|MAZE| by CrazyCodes

Falling... blackness... pain... confusion... panic...

You open your eyes to the dim flickering light of torches along the towering black walls surrounding you. Ash floats freely through the air, making easy breathing impossible. The smell of sulfur and brimstone is strong in the oppressive air. You sit up slowly, shaking the dizziness from your pounding head. What is this forsaken place? You stand up, glancing at your surroundings. Ominous, black, stone walls lead in every direction, but with no clear direction or purpose. Some kind of maze? You stagger slowly to one of the walls, the ashen gravel crunching underneath your thick boots. You reach out your shaky hand towards the blackened wall, resting your calloused palm against the cold stone. Strange. The longer your hand lingers on the wall... you swear you can feel... a pulse. As if the maze is alive. You step back slowly, shaking your head in confusion. Flashes of light shoot through your mind as memories of pain and screaming crash against you. You reach for your ears, trying to block out the horrific sounds. Your sanity struggles to remain in control. Steeling yourself to the terror inside your head, you decide it was time to choose which narrow path to take. You have to escape from this nightmare before you lose all control. In the distance, you hear the piercing, high-pitched wail of some new terror of great enormity. The very air seems to chill you to the bone - your teeth begin to chatter uncontrollably as the hideous screech echos across the black walls. You stumble forward - a lost soul trying to escape his own hell.