Joe's heartbeat was faster the moment Lena stepped closer. Her movements were wrong, not proper, like a remote -controlled robot.
"It's me, Lena. Joe. Remember?" His voice shook.
She moved her head sideways and gave out a disgusting laugh, her teeth was dark colored like a vampire the just sucked blood. "I remember everything Joe. You left me behind instead of saving me."
"No I didn't leave you behind, I tried but Maya stopped me!"
Lies. "Lena raised a blood stained knife." The maze showed me everything. You wanted to sacrifice me to survive."
"No, that's not true Lena I can never do that to you, remember you saved me in the first game"
"And that's the main reason why I have to kill you now, I should have let you die in the first game." Lena rushed forward in a flash, knife in hand, and she proceeded to stab Joe. Joe ducked sideways and she missed. The knife struck the stone floor.
"Fight back Joe or else you die!" she screamed, her voice switched between her own and a darker version of her.
Joe stepped backwards quickly. " I won't fight you Lena!"
"Then. Die!"
She attacked again, this time unexpectedly. She slashed Joe at his upper arm with the knife and his blood dripped down the stone floor.
This wasn't Lena. The maze has turned her into something different.
"You're not real!" Joe shouted holding his wounded arm.
Lena stood still for a moment and her dark eyes switched to its normal self.
"Joe, oh my God I'm sorry. She said with Her real voice a little bit frightened. "Please help me…I can't…control.."
Then her eyes turned again, darkness engulfed them completely.
"Ha..ha…ha" She laughed and advanced again to stab Joe with her knife the second time.
This time Joe was prepared, he held her hand, but she was stronger, darkness had covered her, she threw Joe with one hand and he fell on the floor in a loud thud.
The floor beneath them cracked and a large wall shut up to the ground and separated them. Joe found him self in another corridor again breathing heavily. How took a look at the knife wound on his arm but it had disappeared.
The compass in his hand, began to spin wildly then it came to a stop immediately pointing left. He followed it through, narrow passages with long hallways that breathed as if they are alive.
Then he heard a voice and he froze.
"Joe Miller? Is that really you?"
Joe turned slowly. Standing in the shadows was a man in torn suit, with his broken glasses hanging lowly on his face.
"Mr Harrison?" Joe voice cracked.
His high school English teacher stepped into the dim light. He looked older, tired, with bags under his eyes.
"You recognize me. That's good." Mr Harrison smiled weakly. "I thought I had forgotten what I looked like."
"What are you doing here, are you real or you're one of the tricks the maze is playing with me." Joe said and took a step backwards.
"I'm real Joe, dont be sacred, I've been here for three months or rather three years. Time doesn't work the same I'm the maze." He pointed down the corridor. "Come. There are others. We have been waiting."
Joe was scared a little bit he followed. What choice did he have?
They walked through several more passages before reaching a large hall. Inside, Joe stomach dropped.
There were at least dozens of people in groups. He could recognize some from his neighborhood. Mrs. Alice who ran the corner cafe. David Park, his father's close friend and Even Coach Martinez from his school.
"What is this?" Joe asked.
"Surviving passengers," Mr Harrison said. "We have learned how to hide from the maze's games. We don't play anymore.
"But Sam said.."
"Sam! You met Sam, Sam was a fool who kept playing, Coach Martinez said suddenly and stood up. His muscular frame was thinner now looking gaunt. "We've found another way. We stay here, in the spaces between games. The maze can't reach us here."
Joe looked around at their blank expression. It was looking defeated.
"You're all the maze's prisoners."
"We're alive," Mrs. Alice said softly.
"For how long?" Joe asked challengingly. What happens when the maze decides to close these spaces.
There was silence.
"You can't be hiding here forever," Joe continued. "There has to be a way out."
Mr. Harrison grabbed Joe's shoulder. "There is no way out, Joe
The only way out of this place is to die or to become one of them.' he said pointing towards the shadows moving at distant corridors. "The predators. The ones fully consumed by the Maze."
"Sam mentioned something about the heart of the Maze, he said it's our only way out."
Everyone was tensed. Coach Martinez stepped forward. "Don't speak of that it's a trap. Everyone who has gone searching for the heart of the maze never lived to survive it."
"What if they found it and escaped." Joe shot back.
"You sound just like her," Mrs Alicia said suddenly.
"Her..Who?"
"Your friend. The girl with short hair and glasses. She came through here two days ago, asking the same questions. We tried to stop her, but she was stubborn."
"Lena? No, there was another girl. Kira!"
"That's the one," Mr Harrison nodded. "She said she was going to find the heart or die trying. We haven't seen her since."
Joe's mind began to race, Kira was still alive, still fighting. And if she could do it, he could do it also.
"I'm going after her l," Joe announced.
"You're going to die," Coach Martinez said coldly.
"Maybe or maybe not, boy I will also give it a try than hiding somewhere."
Joe turned to leave but Mr Harrison stopped him. "Joe please wait, don't do this."
"No I'm going, there's no going back now."
"Alright if you're really going.." He pulled out a small glowing stone from his pocket. "We found this in the walls. It shows the truth and can cut through the maze illusion I'm few seconds. It might be of help."
Joe tool the stone, feeling it's warmth. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet,"Mr Harrison said. "You're walking into your own death."
Joe walked towards the exit when Mrs Alicia called out. "Joe make sure you survive."
Joe turned and nodded, unable to speak.
He stepped back into the corridor, following the compass. It directed him deeper towards the middle of the maze where darkness was thick.
Behind him, he could hear Mr Harrison whisper, "I bet he won't make it past the Shadow Abyss."
But Joe was already deep in the darkness.
The corridor ahead divided into seven pathways. The compass in Joe's hand pointed to the middle one, a sign was carved into a stone in dripping red letters.
"THE HEART OF THE MAZE"
"NO MORE HOPE"
Joe stepped forward
The walls screamed and threw Joe inside.