Justin

Justin                 Twenty-four

          Although we all knew Elias had a thing for Snow, she didn’t seem to have a thing for him. Especially with the way she was sitting with Ryan. After Elias had left the room with Gabri, Snow had moved to the wall with Ryan on her heels. The whole time Elias and Gabri were gone Snow would be running her fingers through Ryan’s hair while he cried into her lap. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure if she’s just comforting him or taking advantage of the state he’s in to make her seem like the best person there. Which she probably was. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but, boy, can she talk s**t about someone she doesn’t like. I’d watch Snow constantly glance at the door and bite her lip nervously, before returning her attention back to a whimpering Ryan.

          Snow had tried to get Ryan to eat some of the ham sandwiches that were given to us, along with carrots and bottles of water, while Elias and Gabri were having it out somewhere beyond the metal door. Ryan refused to eat, waves of grief washing over him every ten minutes or so. Poor guy. I already lost my girlfriend, can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my sister.

          It only seemed like an hour before before the metal door swung open, a sweaty and panting Elias rushing in and sinking back against the door after he pushed it closed with his remaining strength. He looked exhausted. He tilted his head back against the door and closed his eyes, sighing in relief. After a moment like that he looked at Snow, meeting her eyes.

          Her blue eyes were filled with concern and question while his green eyes were filled with exhaustion and sorrow. Ryan turned and looked at Elias, Snow’s hand still resting on his head gently. Elias looked at Ryan and then at Snow’s hand on his head before he narrowed his eyes at Ryan, jealousy dancing across his eyes.

          I smirked a little and cracked my knuckles. There’s only two of us that haven’t gone in the maze, that’s Snow and I. I know tomorrow will be the day that we’re both called out to go in the maze. I’m not sure what to expect. Will this all end after there’s the winning eight people, just like in the game? Or will they make us battle each other again after they add more obstacles to the maze, more death traps. All for their enjoyment. Sick f***s.

          “He f*****g smirked at me, Snow! This is all just an act to have you all touchy feely with him, rubbing his hair and coddling him like he’s a child!” I blinked, hearing Elias shouting above my thoughts. Elias was standing now, his eyes darkened with rage as he pointed his rough index finger at Ryan, who still had his head tucked away under Snow’s protective hand, fresh tears falling against her pale thigh. Ryan didn’t look like he was up for games, so why would he smirk at Elias to cause trouble?

          “Oh, whatever, Elias.” Snow narrowed her eyes right back at Elias, her stare cold and icy, cutting through Elias like thin shards of ice. Her words were harsh but there was a bit of a snort at the end of them, as if she was saying ‘Get over yourself.’

          “No really! He smirked at me and nuzzled his head into your freaking thigh!” I could practically see the steam coming out if Elias’ ears. Snow just shook her head and rolled her eyes at Elias’ behavior. Not that I blame her.

          “You haven’t had anything to drink since yesterday, you’ve obviously been running around in the maze. So you’re tired, sweaty, and probably dehydrated. You’re imagining things. Sit down and rest before you piss me off, Elias.” Snow said his name with venom in her voice, obviously highly annoyed.

          Frowning, Elias walked over and sat next to Snow- on the opposite side- and crossed him arms, glaring at a spot on the floor. Snow rolled her eyes again and looked down at Ryan.

          “If that wasn’t interesting, I don’t know what was.” Snow jumped as the intercom went on. It had never come on after a game before. What’s going on...? Ryan looked around fearfully, his lower lip trapped under his top row of teeth.

          “I know, none of you were expecting this. And I know two of you thought you still had a full day until you’d be playing. But, well, you’re wrong, kiddos. Would the last remaining players please rise?”

       I look at Snow, she’s looking at Ryan and then over to Elias. Elias looks  mixture of pissed, distressed, and fearful. Wiping his eyes, Ryan sits up and Snow gets up slowly, looking like she’s trying to make sense of the universe. I rise too, might as well get this over with. I’ll try to find my way through the new, rearranged maze. When I do I’ll follow the game. I’ll do what they want. There’s no reason not to. I don’t have anything anymore. Maddy is dead.

          I cringe at the thought of Maddy. Her long blonde hair and her steely gray eyes that hypnotize you. Her small, heart shaped face and her pink lips that were always set in an adorable pout. Most people thought she was annoying but we all loved her. She wouldn’t be here with us if we didn’t.

          I’ve made the connection that we’re all connected by being close friends. We were targeted because they wanted to see our pain when we had to kill our friends or be killed by them.

          It never once occurred to me that all the boys that are in here, or were, and myself could have over powered anyone who tried to force us to play the game. We could have refused and then over powered them when they game down here to beat us. But we never tried it. No one had even talked about trying it. We all just thought it would be suicide or a beating that would make you want to commit suicide.

