~ Cody ~
I stood up not having the slightest memory of what happened. But I was alone.  I stumble around. My heavy breathing was louder than ever before. I sensed drops of sweat dripping down my face...or was it blood…? Everything was happening so slowly. How could I tell? I don’t know. I place my right hand against the cold, hard, rock wall attempting to slow my breathing. But I couldn’t. My throat… so dry… I must have a sip of water. Just the thought of water sounded delectable to me. A surge of coughing took over me. Still coughing, I knelt over. My head clobbering with every cough. I started choking at once. My vision went blurry and I heard the sound of  liquid droplets piercing the ground but it started fading away, slowly. I blacked out. I’m almost done I told myself. Silence. And that was it.
I sat up with a jolt and banged my head against the wall. I let out a loud breath and sat  quietly for a minute taking in my surroundings. Not that I could see much. Just dark walls and black in every direction. There isn’t even the slightest bit of light. I didn’t even know where I was.  I shut my eyes when I felt ice cold water trickle down my forehead, sliding down my nose. It took my recovering brain a while to comprehend.
“Water.” I gasped.
Using energy from who knows where, I pressed my head against the wall sticking my head out like a puppy wishing to devour a treat. After I quenched my thirst, I stayed in that position for a while. I stayed there until I heard it. Soft at first but getting louder every time. I felt a shiver run through my spine
“Eden.”
The name lengthened like a hiss giving me the sensation that a pair of eyes were trying to bore holes into the back of my head.
“Eden,” It said louder.
I arose quickly and turned around trying to see what was calling my name. I broke out into a jog. I could feel my heart beating in my throat.
“Eden,” it hissed again. I burst forth into a sprint. I had to go. Somewhere. Anywhere. Anyhere but here.
That was the last time I heard it. I stopped running and started walking. I hadn’t even taken two steps until I was on the floor again. I felt as if metal chains were braided around my feet as if I was a prisoner. Oh wait. I was. I gave my best shot at standing up again when the chains started yanking.
I screamed. I screamed though blood coming up my throat. There was nothing I could do. I felt so… helpless...The right half of my face was pleading god to stop letting me be dragged on the sharp tiny rocks. My stomach groaned and cursed in pain with blood all over it. Suddenly, the chains swerved towards a wall, slamming me into it. I groaned. My head hurt so badly. I noticed the chains were gone. Nothing was pulling me. I touched my forehead where the impact of the slam was still throbbing. Blood. There was always blood.

  My body was aching, wishing I could be sitting at home curled up next to the fire reading a book instead of being in this labyrinth. On top of that, I was seperated from my group. I didn’t even know if they were still alive. 

I layed down attempting to get some sleep. More silence. There wasn’t the typical hum you would hear in the city. You can’t hear the noise that you have been hearing ever since the day you were born, the noise that was always there. No background noises which seemed natural to all humans. Just silence.
I couldn’t sleep, as usual. The dizzy, dying sensation came upon me like it did every night. I shut my eyes trying to block out the feeling, wanting one good night’s sleep better than any I have had in years.
My hands went numb. I pictured myself much too small on a boat much too large. I felt… spacy… The difference in size was so disturbing. The boat started rocking, side to side, making me feel more uncomfortable than ever. My eyes shifted up and down and rolled back into my head. I felt like I might fall but I didn’t. I jolted up with my ears ringing.
I jam my back against the wall. I pressed so hard that it hurt. I swear I could have felt the the jagged rocks of the wall pushing, piercing into my back, through all the dirt, grime, dust, wounds, bruises, and all the other aches, pains and cuts that have attached themselves to my body. I banged my head against the wall, about the hardest I ever had and I felt woozy. I felt something pouring out of my head dripping down my skull and making its way to my neck.
I broke out my emergency six pack that I never told anyone about. I gulped down as much as I could in one breath. I shook the bottle. There’s no more. To penetrate the deafening silence, I scream, as loud as I could, and the sound that came out of my mouth was more animal than human. I throw the bottle against the opposite wall as hard as I could. Shards of the beer bottle go flying. The noise echoes through the labyrinth. Maybe I will be able to sleep now I think to myself.

