Page 70 of Wonder

Seconds, maybe. We throw ourselves against the hedging, sharp branches digging into my hands as we jump up, pulling ourselves up a few inches above the ground and digging our feet into the greenery below us. “Make sure your hold is tight before you move.”

This fucking hedge isn’t designed to hold a human weight. The first area I reach for breaks off in my hand as I tip. “Shit—,”

I twist my head. We’re almost out of time.

Beside me, Aiden is already moving. His hands are bleeding as he grips the branches and hauls himself along, directly over thewater. I follow with my heart in my mouth, bracing as we crawl along the hedging.

A snap. Aiden almost drops before he swings his hand up to grab another branch, his foot dangling barely an inch above the water. “Fucking…hatethis stupid game.”

It feels like an age before we make our way to the other side and drop down. I shake off the stinging in my hands, wiping off the blood against my trousers.

“Honestly,” Aiden mutters. He stares at the cuts on his hands. “You think the others are okay?”

My thoughts dart to Alyss. “Come on.”

We take off.

29 – Buck

Idon’t even know where they fucking come from.

Slowly, I take a step back. Another, trying to stay as silent as I can in case I attract the attention of the three fuckingcrocodilesin front of me. The middle one is at least fifteen fucking feet long, an aggressive looking bastard with teeth that look longer than my fingers. Dark eyes gleam at me in the low light.

“Shit—,”

My body locks up at the shout. I twist, turning to see Chess, his face agape as he takes the crocs in. He winces, holding his hands up in apology as I give him a look that screamswhat the actual fuck.

Movement behind me. “Run!”

I pelt past him, hearing him curse as he breaks into a sprint. Glancing over my shoulder, I find an extra special fucking burst of adrenaline because the giant fucker of a croc is racing down the passage after us, his eyes latched into me like I’m his ideal fucking snack.

I did not think my life would end by being a crocodile’s chew toy, but there we go.

Chess races after me, our heavy breathing and the pound of our feet the only noise as we spin around a corner.

Don’t be a dead end, don’t be a fucking dead end—

“Fuck.” Chess skids to a stop behind me. “Climb!”

We jump. I don’t look dare look behind to see if they’re following, my breath seesawing as I pull myself up.

Some crocodiles can climb.

Please don’t be those. Be lazy fuckers.

I won’t even taste good. Ninety nine percent of me is probably fucking alcohol.

Chess is beside me, his own breathing just as harsh as mine as we haul ourselves up the densely packed branches. My feet nearly slip before I catch my balance. “To the top.”

The climb feels like it lasts forever, but it takes less than a minute for us to reach the top. The branches are wide enough, thick enough for me to pull my legs up as I glance down, the breath emptying from my lungs in a rush of relief. “Thank fuck for that.”

Below us, the crocodiles are still on the ground.

Chess collapses back, his back against the greenery as he sucks oxygen into his lungs. “Sorry. Wasn’t expecting to see fucking crocodiles.”

“You and me both.” Poor fuckers.

Sitting up, I scan the passages of the maze that winds around us in endless loops. I can’t even see an end. “It’s fucking huge.”