The labyrinth coughs them out into something even darker and quieter. Heidi doesn't know if it's an open clearing or just another stretch of nightmare forest, because the trees rise so high and thick they blot out the sky. Nightfall seeps in like spilled ink, and before long, she can't tell whether her eyes are open or shut. What she knows only, is that the air is colder, wetter, and smells like damp leaves and mud.
Her stomach gives an angry growl that echoes louder than she expects. A couple of the girls giggles, but the laugh is hollow and strained. Everyone's bodies are running on fumes. Sweat stains the backs of shirts, shoes are caked in grime, and lips are cracked from thirst. Even Val has gone quieter than usual, dragging her sneakers like someone carrying bricks around her ankles.
Heidi doesn't want to say the obvious: they're hungry, thirsty, and lost. But Alpha Boy, who is always the first to volunteer for the role of Human Buzzkill, breaks the silence.
