Chapter One

A flashback, mostly.

Chapter One

                My father had always had two simple rules: never enter his study was the lesser of the two. The second rule was never trust the feds. The last person in our family to help them wound up in the Labyrinth for the rest of his life. Kneeling beside my father, the only sounds being my own heart beating and faint breathing, I recalled the day they came to him for help.

                I was only eight years old, my father in his late twenties. He was explaining the wonders and dangers of the Labyrinth of Dreams. Putting into details my childish mind could never comprehend the monsters he encountered and the dreams he’d discovered locked in the deepest, most dangerous recesses of the maze. I couldn’t quite follow the path his words took, but I followed the raspy tones and pitches with ease, allowing them to fill in the blanks. He was about to explain one of the darkest nightmares he’d ever seen when there was a brusque knock at the front door. He turned from me to glance at the clock above the doorway before he stood.

                “Stay here,” he warned, touching my shoulder before he disappeared around the corner. I heard the door open, and then another voice. Then a second stranger. They were talking about a murder, but I hadn’t been able to follow the conversation very well. The strangers kept mentioning the Labyrinth, saying that they could train my father to get into other peoples’ heads and draw them into his Labyrinth. They told him the risk was worth it, but didn’t tell him why. By now, my mother was in the doorway, passing small looks in my direction whenever my father turned to her.

                “Your job with us is simply to lure someone into one of your own Labyrinths. Nothing more,” the first speaker said. For the first time, I disobeyed my father’s command and went to my mother’s side, then scurried away from her grasp and to my father. The two men there were dressed in perfect suits, one tall and extremely thin, almost appearing to be ill, the other a little shorter and with enough weight to make him seem healthy.

                “What do you want with my dad?” I growled at them, defensive. Even at this young age, I harbored a hatred for men in suits. They always meant trouble for us. And when they showed up at two in the morning, you knew they were no good.

                “Adrian.” There was an edge to my father’s voice, a warning for me to shut up before I got us into trouble. The sickly looking man at the door knelt to my height, dirtying the right knee of his black pants, and offered a smile. He treated me like an adult, offering his hand in greeting. I looked at it, examining each finger before I shook his hand.

                “Adrian, we just need your dad’s help with catching a very bad man,” he told me after he let go. The adult tone wasn’t there anymore, his voice taking on that baby-talk type of sound.

                “A murderer,” I said. My father’s hand rested on my shoulder now, another subtle warning. I started to reach for the door, to slam it in the cop’s too-thin face, but my father stopped that and pulled me aside.

                “Gentlemen, come in. Anna will show you to my study,” he told them before guiding me in the opposite direction, toward my room. Once inside, he closed the door and sat on my bed beside me. “Adrian, I know you don’t like them. None of us do. But, sometimes, we must do things we do not enjoy. Even if that means inviting the enemy into our home.”  My father raised a hand to silence my objection before it could escape my lips. “Now, I am going to entertain our guests and find out just what they want.”

                “They want you to help them catch a bad guy. But the Labyrinth is dangerous, Dad. I don’t want you to do it.” The stony exterior I tried to keep up faltered, a little of the child inside peering through my eyes at my father.

                “I won’t get lost in there, Adrian. I promise.” I knew as soon as the words left his mouth that it was a lie, but I didn’t argue with him. I simply got up on my knees and threw my arms around his neck. He hugged me gently, more gentle and reassuring than usual. He was more of a tough-love kind of guy. He kissed the top of my head when I pulled away and told me to get some sleep, told me he loved me, then left my room. When I heard the door to his study slide shut, I got out of bed and tiptoed down the hallway. Pressing my ear to the door, I caught some of the conversation.

                “…train you. As we said already, it’ll be risky. You may not make it. But you are the most experienced with walking the Labyrinths without getting hopelessly lost.” It was the heavier one speaking. His voice didn’t fit his body. The pitch was too high. Before my mind could analyze the tones further, my father’s grave tone cut in.

                “I was supposed to be out of this. When Adrian was born, I left. What the hell makes you think I want to come back and help you guys? I have responsibilities you two idiots don’t. My son, my wife. Neither of you have families to take care of. If you get lost in there, it won’t endanger others. If I do, Anna will have to raise Adrian alone.”

