I had to stop to catch my breath. I’ve been running for so long. I hardly have any energy left. I could see a dull light in the distance. The light was shining from an opening to the tunnel just up ahead. I walked to the edge and peered into the room. The light was coming from the torches on the walls, which revealed the stone walls and dirt floors of this labyrinth.
“Fuck.” I said under my breath.
I've been here before, about three times. I looked back at the tunnel I walked through, and then looked at the three rocks stacked in front of the split passageway. I've been down the right and left path, both times I ended up back here. I could feel my heart rate raise rapidly. My chest felt tight, and the walls around me seemed to close in. My head was getting fuzzy. I’m going to die, I'm lost, there is no way out. I felt physically sick, so I walked to the nearest wall and held on to it for support. I might faint, my head was overrun with panic. I could feel my chest heave violently, I struggled not to throw up. I rested my shaky hands on the cool stone in front of me. I needed to calm down. I tried taking some deep breaths.
“I'll be fine. I'm not lost. I'll find my way out this time.” I said to help reassure myself.
I focused on the feeling of my chest rising and falling with each breath, and the feeling of the cold stone in my hands. I gradually started to calm down. I was over most of the panic attack, but I was so tired. I needed to sit down and take a break.
I went to the old chair in the room and took a seat. The exhaustion hit me like a wave. This stiff wooden chair feels so comfy. My eyelids started to droop, and my head started to feel fuzzy and dull. I could just take a quick nap, and keep going after right? What's the harm in that? I was running for so long, I'm sure I have time. I worked hard so I deserve a nap. Getting up and running now seemed impossible. I was so tired. I tried my best, maybe I'll just give up. No one ever survives anyways. I don't know why I was trying so hard. My thoughts began to roll into one another and I could feel myself drift into sleep.
“ROOOAAARRR”
A blood curdling screech echoed out though the tunnels shaking me out of my haze.
“Fuck, did I fall asleep?”
My heart started racing, where did the noise come from? Which tunnel? I felt some cold sweat drip down my forehead. I couldn't wait around any longer. I picked a tunnel at random and ran full speed through it. I had no idea where I was going. I was just picking turns and random, and running. My mind was only focused on one thing. Escape.
Eventually, my chest began to get heavy, each breath hurt. I was walking slowly now. I saw a faint light ahead, and my chest began to sink.
“Please”
I walked to the light and peered into the room. The same room. Tears began to roll out of my eyes. I felt like my chest was being torn apart. I went back to the chair and sat down again. I could hear heavy footsteps begin to rumble through the tunnels, coming my way. I looked up and down the tunnels, and then down at my legs.
“Yeah, that's not happening.” I sighed, and my body relaxed releasing what felt like years of stress. Well, I tried my best. Nothing else to do really. I sat there and listened to the sound of my approaching doom. My body seemed to give up, I couldn't stay awake anymore. I started to think of my family, as I fell into a deep sleep.
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