Day Eight - Hedged In Part Eight

Hey guys! Grace Nask here with Day Eight of the April Challenge. Today, we have Chapter 7 of Hedged In, a novelette for teens and above. If you're just coming in, Olivia, our main character, entered the perilous Maze with her friend Jacob. After facing numerous traps, Jacob was hit by a poisoned arrow. Now Olivia must figure out whether her friendship or the truth matters more. So let's get to it!

For my grandmother Victoria, whose birthday is today.

Chapter Seven: Volume of a Cylinder

The void swirled before me, its rich, alluring colors tantalizing my thoughts. I glanced around to find nothing in the east; nothing in the west; nothing in the north; to the south--nothing. Nothing and no one to watch me. Nothing and no one to stop me from making the jump.

For the first time, I took a step forward. The wind picked up, eager, ready. It urged me faster. The void churned, its purples and blues swirling in a tide pool as I inched closer to its edge.

Why did...the color purple seem familiar? No matter. Too late now. The drop seemed endless, like it was a black hole that could tear me apart. The tips of my toes hung over the black rock; I felt the nothingness that supported them and imagined the fall.

I glanced back down at the void, watching the purple streaks slowly come consumed by the blue. Purple...what was I supposed to be doing with it? Why was it dying? And why….why did I want it to stop?

I needed to go back. I had unfinished business somewhere. But the wind picked up faster, pleading, commanding, threatening me to make the jump.

My thoughts calmed down into a plan. Jacob needed help. More than that, he needed an antidote for whatever poison seeped through his veins. Gazing at Jacob in his small, too still form, I lifted my gaze up to the other person in the safe house: Logan. And where Logan lurked, Evan--and his smuggled poison antidotes--followed.

Desperate times called for desperate measures; I was done being nice. Jaw set, I walked up to Evan’s henchman. He sat next to the fireplace, attempting to make a fire by jerking two sticks across each other. I looked around the entire safe house but didn’t see Evan. No matter; Logan would do.

He glanced up as I stood in front of him. “You’re still here?” Logan exclaimed with a smirk.

Undaunted, I grabbed a handful of ashes from the fireplace and threw them onto the floor. Once a sufficient area had been covered, I removed a stick from the fireplace and began to write as Logan watched.

Antidote please?

He clucked his tongue. “Not much of a talker, are you? Sorry, kid. You can’t bring anything extra into The Maze.” He tone held a trace of scorn. “Shouldn’t you have double-checked the rules beforehand?”

My right hand curled into a fist. Jacob laid dying on a mattress, and the best Logan could offer was snide remarks? Before I stop myself, I let it fly and punched the side of Logan’s face.

He cried out. “What is wrong with you, you little--”

I shook out my hand, then tightened it into another fist. I showed it to Logan, feeling a rush of adrenaline flow through me. He wanted to test my patience? So be it.

Logan didn’t seem to get the message. “Ease up a little, will you? Hurting a competitor is against the rules. You could be disqualified for that.”

I knew, but I’d take my chances the same way Evan had. My grip strengthened, the blue veins growing visible against my skin. I’d punch him again if I had to, and we both knew it.

Logan, for his part,let loose a choice four letter word that would have sent Kayla into a fit. “I’m conversing with a real, live psychopath,” he muttered to himself loud enough for me to overhear. “Everyone warned me only crazies entered The Maze, and what did I do? Whistled merrily as I walked in!”

He raised his voice, addressing me. “It’s with Evan, alright? I don’t have it. He went out to scout our immediate area for tomorrow and took his pack with him; he doesn’t trust anyone these days, not even me.” The stupid smirk came back. “But he won’t give it to you, you know. Evan’s crazy, but not enough to give away his advantage to some kid who attacked him.” Logan spat out the word kid like we morphed into venomous snakes at night.

I considered being insulted but realized I didn’t have time for it. Instead I nodded, then spun on my heel and left Logan there. With one last glance to make sure Jacob still breathed--he did--, I scooped up my own survival pack along with my writing stick and made for the door.

“Are you dumb as well as daft? Evan isn’t giving anything to you!” Logan called at my back. In response, I smirked and walked out. We’d see about that.

Despite being partners, Evan and Logan were two different beasts. Jacob showed that Evan proved to be a fateful opponent in a fight; I couldn’t intimidate him or throw him off-guard with a few moves like I did Logan. Not to mention Evan’s paranoia; unlike most people, betrayal would be the first thing he expected from a stranger. Which left exactly one path of action that I was willing to try. For the less people talked, the more they observed. Evan? Nothing more than a hard word problem. And I loved coming to the right answer.

