The Lost Labyrinth (Book I of The Labyrinth Trilogy) Chapter I: The Elevator

by Jace X. Anders in some place dark...and DUSTY; huh, must be my room.

Chapter I:

The Elevator

A sudden jolt woke a slightly tan boy around the age of fifteen with long, fair dirty blond hair that fell like waves over his forehead, ears, neck, and other parts of his head up from his unconscious slumber.

What the Hell is happening here? he thought, moving his hands all over the walls of the confined space that he was in as it shook, jolted, and vibrated with extreme force upwards.

It must be an elevator he thought, as it occurred to him he was moving upwards with extreme force in an approximately seven by seven foot box.

Though he couldn’t exactly remember why - or how- such an experience was so familiar to him - nor did he even truly remember what an elevator was - he remembered it anyways.

Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember anything other than one name: Cloud.

He spoke it aloud, although to whom he did not know; as he was in a tightly confined box all by himself.

The vibration seemed to have calmed by now, and Cloud sat down; trying to remember more things.

But nothing came, despite how hard he tried.

Oh well, he thought, best get some shut-eye while I still can. I’d best be prepared for when, what, and where this elevator stops at.

And although he didn’t get much rest, it felt extremely pleasurable anyhow.

Minutes ticked by as he kept his eyes shut; enjoying the subtle blackness and noise that surrounded him.

When straight out of the blue, the elevator stopped; throwing Cloud against the northern wall.

At least, he assumed it was the northern wall, because his memory told him so.

And at that moment, his memory was all he could really depend on.

The top of the elevator seemed to creak open as he heard the sound of metal against metal and blinked back streaming light.

“What?! Just one? What the bloody hell is going on here?” Cloud heard one voice say, with a subtle hint of a strange and foreign accent to him.

“You think here killed the others?” another whispered.

“Check for bodies!” an odd, scratchy voice yelled.

“Silence!” a deeper voice commanded.

The figure of the man with the deep voice leaned into the elevator, extended his right hand towards Cloud and said eight unforgettable words that everyone knew and memorized in their hearts, “You are now damned to The Lost Labyrinth.”