text: I entered the maze on friday. I was apprehensive when I was selected the previous month, but with the encouragement of my family, I was convinced I would be fine. I didn’t really have a choice, anyhow, so I figured I might as well try to enjoy the experience. Despite that, I was still rather nervous when I arrived at the maze center. I hesitated at the front door, trying to work up the courage to go in. Just as I was considering fleeing back home, a woman opened the door. “What are you waiting for?” She asked, wasting no time. “You’re five minutes late. You really must get going.” She rushed me in. From there, my photo and fingerprints were taken, my hair put up in a neat bun, and I was given a series of shots. I was handed some clothes and put in a small stall to change. I groaned. I took my time picking out my outfit that morning, as I wanted to make a good impression. On who? I didn’t exactly know, but I was told by everyone I talked to that I should make an effort. The outfit I was given was something I would expect someone heading into battle would be wearing, which surprised me. It consisted of a top that felt heavily armored and protective, and military pants that were surprisingly lightweight and easy to walk in. I was also given a tough hat resembling a helmet. Needless to say, these clothes weren’t very attractive. Why would I need to gear up like this? This was just a maze, wasn’t it? Along with the clothes, I was also given a half-working flashlight, large boots and a bit of water. After the tests and preparations, I was shoved into the room that led to the entrance of the maze by the woman that helped me get ready. “Good luck,” She said. “Make sure to always stay on the move. Never stand still. ” Those were the last words of advice I was given before the door locked shut behind me. I entered the maze. It was dark. So dark. The flashlight wasn’t much help; Its light was very weak, and I estimated it would be about ten minutes before it would run out of batteries. The maze was more... Ominous, I suppose, than I imagined. None of the people I had talked to described it like this, not even close. There were cracks in every wall, and there was mold and moss growing everywhere. The floor was covered in stains and splatters of blood and other substances, and I think I even spotted some mushrooms growing here and there. I shuddered and started to walk. Which way? Well, that’s the question, I suppose, it is a maze after all. I took a right turn to begin with. Dead-end. Left turn? Another dead-end. I turned back and kept going straight. I made fairly good progress from there on, even when my flashlight went out; my eyes got used to the dark, and I managed to feel my way around. My hands were covered in something, I don’t even want to imagine what that was. Nevertheless, I was feeling good about myself; maybe I could get out of here before the day is out. And then I saw her. She was about eight feet tall, if I had to guess, her head nearly hitting the ceiling. She emanated a faint light that illuminated her awful form. She had three arms, and she was covered from head to toe in scars and wounds. I screamed, nearly falling off my feet. I had heard stories about her, more often than not told by the families of fallen victims of the maze, but no one else believed these tales, for that’s what we thought they were; just tales, stories told to spread fear. But she was real, and she was staring deep into my eyes. I ran. In what direction? I didn’t know. Completing the maze didn’t matter to me anymore, I just wanted to flee; I didn’t care which way. I heard an awful, deafening roar behind me, getting closer and closer. I covered my ears. The walls began to rumble. Turning left, turning right, she was always behind me. Each twist and each turn, she was there. It felt like the more I ran, the faster she got. I had no chance, and I knew it. As I was turning a corner, I slowed down to catch my breath. It felt like my chest was on fire from panic and fear. She screamed behind me and grabbed my arm. Her sharp claws cut deep into my skin, and blood ran down my hand. I managed to shake myself free of her, and she grunted in frustration as I ran away. I shrieked. She was catching up fast, and I was running out of ideas. I was never any good at mazes or puzzles, what the hell was I doing there? Why was I selected, of all people? There was nothing special about me, I was just a normal person. The water I was given had already run out long ago, and my stomach was rumbling. I had no idea how long I was there already; time seemed to have lost all meaning. Just as I was about to reach the end of my rope, I spotted a hole in the ceiling. It was small, but big enough for the average person to pass through, with a bit of effort. I paused for a second, then began to climb, using the pieces of stone sticking out of the walls as stairs. She shrieked again, getting closer and closer. Out of breath, I tried to squeeze into the hole. She tried to grab onto my leg, but I quickly sucked in my stomach and disappeared up into the ceiling. I collapsed to the floor, panting for breath. It took me a minute to realize what I was looking at. I was above the maze. I did it; I escaped. There was another hole at the other side of the room. I realized that these holes were likely made by one of the previous victims of the maze; how, I didn’t know, but I was grateful nonetheless. I crawled through the hole, down into a small room closed off by a door. This wasn’t the room I had started in, so I figured it must have been the end of the maze. This room was drastically different from the rest of the maze. It was clean, apart from a few splatters of blood here and there, which was a sight I had gotten used to during my journey through the maze. Then I realized something. The room had no door leading out of it, only the door leading back into the maze. How was I supposed to get out of here except for... Back in through the maze? My vision had gotten blurry from fear and adrenaline, so I hadn’t even noticed the rifle that sat on a stone pedestal in the corner of the room. There was a note laid against it. I picked up the note, my hands shaking. With my vision returning to normal, I read the note. “Great job, you escaped her. Now go back and defeat her.