Nadine Book 3

41. Challenge 5

Challenge 5

Everyone lands on their backs and makes an "ugh" noise. I land on Tre.

"You know. In Tre's challenge, we landed on our feet in the center of a dance floor. That was nice. All the others have been falling and landing like this. In Tye's challenge I landed in the snow and that was terrible. It was so f*****g cold. Snow in heels. That was dumb."

Omar stands up. "If you fell into the 2nd challenge, it probably didn't reset your clothes. You probably got stuck in whatever you were wearing before."

"That is what happened."

Mary brushes herself off. "What challenge has been the most fun?"

We go towards a huge gate. "I really don't know. I liked them all. They all had fun spots. I figured out that I really can hunt. I got headbutted by a horse. All the glitching with people talking was hilarious. Dipak jumped into a pit of alligators. I climbed a cliff. I broke out of prison again. I got to dance with Tre forever. I love dancing. I somehow had diamonds in my hair. I beat Dipak in a race... actually 2 of them. But he was going to get taken out by a boulder, so I don't think that one counts."

Tre is all confused. "You learned to hunt?"

"Everything I said and that's what you have a problem with?"

"Sorry baby, but you've never been able to hunt, except for rabbits at Omar's house. Which I'm pretty sure he put a spell on them to make them slower."

Tye smiles. "She did amazing with a bow. She got it on the first shot."

Tre and Dipak laugh. "I thought she meant real hunting."

Well, thanks for making me feel bad. I thought I did something good. I stare at the ground and go up to the huge gate. It has big round things hanging on it. I grab one and push and pull it. I can't get this door to do anything. The boys start doing stuff and they can't get it. Omar does something with his hands, and he doesn't get anywhere.

Mary knocks on it. It opens right up. "It's a door knocker, people."

A man standing on the other side of it smiles at her. "Welcome to the labyrinth."

"Thank you sir." She rolls her eyes at us. "Let's go."

We go in. There are bushes shaped like boxes and they are 10 feet tall. Impossible to see over. There are 6 entrances into the maze.

Omar shakes his head. "Magic is blocked."

Dipak nods. "So is dragon strength and dragons."

"6 of us. 6 ways in. Only 1 person has to open the door at the end. Hold me up Dipak." He picks me up, and I stand on his shoulders. Mary climbs Tre. She points at something. "There seems to be a tower of stone at the end. So if you get close enough to see the tower, aim for that."

We all stand by an entrance. Dipak smiles at us all lined up. "GO."

We take off into the labyrinth at the same time.

I run for about 5 minutes following different paths. Then I run over someone when I turn the corner.

"WATCH WHAT YOU ARE DOING!"

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm in a race to the end of the labyrinth." The man is 3 feet tall. Very big ears. And he is hairy. Really he is shaped like a tiny troll. I help him pick up his fruit and put it in his basket.

"Pretty girl. I will take you."

I think about it for a second. He is small. I could probably wrestle him away if I had to. But I don't know where I am. He could get me really lost. "Thank you, but I would like to try on my own."

"My name is Yavo. Yell when you are ready to give up. I will come take you."

"Thank you sir." He roams away down another path. I do not like how he says 'take' you.

I take off running again. I come to a little building with a door on it. I am really curious what's in there. I sneak up to the building.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I jump straight in the air and turn. Tye is laughing. "Sorry, but it's so easy to scare you when your sneaking."

"You did do that sir. I was trying to see what is in here."

"Let's see. Seen anything weird yet?"

"A little man who kept offering to take me."

"Take you where?"

"Didn't say. But he thinks my name is pretty girl, I think."

Tye raises his eyebrows. Then he opens the door to the little building. There seems to be a map at the back of it. We see it at the same time and run in. But it's a trap. We fall straight through the floor.

We lay on the new floor and stare at the hole in the ceiling. "Have you seen anything weird yet?"

"Not really. Did get chased by a fairy though."

"I always wanted to see one of those."

He gets up off the floor. "I think we are in jail again."

"That really doesn't surprise me." I brush myself off. "There is a door over here."

I open the door and we step into a huge hallway. It seems to go on forever in both directions.

"Do you have a preference of direction, princess?"

"Nope."

He takes my arm. We walk for a long time.

"Sir, there aren't any doors. It just goes on forever."

"Well, it has to go somewhere."

"YAVO!"

"What is Yavo?"

"The little man who is offering to take me."

"I won't let him take you."

"Maybe he will take us both out of this hallway."

"That would be nice."

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Yavo just appeared right in front of us. I nearly ran into him again. "Sorry Yavo, you really scared me that time."

"No worries, Yavo is sneaky. Can I take you now, pretty girl?"

Tye laughs. "Can you get us out of this hallway?"

"Yavo would need paid for that."

"How about my shoes? They are sparkly. I seen you like sparkly stuff. Like my necklace." I lift my dress and let him see my high heels.

