(Part 2 of 2)

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Chapter Nine

 There's a second when you wake up, a second were you remember nothing. Where your mind is clear and your thoughts are blank.

When Jace opened her eyes, that's exactly how she felt. Not knowing what happened, or where she was. Jace slowly sat up, off of the concrete floor she was laying on as she rubbed the back of her head. She looked around and all she saw were four concrete walls, and a low concrete

ceiling. There was one dull light bulb hanging from the ceiling, giving off just enough light. It was like she was trapped in a small cage, only this one had to bars, and no way out. Her memories kept flooding in, and as they did, she began to panic. “Hello?” She tried yelling. “Anyone there?” She assumed she wasn't the only one taken and put down here, and she hoped one of her friends would hear her. “Can anyone hear me? Hello?”

“Jace?”

Jace heard a small voice call out from the other side of one of concrete wall. “Maisy?” She yelled in hope, as she ran towards the wall, and placed her hands on it. “Maisy is that you?”

“Jace! Yes, ya it's me.” Maisy sounded as happy as ever.

“Where are we? Where are the others?” Jace asked.

“I'm not sure. I woke up in this room and I can't find a way out. Nor can  I hear the others.”

Jace looked around the room, there had to be a way out somehow. She had to have been put in here. Jace looked at the lightbulb, hanging from the ceiling by a rope. She remembered how Peter fell on the light in the library, and how that activated the secret door to open. Unfortunately, who ever stuck them down here took her backpack, and all of her gear. Jace looked at the rope, it seemed as if it was connected to some medal pulley system at the top. Though it was hard to see in the dull light. She gave the rope a hard yank and it easily pulled down a few inches. There was a loud sound of gears moving and then the lightbulb moved back into place. A small rectangle of concrete swung open, just like the bookshelf. “Maisy!” Jace yelled in excitement. “Pull down on the light bulb, It will open a door.” Maisy waited until she heard the gears grinning from Maisy cell, and then she left the concert cage. I piece of wall opened up next to her, and Maisy emerged from it. “Maisy!” Jace smiled as she ran into her arms.

“Jace! Omg, thanks. What's going on? Where are we?”

“I think we're in the cellar, deep beneath the library.” Jace told her as she pulled away from the hug. “Are you okay Mac?” She asked.

“Ya, I'm fine. You?”

“Not sure.” She answered honestly.

Jace looked around, it was hard to see but there was just enough faint light to make things out. there were large cinder walls all around them and the openings to two other rooms. “It looks like Gianna and Bailey we're here too.” She said, looking into the small concrete rooms.

“What about Peter?” Maisy asked.

“ there's only four rooms, so if there was only four of us trapped here, I could guess who the odd one out would be.” Jace had to admit that there was something wrong with Peter, he had to be connected to this somehow. “I can't believe I trusted him. We walked right into his trap. And here I was, thinking it was the librarian behind this.” Jace wanted to punch herself in the face. How could she let this happen? “I'm such an idiot!”

“No your not.” Maisy tried to tell her.

“Yes I am, I should have listened to you in the first place.”

“No. I was wrong.” Maisy’s voice was hard, and stern. Making sure Jace knew she meant what she was saying. “I shouldn't have said what I did. It's not crazy for a guy to like you, I guess I was just a little jealous.” Maisy admitted.

“You? Jealous of me!”  Maisy nodded her head. “Why? You get all the guys you could ever dream of. They all just fall at your feet.”

“Maybe, but they never end up well, I've never had someone care for me the way Peter cares for you.” Jace rolled her eyes, clearly not buying it. “I can see the way he looks at you. That light that twinkles in his eyes every time he see you.”

“Well it was all an act.” Jace mumbled. God how she wanted Maisy to be right, but she knew better.

“You have a gift to know when someone is lying, or hiding something. You can read people as easily as you read books, so be honest you me, be honest with yourself. Did you ever get that feeling with Peter?” Maisy was one of the younger Mystery Teens, she was immature and a little wild. Though she could get deep when she had to. Most importantly, she knew how to make someone feel better. She knew how to get them to see the truth.

