Act three? Did that mean there would be an Act Four? “Why did you dress me up like this?”
“Every maze needs a prize worth chasing. And you, Poppet…” His grin spread. “Will make an divine prize.”
Maze? That was when I noticed the corners and turns where the mirrors met. It was hard to make out at first, but they were there.
As if on cue, Flynn then emerged like a shadow peeling from the glass surrounding us. His bare torso gleamed with a sheen of sweat. Without the gloves or striped shirt, the mime looked less like a caricature and more like a statue brought to life. A perfectly cut torso that was horrifyingly still while his painted-on grin smirked back at me.
“Perfect, isn’t she?” Felix said to Flynn. “Our little doll. So fragile. So tempting.”
Flynn’s piercing eyes dragged over me in a way that felt like both a threat and possession. His silence carried a weight that was heavier than Felix’s words. I should’ve been scared, and I was. But the flex of Flynn’s jaw as he bit down on some unspoken hunger made my skin prickle with heat. I was suddenly very aware of how little this dress covered.
I looked over at Austin, who arched a brow, as if saying, now what?
Felix’s voice dropped lower. “Run, little doll.”
“Why should I?” There was nowhere to go. I couldn’t win a rigged game.
“So quick to give up.” Felix tsked. “Very well. If you won’t run for you, perhaps you will run for him.”
His stare snapped over to Austin.
The insinuation was clear. If I didn’t do what they said, Austin would pay the price. And still, I couldn’t make myself move.
“Tick tock, Poppet.” Felix sang. “Midnight approaches.”
Why midnight? What happened then? Did I only have hours to live?
Austin staggeredover and grabbed my wrist. “Come on, Mazie.” He pulled me down the corridor. “We need to move.”
Felix’s laughter rolled after us. “Act Three begins. Let’s see if the doll can survive her own reflection.”
The maze stretched forward and split into endless images. A thousand Mazie’s decorated in ribbons and lace stared back at me as a thousand Austins frantically tried to pull her to safety. The air was claustrophobic and thick with dust and candle wax, while our footsteps bounced up from the checkered floor. It was endless hallways of shiny glass.
“Stay with me,” Austin ordered. “Don’t let go no matter what.”
We stumbled down a corridor to the left, then turned right when it split into three. Our reflections staggered in every direction. Some running, some walking, and some who did nothing but smile back as we ran past.
And some…
My stomach dropped at the bright stare on the figure in the background. It had been three years since I saw those eyes.
No, it couldn’t be her. I was imagining things.
I ignored it and continued running through the maze with Austin, except that figure got closer with every turn we took until she was right there. So close that I could see the water dripping off her pigtails.
At first, I thought it was someone pretending to be her. It had to be, right?
But it wasn’t. I could smell the chlorine and see the green flecks in her hazel eyes. She was here. She was really here.
“Wait…” Yanking my hand out of Austin’s grip, I stepped up to the girl in the mirror.
Everything in me told me this wasn’t real. There was no way she could be here. Yet there she stood in the same yellow pajamas she wore that night. Every detail was perfect. She even had the same checkmark scar on her forehead that she got from falling off her bike. Was it really her?
“Bethie?”
“Why didn’t you play with me, Mazie?”
Oh my God, it was her. How was this happening?
