The Maze of Fear

This year was marked by the games in the labyrinth of fear, or the cursed labyrinth, as it was called by the people. I turned 21, so I could apply for the games, the main prize for the winner of which was: 200 gold coins and the status of a resident of the free cities. With that money, you could buy a small house in one of the 12 cities, hire servants, and live without working for some time. These were the third games in my memory. My father went to them and never returned, then my older brother, and then my boyfriend. No one I knew ever came back from there, but people kept applying in droves, hoping for a miracle. And I collected legends, rumors, and wrote it all down

and kept it in a hiding place in my small room. There was always only one winner, but in the labyrinth, you could team up with other participants, and if you agreed, you could share the winnings later. But who would want to share such a fortune? Besides, only one ticket to a new life was given. According to rumors, the last winner of the games had teamed up with three participants, and they helped him achieve victory. But after taking his prize, he disappeared, and no one ever saw him again. Mom was in a very bad state but continued to work at old Hugh's tavern; he paid her pennies. I also worked odd jobs wherever I could and dreamed of escaping this cursed city. Even if you saved up enough money, it was still impossible to move to a free city.

My day arrived; there was no excitement or fear. Mom was still asleep; the tavern was closed today, so she could finally rest. I took the paper that had my name, my parents' names, and my place of birth written on it.

The queue at the palace stretched from the outer wall. I silently stood behind a stocky man with a scar running the length of his face.

"Where do you think you're going, girl?" he asked.

"To the same place as you!" I answered boldly. "To the palace, to apply for the games."

"Are you crazy? Tired of living?"

"Better to die pursuing my goal than to try to survive in this filth."

"You should go home. The strong and powerful of this world perish in the labyrinth before even completing a third of it, and where do you think you're going?"

"Enough. You're not my father; I decide what to do with my life."

The man fell silent, only calling me some unpleasant curse. The line moved quickly; by noon, I had already reached the central tower, outside of which, near massive tables, guards sat and registered those wishing to participate in the games.

"Name?" asked a sweaty, bald guard.

"Lia," I answered, handing him the paper.

"I don't need that. How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

The guard looked me up and down, clicked his tongue. Then he took out a small wooden square with the castle emblem and the number 214. As I later found out, this year they were recruiting only two hundred people for the games. After me, I counted about 90 more people, and they kept coming. In two days, I had to come to the square near the castle, where they would announce the participants' numbers. On the morning of that day, I woke up very early, took the money I had saved (a few coppers and two silver coins) from the hiding place, and put it under my mother's mattress. She often shakes it out and would definitely find it. Mom was hanging laundry; today she looked well. Perhaps I am seeing her for the last time. Forgive me, I can't do it any other way; you give me all the best, sometimes going hungry yourself. I will do everything possible to return to you.

The square was packed. The herald called for silence. The people in the crowd were right; only 200 people would participate in the games. They started calling out numbers; people came out of the crowd and gathered near the tower gates. The selection principle was unclear; at the gates, I saw men and women, old and young, and those who looked strong and weak. I lost count, but there were already about 180 people. Would they not choose me? My heart began to pound rapidly in my chest. I can't endure a few more years of waiting; I'll either kill one of those who constantly try to get between my legs or just go crazy.

"Two hundred fourteen," the herald's voice sounded.

I was thrown into a shiver, even though it was insanely hot outside. From the crowd came murmurs: "She's just a girl," "So young," "Crazy," "Why can't she stay home under her mother's skirt?" After me, six more people came out. The herald announced that the selection was over. People began to disperse, and the chosen two hundred were called to enter the castle gates. Inside, tables were set. While we ate, the guards told us that the game would begin in a day, that the labyrinth had changed a lot since the last game, that each would be given only a knife, and that inside you could find any other weapon. I had heard all this before, and I also knew that there were many magical traps there, some that turned people inside out. I ate a little; I had no appetite. The previously absent anxiety overcame me. But there was no turning back. Anything a person finds in the labyrinth, they can take out of it, if by the end of the game they are still able to stand on their feet.