Jace had to think to herself, and although she hated to admit it, she never got that feeling with Peter. Not once did he make her feel like she couldn't trust him. “No.” She whispered. “Not ever.’

“Then don't give up hope on him.” They both smiled at each other and hugged once more. “Let's go find our friends.” Maisy said.

Both girls walked along the black cinder walls. It led them to a turn, and when they turned the wall, they couldn't believe it. They were in what seemed to be the center of a tremendously large maze. The girls both turned to each other, knowing they were screwed.

“Fuck.”

Chapter Ten

 The two girls looked around and saw endless walls and turns. They seemed to be in some circle, maybe the middle of the maze. The large walls where at least fifty feet tall, and they were made of black cinder. There was no way they could climb the walls, especially without any equipment or harness. They looked up, but didn't see a ceiling, just endless blackness. The sight sent shivers through both girls spines. Maisy turned to looked at Jace. Her eyes were wide and watering. It was true that the Mystery Teens worked together, they didn't have a leader, nor was anyone in charge. Though it was also true that Jace was the oldest, and most mature. Normally it's Jace who takes charge, who gives orders and keeps the rest of them in line. Maisy looked to her for guidance, reassurance, comfort, anything. Though all she got was a scared and confused looked that said she had no clue what to do. Seeing Jace so scared and lost was a new sight. One that Maisy never thought she would see.

For the first time on a case, the girls truly didn't know what to do. They were in an unfamiliar, scary place. They had no clue what to do or what direction to go in. There supplies were gone, their friends were missing. It was just the two of them, and they were terrified. Terrified at what they saw ahead, and the path that laid ahead. They knew this wasn't going to be a normal case. And for the first time, they didn't know if they would win.

So the two girls just stared at each other, at the maze, and at the adventure that was waiting for them. The only thing they needed to do now, was to take a step forward into this crazy maze.

Chapter Eleven

  “Jace?” Maisy asked worriedly. “What? Where? How?” She stuttered.

“I, I don't know. But we have do something.” Jace began to walk down a path and motioned for Maisy to follow. “Come on Mae.”

Maisy followed Jace down every turn and dead end. They wanted to stay positive, but with every wrong turn, they began to think that there might not be a right turn.

“Jace, do you have any idea where we are going?” Jace asked as they  hit another dead end.

“No Maisy, I have no clue where we're going!” Jace threw her hands in the air as she quickly walked down the maze.

Maisy looked up at the twenty foot walls, that seemed endless. If only she could get on top of them, then she could see the whole maze and see if there's a way out.

She ran her hands down the wall, it was completely flat. No friction or anything for her to grad on to and climb. Just then, she got an idea. She remembered how she loved to climb up the arches of her kitchen. She stood agents the dead end wall, leaned against it, and placed her palms and one of her foot against the wall. She pushed the walls with everything she had and lifted her other foot on the wall. She was completely off the wall. Pushing on all three walls. Slowing lifting herself up.

Jace turned the corner and saw Maisy, seven feet in the air, slowly climbing the walls. “Maisy!” She yelled, scaring Maisy, almost making her slip and fall. “What the hell do you think your doing?”

“Climbing.” She said slightly out if breath.

“I can see that.” Jace sassed. “But why?”

“So I can see the whole maze.” Maisy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Your going to hurt yourself. Get down, I'll do it.”

Maisy let out a small chuckled, as she continued to climb. “No offense J, but I'm the gymnast  here.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jace asked.

“Well for one thing, you need a lot of upper body strength to pull yourself up so high, and you need to be flexible enough to do a straddle split and get your feet on both walls.” Right as Jace opened her mouth to protest, Maisy continued. “And, even if you could to a full middle split, your short legs still couldn't reach the walls.” Jace rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything, Maisy got her there.

“Just be careful.” She pleaded.

After a stressful ten minutes of Maisy climbing the wall, she reached the top and pulled herself up. Her arms and legs felt like Jello, and all she could do was collapse on the thick wall. “What do you see Mace?” Jace called up. Maisy was so tired she almost forgot to look below her. She stood up and looked around her, the never ending maze was astonishing Maisy could stare at it for days. “Well? Mace? What do you see?”

