Chapter Eight #4
The first section of the corridor stretches straight ahead; a nearly endless passageway lined with peeling paint and fluorescent lights.
We move slowly, our senses heightened, weighing the options of whether to turn at the next intersection or continue forward.
As we near the first intersection, a faint clicking sound echoes off the walls behind us, seeming to grow more insistent with each step.
I glance back, my heart racing in my chest, only to find brazen darkness swallowing up the path we just came from.
“Great… because that’s not creepy at all.” I mutter under my breath, the bitter taste of fear settling in my stomach. The shadows seem to pulse with an unspoken threat, so I quickly pivot back to face the maze of hallways ahead, trying to silence the anxious thoughts in my head.
Axel looks over his shoulder before snapping his attention back ahead of us as well.
An unspoken understanding passes between us as we both pick up our pace.
Our footfalls begin to echo more sharply as we approach the first turn and, without a word, we both round the corner and continue down the corridor.
I’m certain that when Thorne was leading me through here earlier there weren’t any rooms or doors after our last turn, so I’m positive about this first turn.
Uncertainty about the rest of the maze gnaws away at my insides.
I know there wasn’t an organizational system for the room numbers, which leaves very little to guide us. In fact, it leaves us nothing.
Despite the fact that Axel said he hadn’t paid very close attention on his way through here the first time, I decide to let him follow his instincts.
He leads us through multiple turns and past numerous passages.
The lights sputtering out behind us get closer and closer, causing us both to break out into a sprint.
The sensation of being pursued intensifies with each panicked step we take.
We’re running out of time, and it won’t be long before we’ve completely lost the only useful sense we have.
Axel abruptly stops and glances back to the last intersection. “I think we were supposed to turn back there.” His voice is tinged with uncertainty as he looks back ahead of us. It’s clear that we’ve reached the point where his memory is failing him, so I take charge without even thinking about it.
With a burst of adrenaline, I sprint to the door ahead of us. My heart races as I scan the room number, searching for any sign of familiarity.
“No! No. This is right. Come on!” I insist as I jog back to him and pull him forward.
“I don’t think so, Everest.” He replies, his tone is resolute as he yanks his arm free from my grasp, the worry in his eyes unmistakable. My gaze is drawn over his shoulder to where the lights flicker off far too close for comfort.
I take a deep breath, steadying my voice as I turn my eyes back to him. “Axel, I know that navigating isn’t my strong suit, but please trust me. I’m pleading with you. I’m positive that this is the right way.”
He rolls his eyes but ultimately concedes.
“If we fail this, I’m blaming you.” He mutters under his breath.
I let out a sigh of relief before we both take off down the path.
I’m desperately trying to recall which turns to take, but the only thing I can remember is a few of the random door numbers or nameplates.
I manage to successfully guess the next two turns, but as we come across another nameplate, I hesitate.
I don’t remember this name.
“Back, back, back!” I yelp as I turn back around and my feet slip underneath me.
“Take that turn!” I direct as I point to the last opening.
The darkness enveloping the path is slowly creeping closer to us.
I’ve been counting in my head, and it only gives us ten seconds between each click.
That means we have mere moments to check door plates and make sure that we know we’re going the right direction before we’ve lost too much time.
Us missing a turn puts a huge dent in the lead we had, but it beats the alternative of us continuing in the wrong direction.
We’ve barely scrambled down the passage when the light at the intersection flickers off. Axel glances behind us nervously. “God, I hope you’re right.”
I don’t even have time to gloat about the fact that I know I’m right when I pass another door number that I recognize.
I remember comparing it to the next door we passed, which was right after Thorne had turned us down this hallway.
I grab onto the sleeve of Axel’s shirt to direct him around the next corner, and the pounding of our feet slowly sputters out as we spot Thorne and Wilder standing in front of our door.
Axel bumps his shoulder into mine as we slowly approach them. “You did it.” He says with an exhausted smile.
“And you doubted me,” I retort with sarcasm lacing my words.
I can’t even be upset with him for worrying about letting me take the lead tonight, because we both know that I’m not good with directions. It feels good to succeed though, and I feel a surge of pride in being able to pull this off for both of us.
“That was really impressive.” Wilder says excitedly as he follows us inside our living space. “You didn’t even get caught in the dark. I was really expecting you guys to get lost at least once, but you made every turn—“
Wilder winces as Axel walks straight into his room and slams the door closed behind him. His brows pinch together with unwarranted frustration.
We spent hours in the pouring rain before being chased by rabid dogs and racing through a maze of poorly numbered offices. Neither of us are exactly in the mood to sit and chit-chat.
“Tomorrow, Wilder.” I offer as I toss a wave over my shoulder and disappear into my own room. What I need is a warm shower and some dry clothes before I crawl underneath my fluffy blanket. It won’t be much longer before I lose that comfort, too.