Page 37 of Game of Hell
“Accuracy has kept you alive so far, but stray too far and the maze will have you.” Her voice is low and if I can feel any more scared I do. My hands tremble at my sides and the bitter cold air seeps into my leathers.
I never should’ve listened to Sophie. I’m one step closer to death because of her.
I turn to ask the bunny lady something but she shuts the door with a deafening slam.
“It’s a hedge maze.” I rasp and turn to Ronan. Fog clouds our breathing but he doesn’t seem to mind the freezing temperature.
“No shit.” He mutters and steps around me over to a bench situated beside the hedges.
His eyes track my every move—drifting from my trembling hands to the small twitch of my lips.
“Are you scared or cold?” He muses and gets comfortable on the bench. His arm goes behind his head and his legs spread.
“Just cold. You seemed a little stiff in there when they showed. Are you sure you aren’t scared?” I taunt.
A low chuckle leaves his lips, “Never scared, Little Devil. It’s called protecting what’s yours.”
My eyebrows lift but I stay silent and walk further into the tall hedges. They’re much taller than us, looming into the foggy night sky like a sacred labyrinth.
“It’s fucking freezing. We need to get a move on.” He nods but doesn’t move. “That means get up, Ronan.”
He huffs and stands. Leaves crunch ahead of us and my head snaps toward the sound. My eyes strain in the darkness but I can’t see anything.
“This feels…wrong.” I hug myself and step closer to him.
“Of course it does.” He mutters. “That’s the whole point of a maze at a haunted house. It’s not called Hedge Fun Time with Friends, is it?”
I roll my eyes and we begin walking. His lips curl into a smirk and I want to smack it off but I know where that will land me. A whimpering cold mess against these damn hedges.
“You never stop, do you?” I groan and try to keep up with his large steps. He weaves through the maze as if he knows it all too well and I just follow because he most-likely does.
“Never say never, Little devil.”
The deeper we walk the more alive the maze feels. Our feet crunch against the dirt trail but in the distance you can hear other steps, like someone or something else is with us. My stomach twists with each step but he doesn’t care to notice as he turns down another trail.
I turn to look where we started but it’s already consumed in black shadows.
“Scared yet?”
I don’t answer because of course I’m fucking scared. Who knows what’s out here. I jump at the creeping shape comingtowards me but realize it’s my own shadow. I need to get a grip. I shake my head trying to clear the terror that wracks it.
He pauses when we get to a split, one side going left and the other going right.
“Which way, Little Devil?” I hesitate and turn to him.
“Why do I have to pick?”
He laughs and turns to the right path. “Always pick right. Unless you want to test your luck and go left. Maybe the bunnies will come back to eat us.”
“They’re not going to eat us.” I shiver at the thought.
He begins striding down the right path without waiting for me. His broad shoulders brushing the hanging leaves. I run after him, afraid to venture to the left by myself.
“Don’t sound too confident, they may hear you.” I whip around looking behind us.
“Fuck, you’re enjoying this, arent you? Messing with my head and seeing me scared.”I glare at him and his smirk widens, his eyes glinting with amusement and desire.
“It wouldn’t be so fun if not to watch you unravel.”