                “We understand your concerns, Thomas. But to catch this guy, we need someone who can get out of the Labyrinth without taking too much damage. And you are the only one with enough experience to pull that off,” the thinner one said. “There is no way out of this, Thomas. It’s part of your family’s job and you know it. Just as your father walked the Labyrinth, and as you have, so will your son, and his. But Adrian will not take over until you are no longer capable of doing so.”

                “I have no choice in the matter, do I?” my father asked. It wasn’t like him to give in so easily, or to ask if he had a choice. If a choice wasn’t offered, he made it anyway. But not this time. He agreed after only a moment of debate. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

                “The usual meeting place? If you get there around noon, we can start training you, and the sooner that is over, the sooner we get the b*****d,” said the thin one.

                “And the sooner you get to come back to you cushy little home with your cute little son and wife,” added the other with a sneer. I heard the impact of my father’s fist against his cheek, followed by a thump and the shattering of a glass. The guy fell and the fancy glass that had contained his liquor was in shards across the floor.

                “Get out of my home, Gabriel. Both of you. You are no longer welcome here. I will meet you tomorrow, but do not come back here.” I ran from the hall and back to my bedroom as the footsteps neared the door. “Once we do this, I’m done!” my father called after them. “Done.”

               

                My father survived the training, and got the guy. But it ended with him nearly comatose, his body vacant, his mind broken. Lost in the Labyrinth. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer before I stood, taking my father’s ring and slipping it onto the chain around my neck.

                “I will avenge you,” I vowed. “I will hunt them down and make them pay for what they have done.” I left the room and found my mother, offering a gentle hug before I told her I needed some air. She knew I was out for more than air. She knew I was seeking blood now. My father was dead because of those two men, Gabriel and Eddie. It was their fault, and their lives would be the only acceptable price for them to pay.

Author's Note

I rushed the end and may have mixed up the names of the dad (Thomas) and main character (Adrian), as I switched them halfway through.

Reviews

[Alex Vidmar]

I'm loving this book Kit-Kat! Can't wait to watch his revenge unfold!

[Anonymous Girl]

Woaaaah!! He is surely dying to taste the revenge he wants to seek.
I like the last line: "It was their fault, and their lives would be the only acceptable price for them to pay".
Really loved it keep it up and looking forward to read more. :) keep writing :)
100/100

[Brianna Van Zandt]

Thank you. I will write the next chapter soon. Debating who should be targeted first. :P

[Anonymous Girl]

I think Eddie should be first target because Gabriel was mentioned first in the chapter which shows he had a great authority. Hope you like the suggestion :)

[Brianna Van Zandt]

Eddie was mentioned first. Eddie was the thin, sickly one who shook Adrian's hand. Gabriel was the heavier one that was being an a*s. The one who got punched.

[Anonymous Girl]

Okay didn't notice that sorry. Then Gabriel should be first, because you've just mentioned that he got punched.. sooo

[Brianna Van Zandt]

I think it will end up being Eddie because Adrian blames him more. Eddie was the one who told Thomas he had no choice but to help. Gabriel was just a jerk, like the backup kind of guy, in case Thomas got violent.

[Brianna Van Zandt]

Maybe he will go after both at once! I don't know.

[Anonymous Girl]

Okay sure, do whatever you like to do. :) Loved it though. :) Keep writing

[Brianna Van Zandt]

I will. :)

[Gretchen Clarke]

Oh-ho-ho boy! A kid avenging his father is always epic, and this is true here too! I loved the ending passage: "'I will avenge you,' I vowed. 'I will hunt them down and make them pay for what they have done.' I left the room and found my mother, offering a gentle hug before I told her I needed some air. She knew I was out for more than air. She knew I was seeking blood now. My father was dead because of those two men, Gabriel and Eddie. It was their fault, and their lives would be the only acceptable price for them to pay." It shows Adrian's loyalty to his father and his hatred of those who killed his father.
Anyways, great job on this chapter, Kit-Kat. I really felt the emotion in here. And when something is really good in my mind, it goes in my Favorites! If I could, I'd give this a 1,000,000,000/100, but the rating system only goes so high, unfortunately.
Keep up the great work, Kit-Kat!

[Brianna Van Zandt]

Thank you very much for your enthusiastic support. :)

[Gretchen Clarke]

:D

[Zeph]

Awesomee :D