Page 67 of Wonder

I count the entrances, mutter a curse under my breath.

Eight.

They’re separating us.

I glance down the line. Aiden nods at me as understanding dawns on the other’s faces. Chess murmurs something to Alyss, who squeezes her eyes shut with a brief shake of her head.

Buck throws his head back, a sarcastic laugh filling the air. “Of fucking course.”

Beside him, Hatter is silent. Red’s favorite toy studies the maze ahead of us, a small crease in his forehead the only sign of any hesitancy.

I don’t bother looking any further. Bruce has smartly picked the square as far away from me – and from Alyss - as possible.

The familiar static sound crackles overhead.

“My lovely participants.” Red’s voice is a purr, but she doesn’t sound quite as enthusiastic as she did yesterday. Perhaps this game hasn’t been the most successful with her precious fucking investors. “Welcome back to Wonderland. Your second night awaits you.”

Not enough maiming, maybe.

We wait for her to continue. “This evening’s activity is a simple one. You will all enter the maze when the alarm rings. Those who are still breathing when the alarm sounds again will make it through to our final night – and what a wonderful night it will be!”

A pause. When Red speaks again, her voice sounds almost… strained. “For this game, the rules prohibiting murder against your fellow participants has been lifted. I look forward to seeing who remains standing at the end.”

Fucking wonderful.

Next to me, Aiden grimaces. “This is intentional. They want to set us against each other.”

“It was bound to happen.” With a pair of twins and Alyss’s group, I’m not surprised the investors are itching to see some drama. Glancing past him, I catch Alyss leaning forward. She mouths something I don’t catch. “What?”

She opens her mouth again, but the blaring of the alarm rings out.

Bruce and the other participant fling themselves off their checkered squares, racing off into the last two entrances.

Aiden snorts. “Newsflash, fuckers. You don’t get brownie points for effort. See you on the other side?”

I study the maze. “I’ll find you. Watch your back.”

“You too.”

The others are almost to their entry points, all of them keeping pace with Alyss as she walks up to her own opening.

She doesn’t look back before disappearing inside.

Here we go.

***

The inside of the maze is dark. Even the silence feelsloud, the only sound the quiet press of my footsteps against the dirt floor.

Find Aiden.

Find Alyss.

A soft whirring noise sounds. Twisting, I peer into the thick hedge on my right. A tiny red light blinks back at me. The camera whirrs again as I move to the side and back, following my movements.

I debate reaching out and crushing it, but I don’t want to piss them off enough that they decide to punish me for it. Or, knowing Red, to punish Aiden for it.

Another noise. Turning around, I stare back toward the entrance. As I watch, a section of greenery slides across, sealing me in. And a few steps up from me, the hedging begins to… rustle.