¶. Hope. Some say in times like these it's a meaningless word. A coward's courage to avoid their circumstances. Others say it's a light at the end of the tunnel. The only goal worth fighting for. As for me, it's all I have to strive for. All I have left.
¶. I followed the tune as far as I could. Hesitantly, I crossed every hall it led me down, sprinted in every direction it ran. It led me to a room similar the one I started in. A medium sized room with hallways separating every direction. As I entered the room, I fell on my knees and ploped onto my back. I inhaled all the oxygen I could and quickly let it all out again. For a moment, I was too distracted by the burning in my legs to notice the shadow watching me in the corner.
¶. I heard it first, it was subtle, but was enough to bring me back on top of my feet. My eyes lingered where it had been, but not even a speck of dust remained. Quickly I felt it burn my back with it's gaze. I turned as quick as I could, but still nothing remained. I feel insane. Those eyes, that gaze. I know it's real, but I see nothing. I'm going crazy, all I can do is panic to myself.
¶. I felt a twig like finger poke my forearm. I thought that single poke was enough to tear my arm out of it's socket. I practically jumped out of my skin and turned toward the monster. It hardly a monster at all. It looked like a decayed tree. It's shape resembled a human, but nothing else. It's arms had twigs sprouting out of every crevese. Where it's head should be, there were two white lights. They werent as instable as a flame, but they had this soulish torture to them. I quickly ran as far as I could, but I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I could still hear the whistle, but I paid it no mind.
¶. I ran down every twist and turn while looking over my shoulder. Suddenly, I felt myself fall face first into the shaggy carpet. I looked at what I tripped over and saw a familiar friend clutching his knee while in pain. "Jack"! I quickly grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up, he fought me with his weight and quickly interrupted my panic, "what are you doing? Here I was taking a nap when my best friend trips over my leg, then drags me like my life depends on, take a breath. Tell me what's going on". I quickly shouted at him, "there's something chasing me, we have to get out of here quick"! He took a look around, "Are you sure your minds not playing tricks on you? Reeling, I don't see anything". I took a look around and there was nothing, not even the faintest whif of danger.
¶. I grabbed my head and tried grasping some form of reality. "I don't know what's going on, this place. I just keep walking, and walking. I think I'm going somewhere, but there's just another wall. We're trapped here. I-i I don't know what to do anymore". Jack grabbed my shoulders. "Copy me". He inhaled nearly all the air in the room then quickly let it out with his breath. "Reeling, I know how easy it is to get lost, but panicking will only make it worse".
¶. He walked in front of a random hallway, "Come on, let's go find the rest of them". I reluctantly followed Jack through the spiraling rooms and unceasing hallways, I have no idea how he can be so calm when there's no hope, no real path forward. How can he whistle so gleefully when we're probably going to die?
¶. It's weird to explain how such a simple setting can be so unsettling. The vintage rug, and old wallpaper would make a welcome tourist attraction anywhere else, but here, it only serves to remind us of the endless march to nowhere. I'm loosing my mind. At times I'll stare at the walls and my vision will completely reshape. This place, my heads, it's just causing me pain. And Jack, he's no help at all, all he does is move forward without so much as thought. And that gleeful whistle, it only hightens the tension.
¶. Jack stopped, I nearly crashed into him, but thankfully had the foresight to stop myself before it could happen. "We're here". Those two words completely broke the scene. The once unsettling horror became silent. "What do you mean"? He took a step to the side, and I saw a trap door opened below us with a ladder inviting us down. "I don't think we can trust this thing". He reassured me, "we don't a choice".
¶. We made our way down the ladder each time our foot pressed against the rung it would echo out in pain. There were walls surrounding us on all sides, all we could was where we came from and the ladder below us. We barely spoke a word, but I preferred it that. It was strangely peaceful. There was no eerie setting or ominous gaze, just a safe compact room where I could only be harmed by my own mistakes.
¶. When we reached the bottom, we were standing in an empty collousium amongst the bleachers. It was dark in the room, but in the center there was a spotlight shining on a person hugging his knees. Jack mindlessly walked towards the person with the grin he's never let go of. I reluctantly followed my friend, but kept my eyes on our surroundings.
¶. Jack stood above the person but instead of saying a word, he kicked his shin. The person jumped back in horror, from where I stood, it looked like he was about to jump out of his skin. I recognized him immediately, it was Lucas. His fear quickly vanished as he hugged Jack's legs. He kept muttering his thanks. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I thought I was going to die down here by myself. Thank you". Jack pulled him up, "don't be a baby, you would've made it out by yourself, if I hadn't come along". Lucas saw me standing behind Jack and quickly grabbed me onto a bear hug. "I'm so glad to see you guys".
¶. I hugged him back, I knew full well how he felt. "It's okay dude, we're here. We're getting out of this together". He instantly wiped his tears and regained his confidence, "yeah, let do this".