After a long and suspenseful silence, Maisy finally mumbled the feared words under her breath. “I see, nothing, I see everything. There's No way out.”

Chapter Twelve

   Jace was barely able to hear the words that come out of Maisy's trembling lips. Though what she did hear, terrified her. “Maisy, what did you say?”

“There's no way out.” Maisy yelled down. “It's endless walls for miles upon miles.

Jace dropped her head, as one of her hands rested on her hip, and the other pinched the bridge of her nose. “Are you sure you don't see something? A door in the wall? A exit somewhere?”

Maisy looked around, but she saw no such thing. Then she saw a small movement coming a little down the maze. Maisy heard Jace call for her, but she ignored everything she said. She stayed focused on the figure that was probably a quarter mile away from them. “Bailey?” She whispered to herself. Just as the brunette girl's face was becoming clearer, a smile grew on Maisy's face as she started walking across the top of the wall. “Bailey!” She yelled. “Bailey!” Maisy started running as she yelled at the top of her lungs.

The wall was thick, and it wasn't slippery in the slightest, though when Bailey saw Maisy, and started running towards her as well, Maisy started sprinting. Running as fast as she could to her friend, though, it was a little too fast. She kept going closer, and closer to the edge. And then, she slipped.

There was a second of silence, followed by a scream of brutal fear.

Everyone's heart stopped. There was nothing but silence, the horrible silence that lasted a second, but felt like ages.

Maisy has fallen many times before, off the beam, off the bar, on her face, back, and head. And that's just from gymnastics. Her reflexes are insanely fast considering she is the most clumsy person she knows.

So when her foot slipped, and she fell off the wall, her instincts kicked in and her hand grabbed the top of the wall, holding on for dear life.

She stayed there, hanging off by one hand. She heard the screams from both Jace and Bailey, and they ran to her from different directions.

Maisy gripped the wall with her other hand and she slowly pulled herself up. She sat off the edge, muscles hurting, head pounding and chest tightening, as she tried to catch her breath. “I'm good!” She yelled down with a small chuckled, trying to hide her fear.

“Thank God.” Jace mumbled. “Please come down now!”

Maisy walked herself down the walls and to the ground safety. She was instantly pulled into a hug by both girls, squeezing the little remaining energy out of her. “It's good to see you too.” She laughed, still out of breath.

“I'm so glad your okay.” Jace said as she let Maisy go.”

“You gave me a heart attack!” Bailey told her as she squeezed the girl tight.

“Me?” Maisy asked shocked. “You scared me! No, more than scared. Where were you? Are you okay? What happened? Where are we? Where's Gianna? Have you seen Peter? What's going on?”

Bailey let go of Maisy and took a deep breath before saying. “I woke up in a small room, I woke up a little dizzy, so I pulled in the only hanging light bulb to try to regain some balance, and then the wall opened. I've been trying to figure a way out because we are in some large maze. I haven't Sean Gianna, or Peter, and honestly, I have no freaking idea what the hell is going on.”

“Well I'm glad your okay.” Have told her. “If your in here so us Gianna. We need to find her and get out.”

“Ya, not going to happen.” Maisy said quietly. “I saw the maze from up there, there is no way out. No end, nothing.”

“Well we had to get in here somehow. So there is a way out, we just need to find it.” Jace said. “Now come on, we have a lot if walking ahead of us.”

With that the three girls walked down the endless paths and turns. Growing more desperate and tired than ever.

Chapter Thirteen

   Gianna slowly walked down the maze, quickly mumbling to herself. “Left left right, right right, left. Straight, left, left left. Straight right, left, right. She was trying to memorize the maze, she has been for hours. Gianna has an insane memory so she's already memorize a mile out from each direction of the center maze. Well, she hasn't memorize it all. She would make a path into a song, go back to the center, and carve the maze in the wall. “Left left left, right right right, straight, left right left right.” When Gianna entered the center maze again, she continued to the mumbled her little song, as she picked up a fallen, and sharp, peace of the wall. And started to carve more.

