Realistic or Modern The Labyrinth Escape

[DarkiusHeavenstein]

Every year there is one girl and one boy picked from each district (except of course the Headquarters). All 14 of them are dropped inside a gigantic labyrinth and they have to find their way out. Within the labyrinth there are cameras so every move from the ‘participants’ can be watched, not only by the government who controls the labyrinth and everything inside, but also by the people at home. The children and youngsters inside the labyrinth can encounter everything, going from monsters to lethal plants and deadly puzzles if not solved in time. Every year the labyrinth theme is different and if not enough the walls of the labyrinth change every day, every hour or every minute, depending on what the government wants. The goal is to get out as fast as possible and the ‘game’ isn’t over until both kids from one district are out of the labyrinth. If one of the kids from a district dies, the other kid will be trapped in the labyrinth forever, or until it can escape the year following with another kid from his district. So also participants from the years before can be encountered and not all of them will be as friendly.


Once in the Labyrinth, everything is possible. Friendship, love, betrayal, death, all of it can happen if you take the wrong or the right turn…


May you find the path that leads you to the exit!

 

[DarkiusHeavenstein]

Picking day... A day as much loved as it was feared. It would start at the poorest and furthest away district of them all, District of Ends. Then they would carry on to the District of Dark. The District of Earth would follow suit. Then it would be the turn for the District of Fire. Soon after the District of Air would be reached. Last but not least will be the district closest to the Headquarters, the District of Light. This however didn't meant that the people for the Light-district could assemble on the quarters any later than the people from the District of Ends. Ow no, certainly not. The pickings in the other districts would be followed on a great screen. The name of each participant being listed off as well as their age and a small portray picture. Once the picking ceremony was over the families would be allowed exactly five minutes to say their goodbyes, before the participants would be lead towards the train tracks. This all so that all participants would arrive at the exact same time at the Headquarters, where they will meet each other for the first time.


“How do you always get so dirty?” Two purple eyes rolled at the comment that was coming from the person opposite of her. Her pale lips parted to say something back, like that she at least worked and helped others, but another female voice interrupted her.


“Now come, come, ladies, be nice to each other. Today might as well be the last day you see each other” The grim words came from an old woman. She looked at both girls in front of her and then nodded. Her hand moving towards the door, that was quickly opened by the one on the left. She wore her long gray hair loosely, letting it carelessly fall to her waist. A smile lay on her face, or at least she had taught herself to move the edges of her mouth up and even fake some sparkles in her eyes if needed. Now was such a moment, though today she would not be the only one with a fake smile. The day of the Picking, which occurred every year, was not loved among the people, but it was impossible to go against the government. People who did would be killed, or worse, tortured. It was said their father had found that faith, years ago, when their mother was picked at the age of 18. She and her sister had only been 2 years old at that time, so there was no way they could remember.


“Welcome, welcome to the District of Ends!” A male voice called enthusiastic from the stage. No reaction came from the crowd as she brought the old woman, the one who had taken care of them the past 17 years after the death and disappearance of both their parents, to the back. She held her head up high as she took place in the perfect lines that were formed by the other girls of her home. Not all girls, only those between the age of 12 and 21.


“Took you long enough” Her twin scolded as she stood next to her, but she ignored the words as if they were wind. Both of them looked almost exactly the same, but there was a big difference in their behaviour. Only was her lovely friendly twin so smart to only show her real attitude towards her sister and keep up the act of perfect girl towards all others.


“Such an exciting day, if I may say so” The man on stage commented as he waited until also the boys were on their place next to the girls. She looked through the crowd, most people she only knew from face and she wondered which boy and girl would have to say goodbye to their families to participate in Labyrinth Escape. Death would be their only true escape, ironical since they were surrounded with the dead, here in District of Ends.


“Well, well, let’s start with the ladies. Shall we?” The male spoke as he walked towards a bowl filled with folded notes. She observed the clothes of the male that came from the Headquarters, at least he had tried to keep it a bit dull, but still he seemed almost like a light, compared to the black that was always worn.


