ripped through the air above them. It wouldn’t stop.
She trembled. The leather was cutting into her. She clutched it harder, babbling incoherently as dirt blanketed them and Raj dragged them through it.
She pressed closer. Hugging the ground when the tunnel got even shorter, and…
She pissed herself when a gout of flame washed over the top of the trench, singing the hair on her arms, threatening to cook her and Raj.
She cried after that.
Whatever it takes. She told herself that over and over again, and Raj didn’t stop. He put one arm in front of the other, and she moved with a rhythmic motion as her arm screamed in agony. Slide, pause, pause, explosion, slide, fire, pause. He didn’t slow down.
But then, a new light. A new noise.
A hiss.
Millie looked up. The fortification was right there. Sitting next to the trench. And a skeleton manned a weapon, something that looked like a gun, long and thin, but the barrel was covered in squiggles and glowing lines. The creature stopped, its skull turning to stare at the pair of them. It looked right at them.
Millie stared into empty eye sockets. She could feel hatred in its gaze. A loathing for her and all things living so visceral she could taste it alongside the dirt. She froze up, but Raj kept dragging her, because—
Because the creature didn’t reach for them. It stood sentinel, staring quietly all while they moved past. Eventually, after enough distance, it turned away and started firing again. The area behind them erupted into flame and fury once more. But Raj had done it.
He’d gotten them through.
The trench opened back up. The two of them spilled into a portal of darkness that waited for them. Millie fell onto Raj as they appeared in the chambers beyond.
They’d survived. But before Millie could get up. Before she could even celebrate.
She was met with a hushed silence.
The initiation wasn’t over.