awriternamedian
Not made of lies and deceit
The labyrinth. Nobody was sure how big it was, or where it came from, or what lay inside of its walls. They stood fifty feet high, too smooth to climb, with barbed wire along the top to dissuade any who thought themselves brave enough to try. The walls stretched for miles in every direction, and nobody had ever found a way in. Birds didn't fly over it, and if you strayed too close, you could sometimes here screaming and strange, inhuman noises. Few dared to get this close, for few of getting sucked inside. The real fear didn't come from being physically close to it however, it came at night, as you fell asleep. That was when the magic of the labyrinth stole people away. It didn't matter where you were in the kingdom, rich or poor, noble or commoner, nobody was safe. It had even stolen kings from their bed before. Most commoners had taken to sleeping in groups, as the labyrinth would only steal somebody if they were alone, though it did occasionally take two. Nobody was certain why this happened, or how it chose its victims, but they all lived in fear of being next, as nobody ever returned.
Had the people been aware of what the labyrinth actually contained, they would have been more afraid still. Inside its walls lurked all manner of beings, demons and monsters, creatures from myth and fantasy, many of whom were sentient. Some of these beings were kind, helpful even. Others loved to torture the humans that were dragged into the walls. And then there were some who simply enjoyed mischief and causing trouble. Aside from those who called it home, there was the labyrinth itself to worry about. It was itself a sentient being, able to control the weather and the time of day. It was broken into multiple parts, some areas appearing to be roofed corridors, others a hedge maze. There were small thickets of trees, several small ponds, and even a few streams. It changed the layouts of its walls at will, and set traps for those stuck within its walls, with no rhyme or rhythm to its madness.
There was a rumor though, among those who resided there, that if one was able to make it to the tower at the center of the labyrinth, they would be able to find their freedom. Some dismissed it as just that, a rumor, but it was something to strive for, to keep from going mad within these damned walls.