“The first name is; Inanimado Avliden!” The man exclaimed as his eyes searched for the girl that would react to the name. She herself only blinked her eyes, before she looked at her sister. Of course fake tears were visible in them and the girl let out a soft cry. She moved before her twin had the chance to take her hand, holding her head up high as she walked to the stage. No emotion was readable from her face or anything else as she took her place on the right of the man. She stared right in front of her, so she found the same faith as her mother, only was she a year older. She sighed softly as her eyes moved to the boys, wondering who would take the place beside her. Behind her the screen showed her picture along with her name and age. She would be the first on a long list of names as the District of Ends would only be the first two names on the screen.


One last time he moved the axe over his head and let it come down with force. The wooden block split in two as if it was soft butter instead of hard wood he chopped. With the back of his hand he swiped the sweat of his forehead and he walked back to the little shed. His brown, normally silk like, hair was glued to the sides of his face and he hung away the axe. Quickly he picked up the pieces of wood he had chopped, throwing them inside a cart that stood on the rails beside the shed.


“This one is ready for the Head Quarters” He yelled as he banged on the side of the metal cart. Immediately two younger boys came over and they started to push the cart away. The rails would lead up to where the wood would be loaded onto the train that when to the Head Quarters. From own experience he knew pushing and loading was a heavy job, but having such young people chop was just too risky. He himself was changed from pusher to chopper as soon as he turned 18 and was allowed to wield an axe. Before that he had worked as a pusher, from the age 15 to 18 and before that he had worked on the fields. He was the oldest and the only boy in a family of 6 children, so there was no way only his dad could provide for them. He didn’t mind though, he was quite skilled with the axe and out here in the woods he could forget the world around him. There were no little girls that would ask him to come play with their dolls or bake sandcookies or other things. Not that he didn’t like playing with his sisters, he loved it, just not every day and night. And then there was also his mother that bother him with question like, when he was gonna start a family of his own, whether or not he had already found himself a girl. Unlike his mother he had never really felt the urge to get settle, though he had to admit coming from such a large family and suddenly living on your own is quite lonely at times. A soft smile lay on his face as he walked to through the small village, here and there greeting some people. He was a hard worker and he didn’t mind spending some of his extras on people who needed it, which made him loved among the others. Last winter he had even given up his own coal stock for his neighbors because they had two sick children. He closed his door behind him, turning on the shower, knowing he had to hurry to be on time, but at the same time not feeling like hurrying at all. This year would be his last year as Pickling, for his second sister it would be her first year and for his first sister her third time. His oldest sister and he were six years apart, quite a gap, but he had learned to live with it. Definitely when his oldest sister had just been born there had been quite some rumors, though as a six year old he had never understood why. He washed the sweat of his skin that had a nice sun brown colour thanks to working on the fields and out in the woods for so many years. A bit alienated he took the soap in his hands, it was quite a luxury to have soap and that is why he only used it at special occasions. And Picking Day was one of those occasions, unfortunately. Well, it would be his last year anyway. He had not been picked for the last 9 years, so what are the odds? He dried his wet skin, choosing for a light brown pair of pants and the typically checked shirt. With fast fingers he closed the buttons of his shirt and moved the sleeves up past his elbows. For this time he choose his nice black shoes over the worn-out brown ones and he locked his door, before making his way over to the square. He stood in the last row, greeting his coworkers as they stepped aside so he would fit in between them. He could see his mother shake her head as his father ticked on his wrist. He only shrugged back as his eyes moved towards the stage. Besides his family, nobody had noticed that he was late, and if they had they didn’t make a problem of it. His eyes quickly moved over the screen that was already filled with five names, ages and pictures. The two from Ends, the two from Dark and the female from his own district.


“And now for the boy that will accompany you” The man on stage said, though his soft brown, almost golden eyes were on the girl that was already picked. Though he felt guilty for it, he couldn’t help but to be relieved to see it was not one of his sisters. However that relieve was quickly shattered as he recognized the girl and he stood frozen, until a coworker pushed him forward. Confused he looked at him and he wanted to open his mouth to ask what was going on as he heard the man on the stage.