          I looked at Snow, she was wrapped up in her arms and he was whispering something in her ear. She nodded and looked at him before hugging him tightly, something being muffled in his shoulder. His hand slid down to her hand as she pulled away, her eyes rising to his as she looked at him somberly. He mouthed something to her and she nodded before pulling away and walking over to stand next to me. ‘Come back to me.’ Is what I think he mouthed.

          It just hit me that she probably thinks she’s going to die. She probably thinks that I’m going to kill her so I don’t get killed. I turn my attention back to the door as I hear the locks inside of it sliding out of the wall, unlocking the door. Snow pushes on the door and it opens, the sound of it seemingly stopping my heart. Snow steps out and look around before heading to the left.

          I’m just standing there until I hear Snow’s footsteps start to fade, causing me to blink and look at everyone before I stop out into the hall, pushing the door shut behind me.

          The lights flickered and I saw the ‘the end is near’ written on the wall in red, dripping letters. I stared, terrified, before the lights flickered again and the words vanished.

          “What the...” I mumbled and looked around, heading down the right hallway. I had to hustle if I wanted to beat Snow. She had a several minute head start, but she would be wandering around, dazed and confused. We were not supposed to play today. We were supposed to have one more day.

          Turning the corner I see the lights flicker again, a shadow of a figure appearing down the dimmed hallway before they flash on again and its gone. I shake my head and walk faster, a twisted feeling creeping its way up my spine.

          I shake the feeling away and round the corner and then another corner, slowly making sense of things. I should of had Elias tell me everything from the maze when he went. It was just awhile ago, how much could the maze have changed?

          I think about the night at the club when this all happened. Maddy was drunk off her a*s. She had tried to drag me into a corner but I wouldn’t have it. She pouted and refused to look at me until I dragged her over to a section of empty couches and pulled her onto my lap, telling her I refuse to do anything while sh’e drunk because it would still be taking advantage of her. Especially with the things she was telling me to do. Sober Maddy would not have said anything close to that. I smile a little at the memory. I frown more at the fact that it ended terrible, us all waking up here and then Maddy being one of the first few to die. Why us? I’m sure there’s plenty of groups of teenagers who have big groups of friends all over the world.

          Blindly I round a corner and run face first into a wooden door. Stumbling backwards from the impact to my nose, I look at it and take a deep breath. This is it. Its time to end this all.

          I look around before going through the door, all of the other hallways all lead to this one hallway. No matter where you go you end up here. I take five paces down the way I came from and the maze changes back to a actual maze when I turn around, A single hallway leading to this door. There are no more connecting hallways. I’m going f*****g mad. I rub my face and push the wooden door open with my arm.

          The circular room is fairly big, but there’s only one other door in the room besides the wooden door and that’s a silver metal door. I turn around to look at the wooden door, to see if I can see anything out the small window in it, but it’s vanished. The only way out is through that door to the lock boxes. Please, don’t let Snow be in there.

          With several long strides, I cross the room. With a push I open the door. Snow is standing several feet away from the table with her lock box on it, staring at it with an explainable fear.

          “Snow?” I walk up to my box and she looks up and blinks several times before licking her lips and looking away. “You don’t have to do anything. We could refuse to do anything. I know we could resist them if we tried.”

          Suddenly Snow’s face contorts into a look of agonizing pain. She crumples to the ground, holding her head. She doesn’t scream, but she cries quietly. I run over to her and make her look at me, her face still showing the feeling of pain.

          “What is it? What’s wrong?” Her deep blue eyes spill tears and she struggles to talk, the pain taking her breath away.

          “Th-they said w-we can’t d-do that or they’ll k-kill our families. Justin they’re doing something, it hurts so bad, please help me!” I look at her slightly dumbfounded as she grasps my wrists and squeezes from the pain as she gasps for air.

          Frowning, I let her go and walk back over to the lock box. If we can’t rebel against them then we have to listen to them. “Snow, listen to me.” I take my gun out and c**k it, making sure everything will go okay the first time around. She looks at me, still sprawled across the floor, tears flowing steadily.

          “They won’t hurt your family. And if what Ryan said is true, if Ashley didn’t turn when she shot herself in the head, then I won’t either. You have people and things to live for. I don’t. Maddy is gone from me, this is the least I can do. Go back to Elias and go comfort Ryan. They need you.”

          I put the gun against my head and look at Snow. I leave my eyes open, to close them would be cowardly. The barrel of the gun is in the middle of my forehead but better judgment makes me move it to my temple. I try my best not to look at Snow, I don’t want her to have to relive this nightly. I’m sure Ryan will relive his sister dying nightly. Hell, there’s no preventing anyone reliving any of this nightly. They’re all doomed to have nightmares from this bullshit.

          I look away from Snow, moving my eyes to the lock box on her table, and wrap my finger around the trigger. I take a deep breath. Inhale. One. Exhale. Two. Inhale. Three. Exhale.