We slept right on the floor, on mattresses stuffed with straw. Sleep wouldn't come.

"Why are you here?" came a voice from the left. It was a young, dark-skinned girl about my age.

"Presumably for the same reason as you," I tried to force a smile.

"My name is Jami. Want to stick together?"

"I'm Lia. Sorry, I'm not used to trusting people. You might stab me in the back as soon as I step into the labyrinth."

"Yeah, I understand you, but I could, on the contrary, cover your back so no one stabs you."

I thought about it. Being alone in the labyrinth is difficult; sleeping is dangerous, but this way we could take turns.

"Well, let's try, Jami. What do you know about the labyrinth?"

"Only that you always need to be careful and look in all directions."

"That's very useful information," I laughed.

We talked a little more and fell into sleep. The next day was spent training; we were divided into groups, then they changed people, taking them from one group and adding them to others. They fed us three times, and it was the most delicious food in my life. Jami stayed close; she was a decent archer and skilled with a sword. As I understood, her father was a guard who was dishonorably discharged for drunkenness and was stabbed to death in a tavern a month later when he tried to rape the owner's daughter. We were very exhausted by the end of the day, so we slept soundly without dreams. In the morning, guards came and gave everyone a small knife and led us out through the other gates of the tower. The sun shone brightly in our eyes. This was the beginning of the games; from the stands, hundreds of eyes watched us, sending many of us on our final journey. Fine yellow sand was underfoot. The herald announced the opening. There were about eight entrances to the labyrinth.

"Which one should we go to?" Jami's voice trembled.

"It doesn't matter; there are several entrances, but there's always only one exit. All paths intertwine."

"Well, I hope your intuition is good."

A horn sounded, and people rushed into different stone arches. There was no point in running. According to rumors, the fastest games lasted about eleven days. Jami and I entered the far left entrance last. It smelled of cold air; the walls and floor were black and damp. We walked slowly, checking every step. We found the first dead after the second turn: two middle-aged men, apparently they stepped on a trap; their bodies were pierced by dozens of short spears.

"Well, that's two fewer," I said.

Jami began to shake. She pulled out her knife for some reason, as if preparing to fend off an attack.

"Jami, hey, calm down, it was a trap, put the knife away."

The girl lowered the knife and took a deep breath. I patted her on the shoulder.

"Are you okay? Shall we go on?"

"Yes, I... I... just didn't think it would be so fast."

The corridor narrowed. Somewhere under the dark ceiling, magical spheres glimmered; through them, wealthy lords watched everything that happened in the labyrinth. From the dead, we only took their knives, as there was nothing else to take. After walking another fifty meters or so, we came across two doors on opposite sides of the walls and a staircase leading down.

"I didn't know you could go down in the labyrinth," I said. "What should we do?"

"Honestly? I don't know, I'm still shaking a bit, I can't tell if it's from the dampness or the sight of those dead bodies. Maybe we should check what's behind the doors?"

"Do you think the people before us didn't check?"

"They might have been scared or entered and not found what we might find."

We opened the door on the left, and as soon as we entered, the door slammed shut with a crash. About five meters ahead, torches on the walls flared up, illuminating the room with light.

"Oh, damn..." Jami gasped.

Coins clinked underfoot; there were so many that it was dazzling. Mostly they were old copper coins.

"There's a whole fortune here," Jami couldn't contain herself.

"Yeah, just try to carry it out of here; we're as far from the exit as from the borders of the Northern Sea. And besides, few people accept old coinage here."

"But still, I'll take a few..."

Before she could finish, something tore off the wall and flew at us. I only managed to throw myself on my friend. We fell to the floor together, and a long spear flew with a clang to where Jami had been standing.

"To hell with all this," the girl shouted and rushed to the door, but it was locked.

"Jami, if you're not careful, I'll lose you soon, and I've only just started getting used to you. We need to find the key; the door won't just open."