“Viridian Hylar, don’t be shy” He said as he held his hand out. He blinked his eyes as he looked over to where his parents were. His mother had buried her face in the chest of his father and he felt how two hands jerked his arm back. Suddenly he was looking into two pair of crying eyes, both the same soft green colour.


“Anna, Lyra. I have to go” He said, though some anger underlined his voice. This was not fair, it was his last year. This whole spectacle was stupid, however he could not speak such words. He wiped tears of his oldest sister away as he kneeled down, looking her straight in the eye, while he hugged the other one close to him.


“Anna. You have to be strong now. You are now the oldest one, so you have to protect them” He spoke as he kissed the girl on her forehead. He did the same to the younger one, before he came up again and walked over to the stage. Tears stung in his eyes, but he fought them back. He couldn’t cry, not now as his family could still see him. He had to be strong for them, they would be fine, even without him.

 

[TotalChaos]

Evan straightened, having finished tying his brothers shoes onto his feet. He nodded to the small 13 year old, before he turned and walked out the door, not bothering to wait. He looked back only to see his brother running to catch up and his mother walking slowly after them. She had sad eyes as she watched her 13 year old and 18 year old boys, walking to the Picking.


Even slowed, as one of the last boys to arrive. He stood towards the back, in the neat lines that were formed. His brother was next to him. He watched the man on the stage with no emotion on his face. “Well, well, let’s start with the ladies. Shall we?” The man said, and drew a folded note with a name from the girls bowl. “The first name is; Inanimado Avliden!” The man exclaimed, and a girl pulled from the lines and walked up to the stage to stand to the right of the man.


"Now, for the boys." The man said, and walked to the boys bowl. Evan's face remained unchanged, but instead of watching the man, he was watching the girl on stage for emotion. The man drew a folded note and walked back to his place.


"Evan Rifter!" The man exclaimed, and Evan felt and saw the boys moving away, so that he had a clear path to the stage. His brother tried to reach out to hug him, but he moved before his brother could do so. He kept his emotionless stare as he walked up to the stage, and took his place to the man's left. He spotted his brother, who had tears in his eyes, and his mother, who too had tears, but his face remained unchanged.

 

[Gamecraft]

It is dark inside the wing, the only lights left is those small holes on the top. With the sound of metal being hit, the one after the other, holes disappears until all lights gone. Then, silence, just for a while, just a that little amount of time when nothing happens. He enjoys it, the darkness surrounding him and joys the silence after all the noise. Job done, for now, he enjoys his job, its special; few are this small at the age of a mechanic. He can do the work no one else can; it is like a safety card for employment.


“Hey, get out of there! You are late, and soon it is our turn.” Shouts a hard voice that echoes inside the wing. Right, Picking Day, he almost forgot, another one of those things from the Headquarters he just could not care less about. “Hurry up tiny, we can’t wait to sound down”.


Out from the wing, down through the ventilation, and out the back of the plane, jumps a low little boy at age of 16. Takes a fast look around with his dark brown eyes, before his head falls down looking at the ground. No more time to lose; just walk to the assembly.


Entering the line with the rest of the 16-year-old boys, looking up at the screen. All the pictures and names of the unlucky ones. He feels a stick of pain for them, thinking how hard it must be to be the one, picked to the labyrinth. When he stood there thinking about it, not a single impression appears on his face. He do not even realise that a girl is picked, and was fare away from prepared for the name of the boys, before it hit him.


“Paul Longwind, I repeat Paul, Longwind”. Out of instinct he start walking up to the stage, like the boss just called on him to assigned a new job. He did not think, not a second, just did what he had to do, for completing his job. There where no one to hold him back, there where no one that cried for him. There where no one that really cared for him.


Upon the stage he just looked out, still not a single emotion to see. He just stood there, waiting for the job to be assigned.