"No, Yavo want necklace."

Tye takes it off me and hands it to Yavo. "Yavo takes you halfway to end of labyrinth for this."

Tye smirks. "What would you want to take us to the end of it?"

"Pretty girl."

"No."

"Well, thank you for not trading me sir."

"Anytime." I roll my eyes and we follow Yavo.

He puts his hand on the wall and walks like that for a while. Then he says, "Ah here it is." He pushes the stone wall and a door opens. We follow Yavo up a set of stairs and back out into the maze.

We keep following him. We pass a huge apple tree. With so many apples on it. It is massive.

Tye nudges me and then points at something.

It takes my eyes a second to realize I am seeing a fairy. A small little flying fairy. I jump up and down. "IT'S A FAIRY! IT'S A FAIRY!" I run over to it and try to get it to land on me. But it flies off.

I chase it and Tye grabs me. "It's gone. You might see another one. The one I saw chased me though."

Yavo clears his throat.

"Sorry Yavo. I got a little excited."

"Yes, Yavo likes it when you jump up and down. This way to middle." He takes a path between the bushes.

I give Tye a weird look. He laughs as we follow Yavo.

Yavo takes us to a bench. It sits all by itself in the middle of a small open area. There are paths leaving from every direction.

"This is half. Good bye."

"WAIT PLEASE. An earring if you tell us which path to take sir." I show him my earring. It's a big sparkly clear gem in it.

"Yes fine. Yavo likes that."

I hand him my earring, and he points to a path.

"Thank you Yavo."

"You are welcome, pretty girl. Yell for Yavo if you want me to take you."

"Ok I will."

Me and Tye go down the path. "Did you figure out where he's trying to take me to?"

"I have an idea. But no not really."

We go around a corner and a girl is floating there. She is nearly my same size. She is small like me. But she is dressed in all pink. With pink hair and pink wings. She's just all pink. But her skin is really light colored.

"Hello."

"Oh pardon me miss and Mr. I did not see you come in. I hope you are both enjoying your day. I have a shop set up here if you are in need of supplies."

She has a lot of boxes sitting around on a grassy spot. "It wouldn't hurt to look."

I search for water. It really is a bunch of odd stuff. She has some jewelry, ropes, apples, waters, just random stuff.

"What do you want for some waters?"

"What do you have?"

I lift my dress. "I have some sparkly shoes."

Her eyes get so big. "THOSE ARE PERFECT."

She gets an empty box and starts putting all kinds of stuff in it. Then she puts 2 waters on top. She hands Tye the box then comes up to me. She's half jumping up and down. She is so excited. I take the shoes off and hand them to her.

"THANK YOU. I LOVE THESE."

"I'm glad you like them. Thank you for the items and water. Do you know what path we should take from here? We are trying to the end by the tower."

"Of course. That one right there." She points.

"Thank you." I take a water and down about half of it. "I was so thirsty." Tye nods and I take the box, so he can get a drink. "Well, my feet feel better, but what are we going to do with this box?"

He laughs. "I was wondering that too."

Omar comes up beside us. His hair is all singed, and he only has half of it left. "You know. This place is really starting to piss me off."

"What happened to you?"

"Big ass fire ant. I don't want to talk about it." Me and Tye nod. He takes the box. "What's in the box?"

"Not sure really, traded my shoes for it." I grab my water off the top.

We all take another turn while Omar follows and goes through the box. We find Dipak sitting by the edge of a river. By a bridge that is guarded by a troll.

We sit down beside him. "Troll won't let anyone pass without answering the riddle." We all nod. "The more there is, the less you see."

Omar looks around. "The more there is, the less you see. Well, that makes no sense. Can we have another one?"

"No."

Omar dumps the box out between us. We all start going through it and picking out what we want. Me and Tye drink our water.

Mary comes walking out with a bear dressed like a king. We all stare at them. She curtsy's. "Thank you sir."

"My pleasure, ma'am. Enjoy your day." He bows and then goes back in.

She sits by us like that didn't happen. She digs right into the box stuff.

"The stories from this ball are going to be fascinating. I am going to want reports."

Tre comes out of a path holding a paper. He's staring at the paper. He doesn't even see us.

Dipak yells, "TRE." He notices us. "The more there is, the less you see. What is it?"

"Darkness." He goes back to his paper.

The troll's eyes about pop out. Then he moves off the bridge. We all get up and cross the bridge. Tre follows us and Omar carries the box of stuff.

Once we get across, there is only 1 path. It leads right to a door. I smile so big.

Dipak winks. "Go open it sweetheart."

I run up and open the door. Nothing happens. It's blackness on the other side of it. "I think we might have to go through this one."

One by one, they go through the door and start falling. Tre grabs me at the end and gives me a kiss. Then we fall in together.