A young boy was running. From what? Even he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he had to warn Mary, but where was she? She needed to know about the son of Poseidon, the horrible son of Poseidon. No, forget Mary. Wasn't she dead? He needed to keep running, no, thinking about that or he might fall over from despair and grief. He was already unstable. Minutes, hours passed. It could have been days for all he knew, as time didn't work normally in the maze, when he finally saw a light. Light meant an opening, a possible escape from whatever he was running from. An emotion that he hadn't felt forever blossomed in his heart. Hope. That feeling was drowned almost immediately. It was another illusion. Besides, what would the boy with the scar do if he returned without the string?
The thought of the pain, humiliation, and punishment that would await him if he returned almost made the boy want to stay in the maze. With whatever creature that was causing him pain. Stay with the madness, the darkness, the fear in Minos' land. Notice the almost. Perhaps he'd run. No. They would find him. He let out an inhumane wail, a scream that told of his helplessness. Why? He wasn't sure. It's not like anyone could hear him. He had three options: return and be punished, stay with the monster in the maze, or run, be a fugitive, and live in fear for the rest of his life.
"Anything. Even this illusion. But not the maze," he decided and shakily started towards the end of the pathway. Once he exited, he was immediately blinded by the sun. But after spending who knows how long in the darkness, the change was very welcome. The sun's rays made the sand seem like an endless sea of red and the heat came at him like waves, crashing continuously against the surf. Powerful and unstoppable. His armour wasn't helping and yet he didn't want to take it off. It was the last thing protecting him. His mind was in shambles, he couldn't physically fight a toddler, he didn't even want to acknowledge how he was emotionally. His armour was his last defense, to take it off would be inviting something to attack him.
The boy began walking. He had wanted out of the maze, and he was out of the maze. There was no reason to stay near the entrance, it's not like he was going back in. The scenery began to slowly blend together. Cacti, sand dunes, basically nothing. The occasional desert mirage. But after suffering the maze's illusions, the desert couldn't fool him. Slowly the boy's mind, which was already broken, began to crumble. He was hungry, he was thirsty, he was hot, he was tired. He. Was. Alone. If only he could have found the string. He realized too late the dangerous path that his thoughts were wandering in.
His shattered mind was transported to a different place, a different time. Now he was in an abandoned building with a blonde boy with a scar. "It's simple. Just find the string, Chris." he said, running his hand through his hair. So that was his name. He had forgotten. "Luke. Send someone with me. We'll.." He was cut off. "No. One person works best for the labyrinth." Luke gave him an annoyed glare. "You are overreacting. Just go into the maze." Chris tried to argue more. The thought of going into the maze sent trembles of fear through his body. Luke was his friend, surely he would understand. He didn't.
Luke shoved Chris into the opening. "Don't come out until you've found the string." He ordered, shutting the doorway, leaving the boy trapped in the darkness of the maze. The memory was over and the last of Chris's sanity was broken. "String," he murmured. "String. The horrible son of Poseidon. Don't do it, Mary." The weight of his armour made him stumble as he continued walking. Memory after memory, all of them scary, humiliating, or painful, attacked his mind since Luke pushed him into the maze and threatened to drive him to the point of no return.
He kept walking. And walking. He had no destination. No driving force. Just painful memories and a broken mind. He almost didn't notice the house. Almost. It's hard not to notice something that you slam into. In his state of mind, he didn't even think to knock, ask for water. Anything. After spending weeks in a maze where your needs are used against you, where illusions are created to kill you, Chris dismissed the house as a mirage. "String," he mumbled. "Must find the string. Freedom if you find string."
He kept walking, taking no heed of the throbbing pain throughout his body or the woman shouting in the background. Hands suddenly seized him from behind. He screamed. "No! Horrible, terrible, son of Poseidon! Run, Mary, run!" Chris twisted and squirmed in his captor's grasp, not listening to the 'comforting' words being said to him. "Calm down! Are you a demigod?" It was a woman's voice. She loosened her grip on him and that was all Chris needed.
Strength (he didn't know where it came from) flowed through his veins. He broke free of his captor and ran. "String! Mary! String!" He shouted as he ran. Even weakened, mortals stood no chance against his speed and the woman was left in the dust. Minutes later when the house and the lady were out of sight, Chris collapsed. He didn't have the strength, energy, or frankly the will to get up again.
The woman, once realizing that she would not be able to catch up to him, raced back to her house. She ran into her bedroom and began digging through her bedside table, looking for a certain business card that she thought she would never need again.
She had to dial the number multiple times before anyone on the other side picked up. "Miss La Rue, I hope that this is impor…" She cut him off and huffed impatiently. "I found one." There was a slight silence then "One? A demigod?" "Yes, but Chiron," Miss La Rue said, breathlessly. "He was wearing full armour in the desert. He isn't sane! Send my daughter! He's still out there and I need her help." She demanded.
Chiron frowned (not that she could see it). "We'll send someone." "No. Not someone. My. Daughter." She pressed, squeezing the phone desperately. On the other side, Chiron cleared his throat. "I'll send Clarisse as fast as I can." He cut off. Miss La Rue threw her phone on the bed and walked onto her porch. In the setting sun, her face glowed an orangey-red color. "Come quickly," she said softly. She stared off as if she could see the demigod suffering in the distance.
