Outside the Box - Chapter 11

11

My eyes fly open and I gasp, inhaling deeply. I sit up straight, back rigid and heart pounding. My head slams into something else hard and I hear someone recoil. 

“Ouch, what was that for?” Aspen complains, rubbing the back of her head. 

“Sorry,” I mumble, rubbing my own head. 

“Whoa,” Aspen breathes, changing the subject. I look around and mimic her reaction. 

The maze is bigger than I was expecting, the stone walls tower far above - too high to climb. Torches line the walls sporadically, just out of reach. Behind us is another wall - we started in a dead end. 

Aspen is beside me, her blonde hair cascading down her back and her eyes wide. 

Get up, we must not dally, a voice says, making me jump. I recognize it as Dr. Barron and get to my feet, knowing she’s right. 

“Let’s go,” I tell Aspen, getting to my feet. She presses a finger to her lips and points upwards. I follow the direction of her finger. I break into a smile when I see it, a large orange bird with a flaming tail. “What is that?” 

“A phoenix, I think,” Aspen whispers, excited. “My parents told me that they were fake.” 

And fake they are, Dr. Barron says, sounding expasterated. Really, you must begin moving. The maze is filled with creatures of fiction and myths, but also of trials that make it nearly impossible to reach the center alive. 

“Great,” Aspen mumbles - I guess she can hear Dr. Barron too. 

Follow the path down and at the silver torch on the left there should be a crack in the wall. Follow the crack with your finger until you find a loose piece of rock near the bottom. Push the rock in, Dr. Barron instructs. 

Aspen begins to make her way towards the torches on the left. She traces the wall with her finger until she finds the silver torch. I join her and follow the crack that stretches from the torch to the ground. My fingers find the small rock Dr. Barron mentioned and I push it inwards, the rock sliding with little resistance. 

There’s a rumbling sound and the ground shakes, but across from us the wall seems to unfold. It reveals a tiny room with silver walls and many chests made of wood. 

Grab what you need. There should be weapons, armor of sorts, and other supplies. Pack two bags with the essentials; a rope and a flashlight if you can find one, food - try finding a purple knapsack, water - try finding a blue canteen, and anything else that you think could help. I trust your instincts, Dr. Barron orders. 

Aspen and I get to work filling two bags. Aspen finds a silvery cord and the blue canteen. I discover the flashlight - powered by movement - and a purple bag of food. We also find a grappling hook, several knives and guns, and a chest of armor. 

The armor is lightweight and gray, floppy pieces of fabric. Aspen pulls a vest over her head and it shrinks to fit her body, solidifying. I grab some of the armor too - although it doesn’t make me feel any safer. 

Leave this chamber once you are ready. Follow the path and take a left at the first intersection. 

I suppose having Dr. Barron guide us won’t be too bad. If she tells us exactly where to go and what to avoid, we should be okay. Besides the killer monsters and stuff, of course. 

Aspen and I set a brisk pace and walk down the path. The stone is hard and loud under my feet, making me long for the lush grass like the park in the city. Above us is dark sky that stretches on forever. 

“So, if you’re a hacker, why can’t we just hack through the maze?” I ask Aspen as we round the first corner. 

Next intersection is another left, Dr. Barron says, and Ms. Foster should not attempt to hack through the maze under any circumstances. The program is likely equipped to handle it especially now that it’s broken. Who knows what could happen? Best stay on the path - and be careful. I sense a trap ahead, although I can’t tell what. 

“Be careful, got it,” I note, shaking my hands to relieve some of the nervous tension building in my chest. 

We take another corner and I can see Aspen tensing up. I grab her hand and squeeze it. Aspen looks up at me, her mouth open in surprise. “We’ll get through this together,” I whisper, and Aspen nods once. 

We advance further down the passage, hand in hand until we find another intersection. Dr. Barron tells us to go right this time. 

There’s another corner, and Aspen and I follow the path. 

Suddenly, the air is filled with quiet chatter. I look around, but see nothing until Aspen squeezes my hand and points up. 

Above us is about ten tiny creatures. 

Each one has colorful patterns painted across their fur. Each one is sitting on a gray cloud, which seems impossible until I remember what Dr. Barron said about colorful creatures. They drift back and forth, whispering to each other. 

“They’re so cute,” Aspen breathes - which is a mistake. 

One of the creatures turns its head to the side, glancing down at us. Its eyes grow wide and it emits a terrifying squeal. The other creatures turn and see us too, each one growing angrier. “Run!” I tell Aspen, not even bothering to try and fight them. The creatures can’t be too bad… 

A few of the creatures form a circle and begin spinning like some demonic cult. The others begin to growl, their clouds turning pure black. Rain begins to pour from the sky and the circling creatures join the others. 

