Page 52 of The Lies We Steal

The over ambitious seven concentric circles made of boxwood hedges took up all the space behind the building before it faded into forest line. One single entrance into the encroaching formed grass, and what I assumed was one way out.In the center sat a tower with a double helical external staircase, just to confuse people more.

Nighttime had come fast, students wearing glow in the dark bracelets and holding flashlights as they huddled in groups, laughing, enjoying another collegiate event they’d talk about on their wedding day.

I envied them.

Their oblivious nature and privilege.

I wondered how many people would show up if they knew students were being taken and teachers were being murdered in the woods.

Would they still enjoy themselves? Would the umbrella of wealth shield them from things even as cruel as death?

I wasn’t so sure.

Slipping my thumbs neatly into the holes at the cuff of my long-sleeve shirt, the polyester felt smooth against my skin when the wind pressed it tighter into my body. Lyra had braided my hair tightly down my back, hiding the slight red that stained my dirty blonde strains.

We scrubbed the shower for hours on our hands and knees with little proof. The white tile had a faint pink layer now. Not to mention, my skin was still tinted the same color even after a clean shower.

“They call it the Labyrinth.” Lyra speaks, walking in tune with me as we glide down the cobblestone steps to the damp grass in front of the soaring maze.

My stomach rumbled with lack of food and exhaustion, “Of course it is.”

I cross my arms in front of my chest, leaning on my left foot to peer into the entrance, greeted with the sight of darkness and a scarce amount of moonlight. There was no way we could navigate our way through this without a flashlight.

“It was inspired by the Greek myth, you know Theseus and the Minotaur? The builders wanted it to be a replica of the one in Crete. They do this game for the freshman every year, the challenge is always different and it’s usually a puzzle of some sort. I had been looking forward to this when I was high school.” The use of past tense does not escape me. Had been looking forward to, as in she could not care less now.

They hadn’t only stolen our sense of safety, they’d stolen our sense of joy. We were so afraid to do anything fun, so scared they’d pop up around the corner and burn us to the ground.

Which sucked because I’d always consider myself pretty decent at puzzles.

“Welcome the freshman class of Hollow Heights!” One of the teachers announces with a microphone at the top of the cobblestone steps behind us.

“We are excited to include you in a century old tradition here! Every single year is a different game but the reward is always the same. If you find the golden key inside the Labyrinth you win access to one of the school’s many hidden rooms that have been remolded into private recreational halls.”

There is a loud cheer and resounding enthusiasm from our peers, more excited for the competition than the reward I’m sure. Although this is a renowned university with more plaques and awards than the fucking pope, they don’t offer organized sports, afraid athletics will become more of a priory than education and that cannot happen at a school like this one.

If anyone for one single second thought Hollow Heights was doing anything to steer the greatest young minds of generations off course, they’d be discredited immediately. People try for years to get their children in here, to even have their applications touched by a fucking paperclip.

This is where our future America would be coming from.

It messed with my mind to know four of those people already had a rap sheet bloody as a tampon, what did they plan to do after this? Would they be helping kids? Ruling the free world?

“Teams of two and three only! Each team will have fifteen minutes inside the maze to locate the key, if you are unsuccessful, after the air horn goes off raise your flashlight up to the sky and wait for a teacher to come and guide you out of the maze. As always we want to ensure your safety during these fun times…” They go onto a list of safety precautions that more than half of us won’t remember in twenty seconds, the other half didn’t listen the first time around.

My eyes scanned the sea of students, subconsciously searching for one of them. Another quick lesson I’d learned is if you saw one of The Hollow Boys the other three were not far behind. There was never one without the other. Like sharks that hunted in a pack, it’s never the shark you see you need to worry yourself about, it’s the one lurking in the shadows that you can’t spot that’s more likely to take off a hunk of your leg.

I don’t see Silas’s black hoodie, Thatcher’s frozen tinted hair, or hear the click of Rook’s zippo over the noise. I didn’t even feel the pressure that comes when Alistair’s eyes are on me. That’s usually how I know they are sniffing around.

The panic. The sweat. The adrenaline.

It’s like every feeling I’d ever experienced combined into one yet at the same time it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

God, I hated him for it.

But tonight I didn’t see them. I couldn’t sense their presence. Organized school functions weren’t exactly their thing anyway. Too many eyes, too many expectations to be upheld.

I nudge Lyra with my hip, smirking a bit, “We can still make this fun, yeah? It would be nice to have a secret place to hide.”

She laughs, breathy and it’s the first sound of joy in the last few weeks.

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