Seven

Chapter 10- The Maze

Mario and Carmen had spent the past hour sloppily making notes about things they came across- like unusual doors and windows, hallways that seemed to change directions or disappear altogether, and most importantly, the staff.

They had tried following a few of them around, hoping it would lead them to the surveillance room. So far though, they've either lost track of them through the mansion's twists and turns or they were caught and had to pretend to be doing something else.

They had less than an hour until the next game started and still had found no sign of Nine. They assumed he had already turned himself in or got caught trying to escape. Either way, they knew they'd be finding out about his fate soon. It would probably be on video as the others had been.

"Okay, we've been wandering around forever and still haven't found anything. Do you think the staff may be onto us?" Carmen asked, looking over at Mario.

He looked around before he answered her to make sure no one could hear him. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were. But if they are, they're not acting like it. We can't be suspect though. We stick to the plan, no matter what. We have to win the next game or we're definitely dead. After that, we'll have some more time to find a way out of here."

Carmen nodded in agreement. "We should get to the foyer then. We only have a few minutes left."

Carmen and Mario made their way to the staircase at the center of the mansion when suddenly, they heard a terrifying scream. It sounded like Brandi, Player 2, but Mario couldn't be sure.

They rushed to the stairs and came to a sudden stop when they saw Nine, Player 7, hanging from the chandelier in the foyer. Carmen covered her face with her hands, but Mario stared at Nine's lifeless body with his mouth gaping. He had a feeling Nine would find a way out of here, on his own terms. Looks like he did exactly that.

In the foyer, both Brandi and Damon looked up at Nine's body in horror. There didn't seem to be any staff around, which Mario found strange. Any other time, they would be somewhere, lurking with their sinister smiles and dark, soulless eyes.

If Nine never turned himself in, did that mean the book was still at large? Or did this just look like a suicide because Dr. Vincent wanted it to? Mario had no idea what to think anymore, but he was starting to lose hope that he would ever make it out of this place alive.

"We're gonna die here, aren't we," Carmen whispered, dropping her hands to her side and looking up at Nine.

Mario wanted to tell her yes, because that's what he was truly starting to believe. But he knew they would never make it out if they gave up. They had to keep trying, keep fighting until the bitter end.

So Mario wrapped his arm around Carmen shoulder and led her down the stairs. "Come on. Let's just focus on the game."

The four remaining players stood silently next to each other in the foyer as the clock struck midnight. They still hadn't seen any of the staff around. Not even Winston. Mario was starting to get a strange feeling, one he couldn't shake. Something big was about to happen.

Finally, the monitors turned on, revealing Dr. Vincent's silhouette. "Welcome, Players 1, 2, 4 and 6. And congratulations on making it through to the second game. As you know, you were instructed to select a partner for this game. I hope you've chosen wisely. You will be putting your very life in the hands of your partner."

Mario and Carmen shared a panicked look. They didn't know a whole lot about each other, but Mario knew he didn't trust her. He didn't trust anyone here. So putting his life into her hands seemed foolish.

"Are you not going to address the fact that there's a dead guy hanging over us?!" Brandi asked.

But Dr. Vincent kept talking, because as Winston stated before, these were pre-recorded videos and Dr. Vincent couldn't actually hear her.

"The next game will be taking place outside, in the mansion's beautiful garden. Inside the garden is a maze, one that has been carefully and intricately created especially for tonight's game. One partner will start at point A while the other partner will be at point B, or the finish line, so to speak. The player at point B will be responsible for directing their partner to the maze's exit before time expires."

"What happens after time expires?" Damon asked, an obvious uneasiness to his voice. "Answer us, you coward!"

When there was no answer, Dr. Vincent continued. "Now it's time to decide who will navigate the maze from point A and who will direct from point B. You have exactly five minutes to decide."

The monitors cut off leaving everyone looking around in confusion. Once again, the rules were explained obscurely, leaving out much detail. At this point, the remaining players new their lives were at stake, but they had no idea what the consequences of choosing A or B would have. Would only one partner survive? Or only one team? Is it even possible for everyone to make it through to the final game, or were they purposely making sure that the game only had one winner?

Mario looked up at Nine's body hanging above him. That's when he noticed something written on the front of his uniform in what looked like blood.

memores acti prudentes futuri

What the hell did that mean? Mario couldn't be sure, but it sounded like more Latin. So did Nine write it? Or did one of the staff?

Carmen looked up to see what Mario had already saw. "It means mindful of things done, aware of things to come."

Mario looked at her in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"I know a little Latin," she shrugged.

Mario had thought before that Carmen was the one who translated the rule book for him, but it turned out to be Jackson. Unless...Carmen had somehow planted the evidence on Jackson. Still, he hand a chance to go home. He chose not to confess to what he had done and honestly, Mario couldn't blame him. What he had done was horrible, monstrous. So in a way, his death seemed fitting and justified.

Did that mean each of them faced their own just endings if they elected not to face their sins?

"So do you want to be point A or point B?" Carmen asked, pulling Mario out of his thoughts.