Aspen grabs my hand and pulls me along beside her, but the creatures are fast. Their clouds begin dumping rain, and at first it doesn’t seem too bad. 

Then the rain hits my back and I yelp, speeding up - now I’m dragging Aspen. 

The rain stings, leaving shallow wounds in my back. If it weren’t for the armor I have a feeling the damage would be much worse. 

“We can’t … outrun … them,” Aspen pants beside me. “Shoot…” 

She doesn’t have to finish because I’ve already whipped one of the guns off my back. I don’t know which it is or what it does, I just pull the trigger. 

A burst of flames spills from the end of my gun. One of the creatures shrieks as it is consumed by the flames, but the rain soon puts the fire out. My weapon is no good. Aspen chucks a knife at another creature, but it misses terribly. 

I try another gun, pulling the trigger after taking aim. A burst of white light hits one of the creatures square in the chest. It swells for a moment and I’m afraid I’ve only made it more powerful, but then the creatures pops in a spray of mist. The swarm of creatures begins to flee and the storm dissipates. 

“Good thinking,” I smile at Aspen, helping her to her feet. “Are you hurt?” 

“I’m fine,” she smiles back, still shaken. “It only got my hand.” 

She shows me her hand, which is covered with angry red welts. She winces when I reach to touch it and I withdraw my hand. No use in making her feel more pain. 

I forgot about Storm Monkeys, Dr. Barron scoffs. One of my assistants thought they would be a good pet, but they were a failed experiment. We created them in this program specifically for a test, but it turned out better than we hoped. They make excellent guard dogs and… 

“And they’re really good at killing,” I sigh. “Is there anything else you want to say? Because Aspen and I have a job to do.” 

Another left. Dr. Barron falls silent and Aspen smiles encouragingly at me. 

I think the maze will be more bearable with her along. 

Dr. Barron leads us through the maze with relative ease. She begins to warn us sooner about possible traps, some of which have disappeared and others that backfire on themselves. 

We pass what was supposed to be a pit of spikes - except it’s on the wall instead of on the floor. 

We walk through several areas that Dr. Barron says used to be traps, but have now been altered due to the Sphere of Power being broken or whatever. Aspen asks her why she didn’t come up with a better name for the Sphere, and Dr. Barron doesn’t respond. I guess it’s a sensitive subject. 

There are a few real traps we have to get through as well. 

We use rocks strategically placed on the wall to climb over a pit that seems to go on forever. 

Aspen spots a laser beam about two feet before I run into it, so we’re able to duck under it. 

We run through a cloud of thick, green smoke.

Every time Dr. Barron checks to make sure we’re okay and every time we say yes. Trap after trap, glitch after glitch, turn after turn. 

Turn right. 

Arrows already embedded in the stone walls. 

Another right. 

A writhing snake, shot once by Aspen and once by me to make sure it stays dead. 

A left. 

I can’t tell how long we’ve been in the maze, or how long we’ve walked. My feet are sore and my legs burn, but Aspen doesn’t complain so neither do I. Dr. Barron’s voice has become a comforting sound by now. 

Every time I want to stop I remind myself of Miguel and Ezra. Will they meet the same fate as Gretchen? What even happened to Gretchen? 

Aspen marches on with strong determination as Dr. Barron instructs our every move. 

We finally slow down in what seems like two hours. Aspen slides down against the wall, her legs crumpling under her. Dr. Barron declares us safe for now and says we can rest for a little - we should be safe. Should be. That doesn’t exactly reassure me. 

The air has a slight chill to it, although there is no wind. 

Aspen wraps her hoodie tighter around her as I search for something we can use to make a fire. Dr. Barron leads me to a dead-end not far away with a trunk of wood in it. 

Aspen and I use the flamethrower to start a mini campfire on the ground. 

You should rest, Dr. Barron announces when the fire is roaring. Tomorrow we will continue on. It is night out here, so I assume your bodies will need rest in there as well. Hopefully we will get to the center of the maze soon. 

“By soon do you mean tomorrow or next week,” Aspen sighs. 

It depends on your pace. I do not wish to rush you, but we must not dawdle for longer than needed. Anyways, I wish you goodnight.

Aspen sighs again and Dr. Barron falls silent. 

I’m quiet too, lost in my thoughts. Ezra and Miguel’s faces surface in my mind as a constant reminder of what happens if I disobey. It wouldn’t be too much of a loss if Miguel was killed, but I can’t let anything happen to Ezra. 