I looked around. The room was not large, but the ceiling disappeared into darkness. Two torches illuminated the space. Above one of them, my gaze caught a barely noticeable taut rope. Either it was another trap or the way out.

"Jami, do you see the rope? We need to try; climb onto my shoulders and reach the torch, and try to burn through the rope. As soon as it burns through, jump to the side immediately."

"Okay."

The girl nimbly jumped onto my shoulders, strained to reach the torch, and holding onto a ledge in the wall with one hand, brought the torch to the rope with the other. As soon as it snapped, we rushed in different directions. Some kind of bag fell from the ceiling to the floor.

"Not a trap," I stated, opening the bag. "Hmm, a bow, a few arrows, some dried meat, and paper... strange symbols, I've never seen them before."

Jami pulled the door handle again, and it opened. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lia, forgive me, I made a big mistake by coming here. But I understand there's no turning back, and I swear to be attentive and careful."

"Alright, it's okay... I still want to check this door. Hold the bow, stay here, I'll be back soon."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I don't know, but I want to try."

Passing through the first door, I found myself near the next one, and then another and another. What kind of room of doors is this? Finally, behind the last one was a small room. There were no torches, but something illuminated the room.

"Where is the light coming from?" I was talking to myself.

A strange, intoxicating smell. My head is spinning. I notice someone's shadow in the corner. It approaches, taking on the outline of a male figure.

"Lia," a voice from the shadow. "I've missed you so much."

I peer, oh no, it can't be. How is this possible.

"Fry," I almost screamed. "But how is this possible? Are you still here? Couldn't you find the exit? How did you survive? You haven't changed at all, just as I remember you."

"Lia, it's so cold here," the shadow comes close, taking on the outline, in my opinion, of my dead boyfriend.

"Oh, my baby, I've missed you so much."

"Fry, I'm so happy to see you, we will definitely win together, we will overcome everyone, move mountains, just you and me, well, and we'll take Jami too, she's good."

The boy kissed my neck, moving lower to my chest.

"Fry, don't, this isn't the best place for this..."

"Lia, sorry, I can't stop, you smell so good, I thought I'd never see you again."

His kisses fell on my shoulders, and his fingers began to untie the laces of my leather pants.

"Oh, Fry, how I've missed you... but this really isn't the best place..."

But he didn't seem to hear me; his strong male hands turned me with my back to him, my pants and underwear slid down. I was aroused, but something was wrong. A strong push in the back made me bend over.

"Oh, Fry, don't be so rough... why are you so cold, I can't feel your warmth."

A large, slippery head of a penis pressed between my legs and slid inside. I whimpered, arching my back. His sexual organ seemed much larger than what was etched in my memory. He stretched me like a rag doll on a hand. Sharp, hard thrusts.

"Fry, you're very rough, it hurts, stop..."

But he only picked up the pace; the loud slaps of two bodies filled the room. Fry lifted me by the thighs and laid me on my back, threw both legs over his shoulders, and entered again. I looked into his eyes; they were empty and... gray. What the hell? My boyfriend had brown eyes. The boy drove his member into me with force; pain like sharp needles shot through my lower abdomen. I peered into the face of my beloved, and unexpectedly it blurred, the face twisted into an ugly grimace, the hands turned gray, and sparse but long hairs sprouted. The creature, about to finish the intercourse, erupted in a disgusting animal snort. I reached for the knife and slashed the creature's arm. It howled, dark red blood spurted from the wound. I bent my legs at the knees and kicked it in the face with both feet. The creature retreated a few steps. I jumped up, pulling up my pants.

"What kind of creature are you??"

Not a trace of Fry's appearance remained. The creature resembled some kind of freak with hooves instead of feet, bluish skin covered with sparse but thick and long hairs, on its head what looked like two sawn-off horns, and between its legs a large, hairy penis. Only now did I feel how terribly it stank. I almost vomited. The creature lunged at me. I dodged to the