About ten minutes went by, and her new path was carved, she stepped back to see I large map, carved into the black cinder wall. She traced her finger on the wall, and picked a stop to start back up at. She headed for the path and started mumbling her song in her head.

“right right, left right, Left left left left right, straight, straight, right right left.” She got into unfamiliar territory, and she had to concentrate ever harder on where she was going. “Right, left, straight, left, straight. Right, left, straight, left - AHHHHH!”

Gianna fell to the ground, holding her ankle. Piercing at the horrid amount of blood that was surrounding a wooden arrow. It was shoot deep into her ankle, making it impossible for her to walk without unbearable pain. She gripped the arrow and tried to pull it out, but the only thing that hurts worse than an arrow going in, is an arrow coming out. She let out another scream as she sobbed. She began to cry, in fear that she would die in the walls of the maze, but her fear suddenly passed as she saw the outlines of little figures coming towards her. “Jace? Maisy? Bailey? Guys!” She yelled hopefully.

“No, no, no! Get away! AHHHHHHHHH! HELP HELP! NO NO NO AHHHHHHHH!”

Chapter Fourteen

   Jace, Bailey and Maisy all roamed the twisting paths of the maze, not knowing where they were going, or if there was a place to go. For all they know they could just be walking endless. “How long has it been?” Bailey asked in a wine.

“Not sure.” Maisy mumbled.

All three girls were tired and miserable, though they had nothing to do but keep walking, so they did.

“Are we almost out?” Bailey winned some more.

“Don't you get it? There is no way out.” Maisy yelled at her.

“Then why the heck are we still walking?” She groaned.

“Would both of you just stop?” Jace asked them in a calm voice. “We got in here somehow, so that means there has to be a way out. Or even like a wall or something, there's no logical way that this can go on forever.”

“Well it sure feels that way.” Maisy mumbled.

“Maisy, carry me!” Bailey said as she jumped onto Maisy's back.

Maisy didn't say anything, she just begun to carry her down the endless twisting paths of the maze.

After about another ten minutes of walking, Jace heard a faint scream in the distance. “Guys, did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Bailey asked.

All three girls listen closely and then heard it again.

Not too far off in the distance there is a loud scream, one that they heard multiple times before. They were easily able to recognize who it came from. “Omg!” Jace let out. “Gianna!”

All three girls started racing towards the sound, the screams came one after another as if she was fighting someone. They soon reach the center of the maze, or at least what it seemed to be. There was a large empty circle, with different paths sticking out of every direction.

They all looked around but they couldn't find her. “Guys come over here!” Jace yelled. The other two girls joined her and they all stared at a large wall. It was a huge map carved into it, it had to be miles going each direction. Jace ran her fingers across the map and then turned back to her two friends. “Gianna was here.” She told them with confidence.

“Then where the heck is she?” Maisy asked in a panic.

“I don't know.” Jace said quietly.

“Guys, guys!” Bailey yelled as she pointed into the distance. Little round figures started running towards them. They were no more than three feet high, though they had bows arrows and large swords.

“Omg! Get away!” Maisy yelled at them.

They try to run but the creatures had them surrounded. Jace began to kick and punch a few, she managed to get a few down with only taking a few scratches herself. Though it was impossible to win with the amount, they just kept coming from all directions.

All three girls tried to fight, though they was no match. They were soon taken down, one by one. Being shot, scratched, stabbed and bit.

Though they weren't going to give up the fight, they're continue to fight until they died. Luckily for them though it didn't come to that. What are the creatures pulled out a small ball and threw it at the ground. It released heavy smoke like before, and all three girls hit the ground.

Chapter Fifteen

Horrible, is all Jace felt. Her head was heavy and her eyes were burning. There was a pain in her side, and her whole body was aching. She tried to open her eyes but when she did everything just went blurry, she felt dizzy to the point that she might collapse. But then she realized, she couldn't collapse. She tried hard to open her eyes and then look down. She was tied to a large pole, her wrists were tied behind her and her feet were tied as well. She tried desperately to move, though no matter how much she wiggled she could not escape. She felt so weak, so helpless. Then as her vision fully returned to her, she looked around and saw the worst thing possible.