“Jake,” Aspen whispers, interrupting my thoughts. “What was it like in the city?” 

“Why do you want to know?” I ask her in shock, a bit of disgust seeping into my voice. 

“Sorry, I just…” Aspen stutters, looking away sheepishly. 

“No, I’m sorry,” I apologize quickly. “It doesn’t matter. The city was nice, I suppose. The buildings were all very tall and the city seemed to stretch on for miles. It did stretch on for miles. Most of the city was pavement and buildings, but there were a few parks here and there. Almost everyone lived in apartments, we had to pay rent and houses were expensive. 

“Everyone got their Date at the age fifteen - and those who chose not to look were sent to a psych ward. If you were rich enough, you could spend the last year or so of your life at an entertainment center designed to give you the most enjoyment possible. Overall, I guess it was an okay place to live. We didn’t have books or anything - that stuff was illegal. We had video games though, which were cool, I suppose,” I shrug, smiling to myself at all the happy memories from the city. 

“It sounds like a wonderful place,” Aspen smiles at me, reminding me she’s still there. “Did you have family?” 

I nod. “My father and my mother, of course. I had - have? - an older sister named Bridget and a younger sister named Juliette. We also got a cat named Eryl - he was supposed to protect me from death… I guess he didn’t do a very good job.” Bitterness forms heat in my chest. Dr. Barron promised that maybe I could go back in the city - but why would I? I’d just die again anyways. 

“I always wanted a pet,” Aspen murmurs to herself. “What was Eryl like?” 

“He was a cat. An orange cat,” I roll my eyes. “Why are you asking so many questions?” 

“I feel like I barely know you,” Aspen admits. “Miguel I’ve known my entire life. Same with Gretchen and Ezra. We all grew up together. Heck, I feel like I even know Warner better than you - and that’s saying something. I just figured that it would be nice to know about your … I don’t know - your past or something. It’s just …” 

“I don’t have a normal past, I know,” I sigh as Aspen nods. 

“You’ve faced so much compared to the rest of us,” Aspen says. “I remember one of the first days we met when I told you we all suffered. And we all have - it’s just some people face more than others.” 

“I jumped off a building, yeah, I know,” I sigh, staring at the fire intently. 

“You don’t really talk about that much. It’s always questions, never answers,” Aspen says. 

“I don’t have anyone to talk to. No one will listen.” 

“I listen. I’ll listen to anything you have to say. If we’re going to work through this we need to trust each other.” 

“I do trust you.” 

“I trust you, Jake. I can’t say that about everyone,” Aspen is looking at me now, her blue eyes flashing in the flickering flames. “Miguel is great and all, but he would leave me for the greater good. But back when we were in Emotional? You stopped and saved me. In fact, if I had to be stuck in this maze with anyone I would choose you.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, tired. 

“Because you need to know you aren’t alone!” Aspen cries out like it’s obvious. Girls. “I’m right here with you. Yes, you have a different past. Yes, you’ve had tough times. But everyone else is here to support you. I know you didn’t attack Gretchen that night. As I literally just said, I trust you. But you need to trust me. We’re friends, remember?” 

“I’ve never really had too many friends,” I admit to her. 

Aspen smiles sadly. “Then let’s start with a brand new one.” She scoots over to where I am and lays her head on my shoulder. Aspen is warm in the chill of the night. “We’ll protect each other. We can make it through this.” 

“Can we really though…” 

“Goodnight, Jake,” Aspen says quickly before I can finish. “Optimism is key.” 

“Goodnight, Aspen,” I whisper as she leans closer. 

I wonder if what Aspen said about being in the maze with me was true. Would she really choose me over Miguel? I look down at her, snoring softly and find my answer right there. 

Yes, Aspen would want me here. 

As I stare back into the flames my eyelids begin to flicker shut. Again, Miguel and Ezra’s faces come to mind. I will do anything to make sure Ezra lives through this. Miguel can fend for himself. Ezra might need help. 

And what about all those kids back in the bunker? 

And the people that the Box is capturing? 

I’m at war with myself now. Am I doing the right thing helping the Box? I’ll save Ezra and Miguel and Aspen, but at what cost? 

Hopefully not a cost I’m not willing to pay. 

Just two more lefts and you can have another break, Dr. Barron sighs. I expected more of you… 

“We’ve been walking for hours,” Aspen protests. “We need a break every once in a while.” 

