Experiment X

30 | Together Again

30 | Together Again

Tears are welling in Emberly’s eyes as she stumbles along not caring anymore where she is directing her body toward; she just wants to come in contact with somebody. And right now she wouldn’t even mind that somebody being Thirteen, so she can have the chance to take him out personally, and avenge Willow’s death.

The blindingly lit corridors are giving her hallucinating flashbacks, and it’s enough to knock her off her feet, but grinding her together she presses forward, determination in her eyes. She will get through this is if it takes every fiber in her being to do so, without hesitation, without failure. Failure isn’t an option here. It never was.

The thought she may not see either Kel or Quint becomes overwhelmingly predominant in her mind of late, and it’s these draining feels she can’t shake, or so easily get rid of. She stares down at her timepiece again. Six hours have past. It would be close to evening if there had been any way to tell time appropriately in this strange place. More than twice, Emberly had gazed above hoping to see blue sky and clouds that had spoiled her, but now only a terrifying blank space leers down, making her highly uncomfortable.

But what else can she do, than keep moving forward? It’s not as if her choices here are over abundant. Just for the sake of moving in a different direction, Emberly turns down another passageway that curves sharply to the left, and along this path she becomes aware of how greatly her legs have become tired of walking, and walking pointlessly in this Labyrinth. For more reasons than one, she would have much preferred to be back within the sky-lit confines of the abandoned city, than to be trapped her perpetually moving forward in this seemingly endless white-walled space. With no noise, or any sound for that matter to break the unnerving quiet except for her own stepping bare feet that still bear the dust and grime of the previous level, and her own ragged breathing.

Feeling the sweat trickle down the side of her neck, Emberly pulls her hair around from her back, and wipes the skin there. Taking in a deeper breath, she moves on hoping for a change. And when nothing occurs, it doesn’t surprise her. Where are you two? She thinks persistently. It’s not as if she is truly alone in this winding, circular maze; there are seven others out there, five of which wouldn’t think twice about killing her on the spot. Maybe one has already died, she can only hope. One less for me to kill, she thinks. Then the reality of the killing settles in…She’s avoided this for too long; she will have to fight soon enough. What Quint had once said haunts her thoughts: the fighting will be inevitable. For her. For any of them.

If she desires at all to come out of this Tournament alive, and the victor…Abruptly, something catches her off guard. A differing sound in the wake of her clacking steps, and puffing: it’s the sound of voices. She’s almost sure of it. But who could it be? The sounds echo from up ahead, just about the bend there, masking the turning point and what lay inexplicably beyond.

“Clay!?” Emberly shouts, pacing with a heightened urgency. “Is that you?—Little One?” When she reaches the curved bend, there’s nothing and her heart plummets. This isn’t possible! How could she have imagined something like this? It had seemed so real…I really am losing it, Emberly thinks fear-stricken.

“Aw, I give up!” she hollers to no one, and gives the wall a good, heated kick, which then only result in the throbbing of her foot. But the sudden pain does give her something else to concentrate on rather than the absolute reality of her never finding another soul within this awful brightly lit labyrinth.

“Emberly, giving up?” a voice speaks out, and at that moment her eyes flitter wide as the wall she’s leaning against. Just as she turns around both Kel and Quint materialize out of nowhere and shout surprise!