Her friends, all tied up on separate poles just like she was, circling a large area, that seemed to be the center of the maze. And then she saw him, Peter, tied up to his own pole, blood running down his face, looking as if he's been tortured.

Jace tried even harder just get free, though still, the rope did not give.

“I wouldn't bother trying to escape, hunny.” out of the shadow a short little old lady appeared.

“Mrs. Brown? What are you doing?” Have asked in horror.

“She's crazy Jace!” Gianna yelled.

“She's behind this whole thing. She's the one who put us here. Just like we suspected.” Maisy told her, struggling to get free.

“Why are you doing this? We didn't do anything to you.” Jace asked, in the sympathetic voice.

Mrs Brown slowly walked towards Jace, and then ran her long bony fingers through her short red hair. “Oh dear, I know you didn't do anything to me. Which is why I feel so awful, though somebody has to be the sacrifice for my plan.”

“What plan, what are you talking about?” Jace asked coldly, as she kept on struggling to wiggle free.

“She's a freaking witch!” Bailey called out. “She needs you for some spell to set her free!”

“What?” Jace looked over to Bailey.

“Now hush child, this is my story to tell.” Mrs. Brown said I should put her hand in the air. “My dear Jace, I believe it's finally time that you come to understand the truth.”

“Let me guess, you're a witch who needs my blood, or my soul or something in order to cast a spell and take over the world, right?” Jace said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

“Not exactly, my dear child. I do not wish to take over the world. I only wish to be free of the prison that I am being held in. You see, I was once imprisoned in a spell that would not let me leave my home. A bloody wizard decided it would be best that way, that way I couldn't harm anyone. Though I never wanted to harm a soul! I just want to be free. So centuries went by and I decided, if I couldn't leave, many people would come in. So I built it into a library. And as years went past that was enough. Though I want more, I want to be free! I want to go out and see the world. I don't even have my powers anymore. That's stupid wizard took them away as well. Though, and I deep corner of the library I can still conjure the tiniest bit of magic. All I needed was for someone to go inside. And luckily you found the hidden room, which means that you are the chosen one! You will let me free!”

“I'll do no such thing!” Jace exclaimed. “If that wizard put you in here he probably had a damn good reason to do it!”

“All I was doing was playing with children, mainly their heads.” She smiled.

“Your sick!” Gianna yelled from across the room.

“Did I tell you all the shut up?” Mrs. Brown waved her hand in the air, and everyone else's mouths went shut, unable to open or make a sound.

“Now that's better!” Mrs. Brown Grinned. “So now comes the part that I've been waiting so long for. The time that you complete the spell!” Mrs. Brown pulled out a large sword And waved it in front of Jace.

“Stop! No! Get away from me!” She yelled.

“Don't worry child I will not harm a little hair on your precious head. You'll do that for me.”

“What?” She gasped.

“In order for my spell to be complete, an innocent soul has to take their own life. That's soul will be you.”

“I won't do it! I'll never do it you can't make me!” Jace spat at her.

“Oh but I think you will, because we are going to make a little deal.” She smiled.

“I'm not interested in anything you can offer me.” Jace told her harshly.

“Oh but I think you are, you see if you do this, if you take a life with this sword, I will let your friends go. They will live and go on with their lives and I will never harm them. I promise.”

“How can I trust you?” Jace said considering her offer.

“One of the burdens of being a witch is that we cannot break our promises, not even after death.” She told Jace.

Jace contemplated in her mind for a second. But she knew if she didn't do this, her friends would never be free. “Your saying, I take a life with this sword, you will send all of us out of this, whatever this is, and you'll set us free?”

“Well not you dear, you must kill yourself.”

“Can you at least send my body up there, let my family have it. All you need is my sacrifice.” Jace begged.

Mrs. Brown thought for a moment, But then came to an agreement. “All right.” She nodded her head. “We have a deal.” She smiled brightly and then snapped her fingers. The ropes around Jace released and Mrs. Brown handed her the sword.

Jace took the large sword and weight it in her hand. She looked around at all of her friends, they were all shaking their heads and she can see the tears falling down their cheeks. “I'm sorry.” She said to them. She looked at the sword once more and then looked up, at the never-ending black sky of the maze. And she whispered two words. “Forgive me.”

