Time Maze

Thundersome echoes of what appeared to be a growl chased the two friends down the dark tunnels.

Though they had no idea where they were going or if the next turn would signify their demise, a dead end, they still had to go on. Whatever was chasing the two friends sounded furious, and they were unwilling to find out what exactly it was.

Running seemed to be the only viable option. However, even that was just a band-aid to their situation. They were sure it couldn’t last for long.

Both of them were in good physical condition in general, but they were no jocks. There was a limit to what their bodies could handle. They feared they would reach it before they had the chance to escape whatever monstrosity was after them.

“Marcus, look! Over there!” Tyson said.

If he had attempted to point out anything sooner, it would’ve been a pointless task since the darkness surrounding them was as thick as oil. Nevertheless, at that moment, Marcus was shocked to note that he could see a vague outline of his friend and his outstretched hand.

He did consider Tyson pointing out the only ray of light in the gloomy caves unnecessary since he was bound to head for it. However, he chose not to comment on it. Considering their situation, Tyson wasn’t in the best of mood. Even Marcus knew not to anger the one person who had any chance of getting the two of them out of the mess they somehow got themselves into.

“Quickly! We can escape it once we enter the light!” Marcus said with confidence that he didn’t possess.

How could they even hope to lose the monster behind them in the bright light when they failed to do so in the dark and twisting tunnels they found themselves in?

“I’m going as fast as I can, Tyson! Yelling at me doesn’t help. Besides, I haven’t eaten anything yet, and I have the worst hangover ever.” Marcus said, annoyed at his friend for not being more considerate towards his plight.

“Dude, if we don’t get out of here, a hangover will be the least of your problems. That thing sounds enormous and hungry.” Tyson pointed out.

Hearing those words and understanding how true they were, gave Marcus another burst of energy that brought them to and through the light in seconds.

The first thing they noticed was that the light wasn’t nearly as bright as it seemed in the pitch-black tunnels. It was more of a gentle radiance of the candlelight than the harsh blare of a light bulb.

“Where are we?” Marcus asked.

“I have no idea. Do you hear that?” Tyson asked.

“I don’t hear anything,” Marcus replied after straining his ears for any sounds.

“Exactly. That thing that was after us is gone. It’s like it disappeared into thin air.” Tyson said.

“How is that even possible?” Marcus asked.

“I am not sure...” Tyson started to say.

However, as he turned around, he suddenly went quiet.

The opening they went through, the same one that guided them out of the darkness, was nowhere to be seen. All that Tyson could see was a wall, a lavishly decorated one but still just a wall without any signs of an opening or a door.

“I think...I think what was chasing us didn’t go away,” Tyson said, pondering the sequence of events that led them to the tiny lavish room that had no place being in the tunnels.

“What are you talking about? Of course, it went away. There is no sign of it here.” Marcus said.

“I believe we are the ones who vanished,” Tyson said.

“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s impossible,” Marcus said.

Tyson then proceeded to grab him by the shoulders and turn him around to face the exact spot they had come from mere moments before.

“Huh?” Marcus mumbled, astonished.

Instead of accepting what Tyson said as the truth, Marcus started running his hands over the tapestry, looking for a way out. The tapestry had beautiful gold patterns creating the most beautiful shapes that the two men had ever seen. Even their limited knowledge of décor could tell them that what they saw was beyond anything they had ever seen.

Even if they would’ve never admitted it to each other, the wonderfully woven tapestry was pleasing even to their untrained eyes. It felt ancient and unique, something that had no place in their time.

“What are you doing, you idiot? Why are you hugging the walls? We need to figure out where we are and how to get out!” Tyson said, frustrated with his friend.

They had been best friends for a long time, and Tyson had learned to accept Marcus’s strange ways for the most part. However, after their lives had been in danger, Tyson found it more challenging to find the necessary patience to deal with his friend.

“I am looking for the way out, of course! And for your information, I am not ‘hugging the walls’. I am looking for a hidden panel or something that will open the passage again,” Marcus replied as if it was the most obvious thing.

“There is nothing there! Let’s go this way and see where we are.” Tyson said, pointing at the gold-rimmed doors that seemed to be carved with more golden parts.

The carvings were beautifully made but also subtle. They were opulent, but they were not ostentatious, which even unnerved as Tyson was could appreciate.

“You have to be wrong! We had to come through something! This is impossible.” Marcus said, pouting like a small child.

“Did we? Marcus, one moment we were in the lake messing around, and the next, we are in the complete darkness of the tunnels, completely dry. There is nothing normal about it.” Tyson said.

Moments later, his eyes went wide in shock as he looked at his friend more carefully.

People often don’t see what’s right in front of them. Their minds see what they think they should. Thus, while in Tyson’s mind, his friend looked the same way as he did when they jumped in the lake with all their clothes on, that wasn’t the case.

His blue jeans and black shirt were substituted for an attire that Tyson was sure Marcus would’ve never been caught dead in. The clothing that spoke of another time and place still managed to fit Marcus perfectly. Thus, it took Tyson a moment to process the new truth that stood before him.

“Marcus!” Tyson yelled.

“What?” Marcus asked, annoyed.

“Marcus, look at me!” Tyson said.

“I am looking at you. What is it?” Marcus asked, not understanding the reasons behind his friend’s odd behavior.

“Look at me carefully,” Tyson said with emphasis.

Marcus squinted his eyes in concentration, and it took him far longer to notice anything different about his friend.

“Dude! What are you wearing? When did you have the time to change? We were running all the time! That’s impossible.” Marcus said, his mouth wide open.

“I think everything is possible. We’re not in Kansas anymore.” Tyson said.

“Heh?” Marcus asked.

“Forget it. You should really catch up on literature if we get out of this alive.” Tyson said.

“Nah, you know I can’t focus long enough to read anything.” Marcus reminded Tyson.

“True,” Tyson said, remembering all the trouble Marcus had in school for his short attention span.

“Wait a minute,” Marcus suddenly said.

“What is it?” Tyson asked, worried that they might be in danger.

“I think I smell something,” Marcus said, sniffing the air.

He proceeded to the door and took one long sniff before his ocean blue eyes lit up in joy, and a huge grin spread across his round face.

“Oh, no. Don’t get started with your ‘supreme sense of smell’ again. We don’t have the time for that.” Tyson said.

“My sniffer has never failed me, and I smell FOOD,” Marcus said, ecstatically.

Before Tyson had the chance to say or do anything, Marcus burst through the doors following the most mouth-watering smell that he had ever smelled.

All Tyson could do was hurry behind his friend in the hopes of keeping him out of harm’s way. After all, if he knew one thing about Marcus, it was that when he was hungry, he didn’t think straight.

“This guy will be the death of me,” Tyson muttered as he hurried to catch up with his friend.