Episode 5: Lost Labyrinth (1): Dreams and ruins (1)

"*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*" I breathed heavily.

I ran down the path in front of me. My arms were fatigued and I felt like they were about to fall off. In the distance, I could see some light.

"Is it calling for me?" I thought. "I can finally... rest...?"

I pushed all my energy into the last sprint and rushed towards the light.

The ground shook and my eyes blurred a little. I fell on to the cold ground bruising my bum a little. "Ouch!"

It hurt but my focus was drawn to the walls. It wasn't there before. The walls continued to erect up towards the ceiling covering my entire view.

"What.....? What's happening?"

A few moments later, it stopped moving. I got up and patted my bum. My senses were back to normal, or rather, my senses were focused on what's in front of me.

The walls began to burrow back into the ground. It was weird.

"It first came up, but now it's going back down?" I asked myself.

Slowly, I saw three silhouettes presented in front of me as the bright light seeped out from the wall.

I walked towards the black silhouettes reaching my hand out, "Hey..."

I walked forward a little. My shaking eyes looked at my extended arm. I retracted them.

"I shouldn't call them..." I said to myself. "I shouldn't... I shouldn't... I shouldn't expose myself... I shouldn't..."

My head began to spin a little. I felt cold. I felt hungry. I felt lonely.

I jerked my head up and looked straight in front; they were walking into the walls.

I looked around, there was nowhere else I could go. I decided to head in behind them.

I need to find food.

* * *

The walls were closing fast. I rushed up towards it and squeezed my way in but I barely made it inside. I was breathing heavily again, but it was no time to rest so I pressed forward hiding in the shadows of the walls.

I looked to my side and noticed a girl caressing the green grass and flowers. I paused in front behind a small building. I peeked my head back and looked at her; she was beautiful. My eyes were glued to her, but then I looked down at my clothing. It was all tattered and covered in dirt with bloodstains everywhere.

"What is... this?" I said looking at my clothes. "Blood...?"

But, suddenly, I noticed the girl looking directly at me. Her eyes fixated on me but it showed a little bit of confusion within it.

I hesitated and pulled my head behind the building. Cautiously, I poked my eyes out; she gradually got up and stepped towards me.

I panicked a little and dashed away. Turned my head back, I saw the girl chasing after me.

"Why is she chasing me!?" I said to myself. "Please! Please go away!" I begged to myself.

I turned a few corners but she was still running after me.

I saw a door in front and it opened up. The automatic door slid sideways and I ran through it.

"I'll hide somewhere in here. She'll stop following me and give up," I thought.

It was dark. The place was an open, empty area. Suddenly, the lights lit up and I was blinded a bit. I quickly dashed and hid behind the vending machines.

I could hear the girl breathing heavily as I peeked through the gaps of the vending machine. Her hands were placed on her knees as she hastily wiped her sweat off her face. Her cheeks were slightly blushed and she looked left and right frantically.

My head suddenly throbbed and I felt like a knife was stabbing into it.

"Ugh..." I said placing my hands on my head. "Hungry... hungry..." I began to mutter.

I stood up and ran down the corridor. I could hear steps behind me again. She was following me, again. I stepped into the dark shadows of the first room and the girl followed in.

I slowly circled around her avoiding her direct line of vision. It was dark but I managed to grab a wooden pole lying on the floor. Approaching behind her, I hit her back with the pole. Before she could scream for help, she fainted and fell down flat on the floor.

"It's not my fault..." I muttered with my shaking hands. "It's not my fault... it's you! It's your fault for following me! You forced me to do this!"

I raised my hands into a sword-swinging position and looked down at her. I was about to swing it but then she moved slightly.

"Ray..." I heard her mutter. "Ray..."

My arms shivered. I dropped the pole and looked around; no one was around. I hastily grabbed her arms and dragged her towards the corner of the room. I closed the door and ran off down the corridor again.

* * *

"Where's the food?!" I shouted.

I couldn't find it. I opened the door one by one but I couldn't see anything. All I could see was dark, empty rooms. Some of the rooms even had a big, dark corridor but I did not dare step into it.

Frantically, I ran around and I approached the ticket's front counter. Illuminated, the glass boxes were filled with popcorn. I ran towards it and opened the top panel but something was not right. As I looked closer, the colour of the popcorn was green and had fur-like spikes on it; it was mouldy.

I cared less and grabbed a handful of it and chucked it down my throat but my hand paused. I tugged my arm a little but it wasn't moving. I heard slight breathing from behind me, I turned around and there she was again, breathing deeply.

"Stop... *Huff* *Huff*," she began to say. "Don't eat that... *Huff* It's gone bad!"

Her eyes glared at me and I released my grip. The mouldy popcorn dropped down on to the ground as she squeezed my hand a little.