Jace sword backwards, through the air and stabbed it through Mrs. Brown's chest.

She saw Mrs. Brown's face Freeze, as a sword went through her heart. “I'm sorry.” She whispered with tears running down her cheeks. “I'm so sorry!” She saw the life leave Mrs. Brown's eyes, and then when there is nothing left but a mindless body, Jace fell to the ground. Her knees hit the cold hard concrete and she bawled her eyes out, holding the dead old librarian in her hands. He blood dripped out of her dead body, and got all over Jace. The site was horrifying but it only lasted a moment or so. There was a bright light and then everything went white. Before she knew it she was in the main room of the library.

Mrs. Brown was gone but her blood still remained on her hands. The blood on her hands she can rinse off with water, but it will never truly leave. The blood of Mrs. brown, evil or not, will always remain on her hands.

Chapter sixteen

Jace, Macy ,Bailey, Gianna and Peter all set on the large Library steps. Arms wrapped around each other, leaning into each other support.

“Are you okay?: Maisy asked as she squeezed Jace tight.

“No.” Jace wisperd. “But I will be, eventually.” Jace hoped that was true, she hopes she can forget about the night that they had, the life that she took. But the truth was, she wasn't sure she ever could.

“What you did was really brave, Jace. We're all really proud of you.” Gianna told her.

“And incredibly thankful, that bitch was going to kill us!” Bailey added.

“But she was still a person, good, or bad, I had no right to take her life.” Jace said, as yet another tear rolled down her cheek.

“Hey,” Peter said, making Jace look over at him. “You can't beat yourself up over this. You didn't have a choice.”

“But I did! I could have killed myself.” She said.

“No!” He exclaimed. “That wasn't an option! I wasn't going to lose you. None of us were going to let that happen.”

“But you guys couldn't have stopped it, you guys couldn't have done anything. It was my choice to do what I did, and I'll have to live with that.”

“We're all here for you. No matter what.” Maisy told her. She squeeze her hand tight and rested her head on Jace's shoulder.

The five friends sat there in silence, then they saw the dark sky turn pink. “Sunrise.” Bailey said, not bothering to look down at her phone to check the time. “We should probably head home, we don't want to scare our parents.”

“Ya, we better.” Jace said as she wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes once more.

They all stood up, and started to walk towards the car.

Bailey and Gianna got in the car, and Peter headed for his own. Though Maisy put a hand on Jace's shoulder before she was able to get into the passenger seat.

“Go talk to him.” Maisy told her.

“I can't, not right now.” Jace whispered.

“You can. Go tell him how you feel, there's no better moment than the present.”

Jace looked at him, she wanted nothing more than to go run up to him and tell him how she felt, to wrap her arms around him and kiss his soft beautiful lips. But what if he didn't feel the same? What if she got rejected? “I just, I just can't.”

“Jace I know it's scary, believe me I do. After Nicko, the scariest feeling I had was rejection. I didn't want to go through that pain again. Though I recently learned that taking that leap of faith, although it could be risky it can also be really great. So you just have to take it and see what happens. If you don't, you'll never know what could have been.” What Maisy said made sense. And as Jace looked back at Peter, she couldn't help but want to tell him, want to be with him.

“Okay.” She heard herself say. She gave Maisy one last smile and then started to walk over to Peter. “Hey.” She said to him in a shaky voice. She felt her heart go a million miles, she had no clue what she wanted to say to him.

“Hey.” He said back. He took her hand and held it tight. “You're going to be okay.” He tried to comfort her.

Jace tried to think of what to say, anything would be better than just standing in the silence. Though she found no words, so instead she grabbed his cheeks and kissed his beautiful soft lips. For that moment all of her worries went away, and all she felt was fireworks.

When she pulled away, she looked into his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. There is a smile on his face from ear to ear, and she knew she did the right thing. She also knew, maybe she should truly would be okay.

Just maybe.

A/N: THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING! AND THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR 200 READS! YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME! DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR FEEDBACK AND VOTE!

~Mixie💖