My Dream Maze

CHAPTER THREE (I think that I'm just gonna start labeling these as chapter's now, because they are, don't you think?)



As they follow the stair's down further, a dim light seems to glow softly ahead. Steve has an uneasy feeling about the whole event, but continues his course anyway's.

After about five minutes, a creaking sounds, coming from somewhere upstairs. They hear a slam, and they all jump. Steve turn's, shining his flashlight into the mysterious void.

Up ahead, the door is shut. Steve is sure that he left that open. He run's up the stairs, two at a time, and when he reaches it, he tries to open it, but its locked. There's no way out.

"It's locked!" Steve shouts down to them.

"What?!" It's Kendra, her voice sounding frantic. She run's up to meet him. "B-b-but how can that be? It's just the four of us here."

Steve stares down at her, blankly.

"Wait, it's locked?" Hunter's voice sound's as he approaches the two, Kayla's hand in his.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Steve reply's, irritation and panic molding in his voice.

"That can't be!" Kendra yell's again. "W-w-we-"

"Hey." Steve say's, half forcefully, half gently, setting his hand's on top of her shoulder's, bending down to try to look her in the eye's. "Hey, we obviously can't get out. You can try the door, but in the mean-time, we need to study the rest of this place out if we're ever going to find an exit. If there's an exit."

"Wow, nice words of motivation." Kayla say's, wrapping her arms around the nearly panic induced girl.

"I'm just being realistic here!" Steve shout's. His voice echoes through the dark place, a laugh floating back to them, something Steve know's he didn't do.

"Okay, I am officially creeped out." Hunter say's.

"Come on." Steve say's, taking the lead of the group, going down the stairs, the others following suit.

Kendra's sniffling and Kayla's soft consoling is the only sound Steve hear's as they go back down, now further than they had been before. Slowly they go, Steve keeping alert for any other strange noises, but doesn't hear anything else.

Suddenly when he's about to take one more step down, his foot crashes to floor, causing him to look down and see that both feet are on a rough, dirt floor. He lifts up his hand to motion for the other's to stop, just at the same moment that Hunter fall's into him, sending them both falling to the ground, Hunter landing on top of Steve.

"What the-" Hunter starts. He look's around. "We're at the bottom." He say's gravely.

The girls, standing on the second to last step look, not at them, but passed them. The boy's follow their eye's and see that ahead of them is a misty light, the whiteness making them squint. The light is coming from an open door just five feet in front of them.

"I don't know about exit's, but I have a feeling that this is an entrance to somewhere." Hunter say's quietly.

"You know," Steve say's. "I think that I'd have to agree with you."

***

Hunter and Steve stand up, brushing the dirt off their clothes quickly. Steve takes the first step. 

Hunter grabs him by the shoulder. "I don't really think that this is a good idea."

"Yeah, well, I think that I was the one who was saying that from the very beginning. But now we have no choice; we've got to go on." Steve continues walking, turning off his flashlight, and stepping into the white mist, that is turning more into a thick fog, the others carefully walking into the unknown.

Ten steps in, Steve hears Kendra's soft voice. "Steve?"

"Yeah?" He replies.

"Were are you? I can't see anything but whiteness."

"Here." He looks behind him and see's a slight movement of dark brown. She's right though. There is nothing to see but the inevitable fog that hangs. He shuffles toward's her and grabs her hand, which is cold in his. Now that they are right next to her, he can see her, her big blue eyes staring at him with fear.

"Don't worry." He say's. "If we stay together, we'll be alright." He hopes. He continues walking, her hand in his now. 

"I'm sorry." She say's.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have come down here in the first place. Now we're all trapped, and it's all my fault."

Steve can't help but agree with her, but still doesn't want her to feel that way. "No, no." He stops, turning to her. "Listen, we all chose to come down here. None of this is your fault."

She doesn't say anything, just stares at him.

"Come on, lets keep going." He say's.

All of a sudden Steve can't help but think how their fellow friends are being rather quiet. He looks around, but doesn't see anyone else.

"Hunter? Kayla?" He ask's, hoping for a reply, but get's nothing. This time he call's, but still no reply, except for the echo of his own voice. Steve feel's Kendra tense up beside him, obviously aware of the problem.

The fog seems to thicken, constricting around the two as their fear rises. Kendra's small hand tighten's around his, and he squeezes back, anxiety etching off them.

"Where are they?" She whisper's.

"I-I don't know."

Then, as if sensing their worry, they hear a faint call, both of them turning their heads, searching for the owner. It comes again, louder this time. They start to walk toward it. Then-

"Steve! Kendra!" It's Hunter, calling for them. They continue following the sound until they see two figures coming their way.

"It's them!" Kendra lets out a breath of relief, her body relaxing a little, but she continues to hold Steve's hand, which, at this point, he's fine with. He doesn't want to lose her like how they almost lost Hunter and Kayla.

"I was beginning to think we'd never find you." Kayla say's, relief filling her voice as well.

"I thin that from now on we should all hold hands so we don't get lost." Steve say's.

"You know, dude, usually I'd laugh at you for saying something like that, but I have to say that I would feel more comfortable doing that too." Hunter replies. At the same time Kayla grabs her sister's hand so that Steve and Hunter are on the outside.

"On from here?" Hunter say's.

"On from here." Steve replies. Wherever here is.