I found him on the second route I tried, probing the hedges for traps. I trailed my stick behind me, making more noise than normal, so he’d know I came. In response, Evan turned around to face his pursuer, a small dagger in hand. And in less than an instant my life came on the line.

I remembered Jacob with that dog, arguing over the fate of what should have been a ruthless beast but in reality was a puppy sporting deep wounds. Breath hitched in my throat, I placed my stick down in the sand and raised my hands above my head. Easy; I surrender.

Evan relaxed, but the knife didn’t leave his hands. He looked me up and down, then his eyes widened. “You’re that kid who stepped in the middle of my fight.” His eyes narrowed when he saw me alone. “Your friend’s not here. Told you that you couldn’t rely on anyone in this place.” When I didn’t speak, he sighed. “What do you want?”

Without further ado, I took my stick and scratched into the sand. You were right; we were wrong. We should never have entered The Maze, and now my partner is going to die. Tears rose like bile to my eyes, but I let them come; Evan needed to know my sincerity.

He got hit by an arrow a few hours ago. It shouldn’t have been a mortal wound, but I think it was poisoned-tipped. Something purple. He’s barely breathing right now, and I don’t know what to do. The tears streaked down my face. It was true; I didn’t know what to do, and Jacob’s life depended on me. He might not survive until a Maze proctor can get to him, and I am not leaving my partner out here to die. So...can you help us?

Evan rubbed his chin as he stared at the words in the sand, his eyes thoughtful. I knew my words could get to him, considering that he’d been abandoned by his partner the last time he entered The Maze. Enough to get antidote out of him, I couldn’t say.

For a momentary eternity, we both stood there with the sun going down. Finally, Evan broke the silence. “How on earth did you learn about me carrying antidote on me?”

I stood behind you when you registered for The Maze. I heard your story about the wild dog and saw the contents of the bag you intended to smuggle in.

Evan laughed without mirth. “You’ve known I’ve had these possessions the entire time and never ratted me out?”

I didn’t want to deal with a Maze Veteran any more than I had to.

At that Evan nodded in approval. “Yet here you are,” he mused. More silence, at which I shifted on my feet. Then Evan straightened. “You said a purple poison-tipped arrow?”

Mouth dry, I nodded. Was this Maze Veteran taking me seriously?

His eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. “Purple’s an unusual color...The Maze proctor probably dipped it in wolfsbane. Which doesn’t give us much time for antidote.” Evan must have seen my face fall, because the same Evan that came a second short from murdering Jacob added, “But it’s antidote is atropine, one I’m pretty sure I have in stock. If we make it in time.”

I swallowed, hard, and nodded. I could not let that be a possibility, yet it stared me down like another void. I gestured for Evan to lead the way, feeling a skip in my step despite this. We had a chance now.

As we walked, Evan stated, “You’re crazy, kid, and way too young to participate in The Maze, but I can’t deny your spirit, not even in your boyfriend’s fight. I like that.” In the silence I’ve become known for, we walked back to the safe house.

Logan jeered at me when we walked through the door, but his face fell when he saw Evan standing beside me. The left side of his face now sported a nasty looking swelling, one Logan admitted came from me, and for a moment I thought Evan might get revenge. Instead, he muttered something about spirit and chuckled to himself.

Evan had the antidote prepared within minutes. I showed him Jacob and almost collapsed at the sight. Jacob’s breath rattled much too slow, and his face, if possible, looked more ashen than before. Looking at him, he seemed a bit resigned to death. Nothing like the boy that talked a dog out of murdering us.

With a grimace at Jacob’s condition, Evan administered the antidote.

Looking at him, I knew I’d been kidding myself from the start. There were too many variables to create a positive integer out of this equation. Jacob needed something more to multiply by. Something The Maze couldn’t provide, like medical equipment and better medicine. Otherwise, Jacob would die. And it would all be my fault.

I knew what I needed to do. Hands shaking, I rifled through Jacob’s pockets until I found the flare. Then I opened the door and walked outside into the night.

“Hey kid! Where’re you going?” Evan called out, but I ignored him. He followed me to the door but stopped at the frame, watching.

The sand whipped around me, but a gentle wind picked it up. A wind of congratulations. With a deep breath of reassurance, I stared at the flare. Shaped like a gun, a single charge strayed in its chamber, ready to streak red blood across the sky. A blood signal for the blood I’d spilled.

I looked back at the safe house. Evan nodded his approval. In response, I smiled back at him. Then, using both hands, I raised the flare above my head and fired it into the night.