Page 107 of There is No Devil

If I followed the route, then I should meet Cole soon. He should be waiting in the center of the maze.

I run to the next intersection, expecting to see him. Expecting him to give me the nod that means,keep running, head to the exit, I’ll get Shaw as he passes.

I burst into the middle of the labyrinth, which is a perfect circle, with eight pathways leading off like the spokes of a wheel. A black glass obelisk marks the exact center point, jutting upward to the cloudy sky.

The snow thickens, whirling downward in a spiral.

I see the obelisk, I see the snow, but I don’t see Cole.

He isn’t here. I’m all alone.

Where the fuck is he?

I spin in a circle, searching for him.

We agreed that he’d be here.

We agreed that he’d give me the sign that it was safe to run through.

Cole would slip into the wall up ahead. I’d wait for Shaw, to make sure he followed. The moment I saw him, I’d sprint down the aisle. As Shaw chased after me, Cole would jump out and bury his knife in Shaw’s neck.

That was the plan.

Shaw will be here any second.

What do I do? What do I DO?

Shaw’s heavy footsteps pound toward me.

Without waiting for him to reach the middle, I sprint down one of the spokes. This isn’t the way I was supposed to go, but it doesn’t fucking matter. If Cole isn’t here, I only have two options: run all the way out and flee from the maze, or try to hide in the walls.

Shaw is chasing after me way too fucking fast. He’s probably visited the maze himself, late at night while it was being built. He knows the way through. He’s faster than me. If I run, he’ll catch me.

If I hide, it might give Cole enough time to find us both.

Where is he?

I thought he’d be here. I was so sure of it. Not for a second did I believe he’d let me down.

He won’t let me down.

He’ll be here.

I just have to stay alive a little longer.

I dart into a tiny alcove hidden in the glossy black wall. There’s a dozen of these niches scattered through the maze. I try to make myself as small as a mouse, stifling my panting breath, covering my mouth with both hands while gasps leak out in a frosty mist, harsh and ragged.

I can hear Shaw’s breath, even heavier. He’s puffing like a buffalo, winded from chasing after me.

I hate that sound. I really fucking hate it.

His thudding steps pause as he reaches the center of the maze. I can hear him turning this way and that, pausing as he stares down each spoke, searching for me.

His voice cuts through the still night:

“I know you’re in here.”

I press both palms over my mouth.

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