Dr. Barron doesn’t respond. I can tell she’s angry - she wants us to move faster. I wish we could, but even Aspen’s pace has slowed. Our legs are exhausted and Dr. Barron keeps pushing us. The traps have been getting harder to pass by and less of them have glitched. 

We follow Dr. Barron’s instructions. There is something ahead, she warns us after the first turn. 

It turns out to be a small river, about twenty feet across. The water is rapid, but it doesn’t look poisoned. I guess we have to swim through it. I bend down and feel the water with my fingers. Freezing. 

“It shouldn’t be too hard,” I tell Aspen. “The current is strong and the water is cold but I don’t think we can really drown in it.” 

Aspen looks at the walls above the river. “Do you think there’s anything to climb over top?” 

I glance at the walls, but they’re smooth. “Unless you have super stickiness or something I’m not aware of, then no. We can swim.” 

“That might be a problem,” Aspen shudders. “I can’t swim.” 

I remain quiet for a moment. I suppose it would only be obvious that she can’t swim. I mean, where would she have to swim in? Our city had a pool, and my parents took me there a few times as a kid - enough for me to learn to swim. But Aspen grew up in the bunker, she wouldn’t have anywhere to learn in the first place. 

“There’s no other way across,” I tell her. “We have to swim.” 

“How?” Aspen is on the verge of tears, I can tell the water upsets her. 

Without answering, I lower myself into the water. The cold water sends shivers up my spine and makes my teeth chatter. When it becomes too deep I float on my back and call out to Aspen. “Do just what I did. Lower yourself into the water and walk in. When it’s too deep, lift up your feet and float on your back. Then kick and you should be across.” 

Aspen nods once, settinger her jaw. She tosses me her bag, which I throw to the other side of the river. 

It doesn’t take long for me to swim across. I pull myself out of the water, grateful for the warmth of the air and our extra clothing. I turn to see how far Aspen is. She has almost made it across. 

Aspen kicks her feet until she reaches the shore and pulls herself out of the water. 

Both of us are drenched, but Aspen throws her arms around me anyways. “I made it! I swam! Wait until I tell Ezra about this!” She seems so happy I can’t mention the fact that Ezra might not be alive if we don’t hurry. 

I hand Aspen her bag she accepts it. “We can change at our break.” 

Aspen nods and we begin to walk, but immediately a sense of dread washes over me. I turn to look behind us - and immediately I grab Aspen’s hand. “Run!” I yell as I pull her along. “We need to run!” 

Aspen stops in her tracks and sends a look over her shoulder before screaming loudly. 

Aspen freezes, still as a statue as she looks up at the new threat. 

An extremely tall wave of dark, rushing water headed straight at us. It plows through the corridor with surprising speed, heading straight for Aspen and I. 

I clutch her and our bags tightly as we run. The wave is fast - probably faster than us. Aspen crying now, she stumbles frequently and ways me down. But letting her behind is not an option. I am supposed to be her protector. 

“Jake, I…” she begins, but I shush her. Now is not the time for sentimental conversations. Talking is a waste of breath, breath we need for sprinting. 

My feet hit the ground hard as the wave approaches, roaring in my ears. Spray of mist forms fog in front of us, and I can no longer hear Dr. Barron’s instructions. Luckily enough, the maze path is pretty straightforward. We don’t have to worry about intersections or dead ends at the moment. 

Aspen begins to slow behind me, I can tell she’s tired. I remember what Dr. Barron said about me possibly keeping my mutations while in the program, and I suppose she’s right. I’m outlasting both Aspen and the wave now. 

“Jake,” Aspen cries as the wave suddenly reaches her ankles with a surge. I try to pull her faster, but she trips and pulls us both down. 

The wave crashes over me, pouring water all over. Into my lungs, my eyes, my nose. I try to call for Aspen, but my throat is raw and my brain is screaming for air. I kick my legs, swimming to the surface. 

The wave has stopped moving, forming a giant pool with seemingly solid walls around it. The water is dark and churning -there’s no way Aspen will be able to swim in this. 

I search the water with my eyes until I spot the telltale blonde hair like a flag. I inhale deeply and plunge back under for her. 

White hands grip my arms and I catch a glimpse of Aspen’s terrified face. Her eyes are fluttering. I grab her body under the armpits and pull upward, kicking furiously. I break to the surface, pulling Aspen’s body with me. 

Suddenly, the wave disappears. The water filters down into the ground, leaving Aspen and I on the ground. 

She coughs once, and I smile to myself. We’re alive! 

And then I hear the scuttling of legs on a hard surface and immediately tense up. 

Our safety was short lived. The spiders have found us.