He looked at her in confusion at first, forgetting what point A and point B even meant. He recalled what Dr. Vincent said and weighed his options carefully. It sounded as if the person in the maze got the short end of the stick, but Mario couldn't choose the easy road and leave a small girl like Carmen hanging out to dry. Plus, he felt like the point B person had too much responsibility. He didn't want Carmen to depend on him. He didn't want to depend on her either. So it didn't really mater which position he chose. He was on his own, as far as he was concerned.

"I'll take point A," Mario finally answered.

Carmen sighed in relief. "Thank God. I suck at following directions. Lucky for you though, I give them pretty well."

"Just don't f**k me over," he said, giving her a serious look. "We're partners, at least for now. That means we're gonna work together and we're gonna win this shit."

She nodded. "Of course."

Winston appeared at the top of the stairs flanked by two of the butlers. They slowly descended, each of them with a blank, emotionless stare. They didn't acknowledge Nine's body. Didn't even glance in that direction. It wasn't because they didn't see him though. From the top of the stairs, his eyes practically stared into your soul, blaming you for what happened to him.

Once they reached the bottom, Winston cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"It is time to start the second game. Please, follow me," he said, in his signature monotone voice.

He led the players down a hallway and to a set of double doors that led outside. Mario and Carmen shared a look as if they were both thinking the same thing. Now that they were outside of the mansion, they could possibly find a way to get out of here.

But once they stepped into the mansion's immaculately landscaped backyard, they saw the tall, barbwire fence that wrapped around the perimeter. They were locked in here like prisoners. There would be no escaping.

Mario knew at that moment the only chance he had was to win these games.

Stadium lights hung above the maze, illuminating the otherwise dark yard. It reminded Mario of prison, bringing back dreadful memories that he had long been trying to lock away; memories that were slowly destroying him.

"Players who have chosen point B, please follow me. Those who have chosen Point A, you'll stay here and await further instructions," Winston explained.

Carmen and Mario shared a look, one that was unsure and worried, but yet, somehow, reassuring at the same time. They both wanted to win. They both wanted to live. And that was enough reason for Mario to trust her.

Carmen and Brandi followed Winston, leaving Damon and Mario standing alone at the entrance to the maze with two of the butlers.

One of them, a short, portly man with a wide waist, turned and looked at them, his black handlebar mustache immediately reminding Mario of Houdini. He nearly laughed out loud, since it was odd for someone in this day and age to go with that style.

"When you hear the horn from point B, you may start," he told them reaching into his pocket and pulling out what looked like two wireless earbuds. "Here. Plug this into your left ear."

"What is this?" Damon asked.

"It's a radio transmitter. It's how you and your partner will communicate with one another," he answered.

Mario stuck the tiny black instrument into his left ear and adjusted it until it felt comfortable. Within in a minute, he could hear static on the other end. "Hello?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

Carmen's voice began to go in and out, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. "Hey! Carmen! I can't hear you!"

"Just give it a minute," the butler responded. "It takes a little while to make a connection across the maze."

"Brandi?" Damon asked. Mario looked over at him as Damon's eyes seemed to widen in horror. "What...?"

He looked to Mario, his face as pale as a ghost.

"What?!" Mario hissed.

"Our partners...they....they are looked in a box..." he said distantly.

"What the hell do you mean?" Mario asked, looking to the butler.

"After the horn sounds, you have exactly twenty minutes to navigate your way through the maze, to the other side, or point B, where your partner is waiting," the butler explained. "Your partner has been encased and will be elevated to see out over the top of the maze. They will direct you which path to take."

"So...what happens if we don't make it in time?" Damon asked in a tone that made Mario believe Damon was fully expecting the worst.

"During the twenty minutes, the box in which your partner is encased will fill with water. Once you make it to the end of the maze, you will press the red button on the side of the box to release the water and save your partner. If you do not make it in time, your partner's case will fill with water and they will eventually...drown," he replied with a twisted smile.

Damon and Mario looked at him in shock at first, but once the realization sat in, they both became angry. "So they will die...that's what you're saying?" Damon finally asked.

"Precisely," the butler nodded.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?! I've watched someone burn, I've watched someone get eaten alive, I've seen someone hanging from the f*****g chandelier and now we're about to watch someone drown?!" Damon growls.

"Calm down, sir-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! You people are crazy! You brought us here to kill us off, one by one!" Damon said, lunging at the butler, who was easily a foot shorter than Damon and probably thirty years older.

Mario grabbed Damon around his waist and pulled him back. "Don't do anything crazy, man! Do you want to be next?!"

Damon finally stopped fighting and calmed down, panting like a dog. He looked at the butler in disgust, but what could he do? Mario felt his frustrations. They had been put through hell since they'd been here and for what? To entertain some weird old people?

And now, they were directly responsible for the lives of their partners- partners they had both grown very fond of. Brandi and Damon had been glued to each other's sides since their arrival here. And Mario couldn't deny that he felt a connection to Carmen he didn't feel with any of the other players. He didn't want her to die, and he damn sure didn't want to be the reason for it.

That meant he had to find his way through this maze in less than twenty minutes, no matter what.

"So...what happens to us if we don't make it," Damon asked the butler. "Do we die too?"

That was a good question, and surprisingly, one Mario hadn't thought of yet.

The butler looked at him and smiled, revealing his decaying teeth. Before he could answer though, an air horn sounded.