Read Online The Maze - the Lost Labyrinth by Jason Brannon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jason Brannon
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set of thumbscrews glistened faintly in the hallway as if recently used. The walls behind the iron maidens and the beds of nails were made of mirrors.
“What do you think this place is all about?” Midnight didn’t bark like I expected him to; instead, he growled and bared his teeth. Something up ahead didn’t sit well with him.
He raced ahead of me and faced one of the mirrors, barking as if Satan himself leered at him from the glass.
I joined him. “What is it, boy?”
The imposing figure in the mirror glared at me as I studied him carefully. Although there were no pictures of the criminal, Barabbas, I knew this had to be him. The man was built like a rock wall: rugged, sturdy and capable of withstanding a lot of punishment. His bald head was shadowed with day-old stubble, and his teeth were black from all the blasphemies he‘d spoken while alive. A spiked club hung from a loop on his belt; it looked like it had been used extensively.
Barabbas studied me too, watching me with black, unfeeling eyes like a deadly animal in a cage. Without warning, he rushed at me from his side of the mirror. I jumped back, nearly tripping over my own feet in an effort to get away. My heart hammered in my chest, and I looked at the murderer in disbelief. How was this possible?
The villain screamed at me, but thankfully all was quiet. I couldn’t hear any of the things he was saying to me, but I suspected that they were nasty and filled with curses. He unsheathed the club from his belt and hammered unmercifully at the glass in an attempt to get to me. I backed away carefully, not sure what the rules were in a place like this. It wouldn’t have surprised me if Barabbas stepped right through the mirror and tried to bash my head in.
Like everything else in this cryptic place, I knew there was something special to be learned here. The only question was what?
“Barabbas.” I mulled the man’s name over. “Why are you so significant?”
The criminal screamed at me, but all I heard was silence. His face was flushed with anger and frustration. Fortunately, the mirror kept the man at bay. Midnight barked at the murderer and bared his teeth, eager to take a bite of the man who had avoided crucifixion at Christ‘s expense.
Then he turned away from the mirror and barked at me.
“Easy boy.” I held my hands out in front of me. Midnight growled and showed me his teeth. The dog’s eyes were filled with fear and anger, although I had done nothing to provoke him.
I held my hands up in a calming gesture that was meant to be as harmless as possible. Midnight barked at me with a machine-gun rapidity that echoed off of the labyrinth walls. He seemed like a different animal than before. This wasn’t the same dog that had affectionately licked my hand after eating blueberry jelly from that glass jar. What was wrong with him?
“It’s ok, boy.” I eased forward, hoping for a chance to soothe him and show him I meant no harm. “Easy, Midnight. Easy.”
Midnight saw something in me he didn‘t like. The moment I got close enough, he leapt at me and sank his teeth into my hand, drawing blood. I recoiled and held my injury close to me. I backed away from the dog cautiously, unwilling to take my eyes off of him for one second. When I had put a few steps between us, I glanced at my hand and saw that his teeth had torn a hunk of flesh out of my palm. Blood dripped from the wound erratically, pattering on the stone floor like scarlet rain.
I peered over my shoulder to see where Barabbas had gotten off to and I was alarmed to see that he was gone. I looked around frantically, fully expecting to see him rush out of the shadows with his club held high to crush my skull with a killing blow, but he had disappeared. It was only as I looked behind me that I saw him in the closest mirror. He, too clutched an injured hand.
I held my hand up in front of the mirror and watched the blood spill. Barabbas did likewise. The sight was enough to send
“What do you think this place is all about?” Midnight didn’t bark like I expected him to; instead, he growled and bared his teeth. Something up ahead didn’t sit well with him.
He raced ahead of me and faced one of the mirrors, barking as if Satan himself leered at him from the glass.
I joined him. “What is it, boy?”
The imposing figure in the mirror glared at me as I studied him carefully. Although there were no pictures of the criminal, Barabbas, I knew this had to be him. The man was built like a rock wall: rugged, sturdy and capable of withstanding a lot of punishment. His bald head was shadowed with day-old stubble, and his teeth were black from all the blasphemies he‘d spoken while alive. A spiked club hung from a loop on his belt; it looked like it had been used extensively.
Barabbas studied me too, watching me with black, unfeeling eyes like a deadly animal in a cage. Without warning, he rushed at me from his side of the mirror. I jumped back, nearly tripping over my own feet in an effort to get away. My heart hammered in my chest, and I looked at the murderer in disbelief. How was this possible?
The villain screamed at me, but thankfully all was quiet. I couldn’t hear any of the things he was saying to me, but I suspected that they were nasty and filled with curses. He unsheathed the club from his belt and hammered unmercifully at the glass in an attempt to get to me. I backed away carefully, not sure what the rules were in a place like this. It wouldn’t have surprised me if Barabbas stepped right through the mirror and tried to bash my head in.
Like everything else in this cryptic place, I knew there was something special to be learned here. The only question was what?
“Barabbas.” I mulled the man’s name over. “Why are you so significant?”
The criminal screamed at me, but all I heard was silence. His face was flushed with anger and frustration. Fortunately, the mirror kept the man at bay. Midnight barked at the murderer and bared his teeth, eager to take a bite of the man who had avoided crucifixion at Christ‘s expense.
Then he turned away from the mirror and barked at me.
“Easy boy.” I held my hands out in front of me. Midnight growled and showed me his teeth. The dog’s eyes were filled with fear and anger, although I had done nothing to provoke him.
I held my hands up in a calming gesture that was meant to be as harmless as possible. Midnight barked at me with a machine-gun rapidity that echoed off of the labyrinth walls. He seemed like a different animal than before. This wasn’t the same dog that had affectionately licked my hand after eating blueberry jelly from that glass jar. What was wrong with him?
“It’s ok, boy.” I eased forward, hoping for a chance to soothe him and show him I meant no harm. “Easy, Midnight. Easy.”
Midnight saw something in me he didn‘t like. The moment I got close enough, he leapt at me and sank his teeth into my hand, drawing blood. I recoiled and held my injury close to me. I backed away from the dog cautiously, unwilling to take my eyes off of him for one second. When I had put a few steps between us, I glanced at my hand and saw that his teeth had torn a hunk of flesh out of my palm. Blood dripped from the wound erratically, pattering on the stone floor like scarlet rain.
I peered over my shoulder to see where Barabbas had gotten off to and I was alarmed to see that he was gone. I looked around frantically, fully expecting to see him rush out of the shadows with his club held high to crush my skull with a killing blow, but he had disappeared. It was only as I looked behind me that I saw him in the closest mirror. He, too clutched an injured hand.
I held my hand up in front of the mirror and watched the blood spill. Barabbas did likewise. The sight was enough to send
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