So Cora hadn't eaten recently, judging from the way she tore into the ration as soon as it was in her reach. Still, she seemed to leave half of it in the packaging, to Daz's surprise. She still kept it, putting it in her bag for later. She was smart, then, understanding that simply being alive was more important than feeling full.<br/><br/>When Cora agreed with Daz's plan, he sat himself up and began slowly sliding his shoe back on. It was easier this time, since he could anticipate the exact feeling of the pain. He would have rathered leaving it behind, but he had no idea what kind of terrain they would be going through next.<br/><br/>While Daz adjusted the heel of his shoe, Cora commented on her hair. Daz hadn't meant for her to notice his observation, and felt slightly uncomfortable at her mentioning it.<span style="font-style: italic">An example to the rich kids.</span>So she had left her life behind for the people of the lower levels, and was being punished for it. He wondered what she had done, if she had fought or worked on the inside. The leaders were always mentioning informants on the inside. Perhaps she had been one. Daz was disgusted at the idea of a council member willingly putting their own child in a torturous game like the maze.<br/><br/>Daz didn't respond, letting a silence build between them. He focused on reducing his heart rate, breathing slowly in and out. It was a false sense of calm, but the danger that he constantly felt around him was now static background noise. He allowed himself to close his eyes, but it only lasted a moment as the ground began to tremble and shake.<br/><br/>They had been still for too long. Daz reached for his bag, but it was scooped up by Cora. Confusion flickered over his face for a moment before he realized that she wasn't leaving him. She stretched out her hands and Daz took them firmly, eyes a panicked mirror of her own. She didn't have to take as much of his weight this time, as Daz was able to jump from his good leg, just before the ground below them completely collapsed.<br/><br/>Daz stood by standing on one leg, the other just brushing the ground. His hand rested on Cora's shoulder, using her as a crutch. He looked at the now fully exposed pit behind them. The sky had lightened enough that he could now clearly see the bottom. They hadn't been sticks, but bones.<br/><br/>Human or otherwise, Daz felt sick looking into the hole. He forced his eyes to the sky and let out a long breath. He turned to look ahead of them. The same hedges as before, stretching several hundred meters before stopping. He couldn't see if there was any other path ahead. His stomach turned at the idea that they had just trapped themselves in a dead end.<br/><br/>"Now we walk." Daz adjusted himself on Cora's shoulder, making sure he wasn't placing too much weight on her. "Did they say the same thing to you about the centre?" He didn't know how they'd find it or if it even existed, but they would try. What else could they do?<br/><br/>Daz grabbed his bag from Cora's shoulder and put it on his own. He still didn't feel at ease, despite being saved by the woman twice. He would fend for himself from now on, with no need of rescue.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Hopefully,</span>he thought.