~ 24 hours before: Derek ~
A piercing scream brought me back. As saw him. I lunged forward to grab him but it was too late. He was gone forever. I stood there for a minute trying to process what happened until I remembered Annie.
“Annie!” I screamed.
“Annie!”
Silence. I could hear drops of water slowly falling to the ground at a steady pace.
“Oh…” I heard a moan.
“ANNIE!” I cried! I ran towards the sound. BAM. I was on the ground again. I could feel blood dripping down from the left side of my face but I don’t feel the pain. All I had to do was find her.
“Annie!”  I screamed again.
“Ohhh..” she moaned again.
I stretched my arms out in front of me making sure I don’t crash into another force field. I turned right and then left and right again quickly, but cautiously. Then I see her.
“Derek” she moaned.
I ran up to her and saw her clutching her leg. I kneeled down to see what happened. A vast bloody gash and a galaxy of tiny scratches crossed her leg. She was losing a lot of blood. I took off my sweatshirt and wrapped it around her leg. She squeezes her eyes and grunts out of pain. Within minutes the jacket was soaked with blood. I helped Annie sit up. We sat in silence for a few minutes, recollecting what happened to us, trying to find a logical explanation. Finally, she spoke.
“Oh my goodness! Your face!”
I’m fine I say. She scooted forward to see what happened but immediately sat down.
“It hurts too much. Where is Eden?” she asks.
I stared at the ground for a minute and thought if I should tell the truth or if I should spare Annie from the truth. I looked into Annie’s eyes. I could sense the worry, the pain, and the feeling of loneliness in her eyes. I decided to tell her the truth. She deserved to know what happened.
“Annie” I said.
I’m so sorry.”
I looked at the ground in sadness. I closed my eyes. I saw the giant ditch and I saw him disappear. I saw myself standing there doing nothing whatsoever to help him. I saw the helpless look in his eyes calling my name out in fear. I wished I could do something. I wished I was strong enough to protect him. But I wasn’t. I was a measly, short little 13 year old who had no will power. I looked up into Annie’s eyes. Her eyes were watering, but the curiosity for what happened was still showing through them.
“I couldn’t save him.” I said.
“We were running in the labyrinth trying to find you when suddenly, I heard a scream and a whoosh, like the wind. I saw Cody’s arm fall into an empty hole of space. I chase after him and look inside. It turned out to be a HUGE ditch.” I said.
“Wait. But we have never seen any of those in the labyrinth before?”
“I know” I said.
I continued on.
“I stretched my hands and legs, and searched for anything that I could use to pull him up. I lowered myself into the ditch. I’d rather stay together than all three of us be separated. I was inside the ditch when suddenly, the walls started closing in. I had never seen anything like this before in the labyrinth. I searched frantically for him. I started to get nervous, my palms started sweating as the walls got closer and closer every second. He wasn’t there anymore so I climbed out in a hurry not to get crushed. A few minutes later, I found another way down and I saw him lying on the ground. I wasn’t sure if he was dead or alive. I called his name, I scream at the top of my lungs. I threw things at him. Anything that would keep him alive but he was dead. He was gone. I would never see him again.”

~ Annie ~
He had never looked this outraged at himself, never looked this sad, lonely, depressed. But I understood. Having the feeling of knowing you could have saved someone, but didn’t was the worst feeling in your life. True story. I could tell that he was shocked and confused at what happened and that the only thing that got him through was to find me. I was still thinking, processing what Cody had just told me when I fell. I fell though many floors and I see Cody jump in after me. Such a beautiful, courageous young boy.

~ Eden ~
My eyes jolt open. I crouched into a feral position. I steadied my breathing with my head between my knees. I stood up. I grabbed my stuff and I bolted, faster than I had ever run before. I don’t know why but I just ran. I purposely swerved into nearly every wall, pain striking me everywhere in every angle. I run faster and  I crash harder. I felt the pain. I wanted the pain. It felt so good. I felt so enlightened. I wanted more. The faster I ran, the harder I hit. The harder I hit, the harder the impact. I can feel the jagged rocks imprinting my skin, squeezing through every hole in my body trying to make its way inside like ants in a house. The pain was so beautiful. It was all I ever wanted. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was done. I was done being alone, being the only one suffering. I was so tired and exhausted. I wanted it to be over. I needed it to be over. I slammed my head into the wall. I heard a huge crack. A smile spread across my face. The pain wasn’t the only thing I felt. I felt like I was in a different world. Nothing to think about. Nothing to worry about. Just me and the pain. I felt nothing else. It was wondrous. I was angry now. I run fast toward a wall and I slam my elbow into it. A huge crack erupts from my elbow but I ignore it. I wanted this. I hit my head against the wall again. I couldn’t take it anymore. My eyes roll into the back of my head.
 

~ Narrator ~
Fourteen year old Eden jumped up in bed, eyes blinking franticly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He shook his head in relief, lied back in bed and sighed.
“Worst nightmare ever.” he said to himself softly.