Missing Children Rescue!

 I approach Armery with my glowing wand. She kicks and shoulders-rushes at the gated door.

"Stop," I said

"It's useless," said the pyro witch. "He's knocked out cold."

"I got to wake him. He's my brother," said Armery.

"Why?" asked the pyro witch

"You see that?" I said, pointing at the circular string. "He got the key in his hand."

"I see," replied the Pyro witch, placing a hand under her chin. "Any ideas to reach for the key?"

"Um, I can use my wand to poke at him to wake him up," I suggested.

"I think we can do better," said the pyro witch.

I inspected the wire cage, looked up, and then I saw the spider hole above. Oh! That's it!

"We need to climb into the spider hole," I said

The pyro witch saw the hole and said, "We can use the tallest machine in here to gain the height advantage." She summoned a fireball in her hand and grew the fire upward to light the dark power room further. "There are pipelines attached to the ceiling, so that's a good sign for me. I will go to the hole."

"Are you sure?" I asked

"Positive," she said, smiling. Next, we found an empty metal power box and lined it up to the tall power box. The pyro witch jumped and climbed on top. She took a few steps to measure the distance to the closest pipeline. The pyro witch leaped, held out her hands, and took hold. The pipeline caved in due to the body weight but was still attached with two loose screws.

She swung quickly from pipeline to pipeline until she reached the spider hole. The pyro witch swung back and landed on the edge of the hole. She pulled herself up.

"You did it," I said, watching from below.

"Thanks," she said, lighting up the dark hole with a fireball in her palm. She moved about in a squatting position to the available hole. The pyro witch peered through the hole and spotted Mainhia's glowing wand. "I'm dropping down."

She jumped and landed on her feet. Next, she checked Emery's pulse, and it was steady.

"He's alive and stable."

"Thank God," said Armery

The pyro witch pried the key from Emery's hand and unlocked the padlock.

"The only problem is, who's carrying the dead weight?"

"I am," I said

"I will help too," said Armery. We both lifted Emery using our shoulders to support him and pull on each side of his arms. His head hung low. Armery gasped at the sight of the bite mark and a trail of blood running down on the neck. She turned her head away.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Would he be okay?" she said

"What do you mean?"

"He has a bite mark on his neck."

"That can be troubling," replied the pyro witch

"If his condition worsens,” I said, “We will do something,”

The pyro witch paused and then asked, "What would you want us to do if he transformed into a creature?"

"Cure him, obviously."

"To spare your brother, we may have to seal him in the mirror maze," said the pyro witch.

"I'm not leaving him here," argued Armery

"No one is going to be left behind," I said

The pyro witch replied, "This maze is uncertain and always changing and growing. If we find the exit, we should leave immediately. We will be trapped here."

"I’m aware of the risk we are taking to save others, but we need each other to get out of this maze. Would you lend me your assistance?" I asked

"I will consider," she said

"Thank you."

The pyro witch summoned a fireball in her hand to serve as a guiding light in the darkness. Armery and I followed her out of the power room. The mirror hallway split into two directions. I called forth my wand.

"Track!"

The blue aura trail was in the left hallway, and I said, "We go left."

"Why?" questioned the Pyro Witch

"When I cast the spell Track. I'm able to see an energy trail left behind by the person."

“Am I able to learn that spell?” asked the Pyro Witch

“Try it,” I encouraged

The pyro witch raised her red wand with an attached cotton string and said, “Track!” A magic circle formed around her feet and glowed briefly.

“You’re right; I can see a trail of energy,” she said and looked behind us. “We are leaving our own too.”

“Mhm, even if we are separated, we can always find each other.”

“This spell will come in handy.”

Armery and I turned left. We walked for a long time and heard faint crying and a voice.

"Somebody help me," said a female voice. "Help me, please."

“Someone is up ahead.”

“Track,” said the Pyro witch

As a team, we picked up our pace and found the teenage girl sitting in the dark hallway.

“Are you hurt?” I called out

The girl looked up at us, crawled on her knees, and then stood up. She hugged me.

“Oh, I hope you’re doing okay.”

She sobbed on my shoulder.

“Claire, everything is going to be okay,” said Armery

“I’m so hungry and weak,” replied Claire. “I was about to give up and lie down to sleep.”

She is a skinny girl, almost down to the bone, and wears skinny tight jeans and a black tank top. Her hair is dyed blue in a bob cut hairstyle.

“Are you able to walk?” asked the pyro witch

“I’m able to, but I feel so tired,” answered Claire

“I shall support you if you need it,” replied the pyro witch

“Thank you.”

Claire is in the middle of the group. The pyro witch is leading in the front, and I am in the back with Armery and Emery.

“Track!” shouted the pyro witch. This time, there is no energy trail besides ours behind. “I guess we keep on walking until the maze decides to change direction.” We walk endlessly. We got used to seeing our reflection in the mirror; I glanced occasionally in the mirror and saw a few shadowy figures chasing after us at a distance. Suddenly, the maze made a cracking noise; the floors began to split, and our bodies trembled. It felt like an earthquake; everything was shaking, but the mirrors were indestructible.

“Hold on to each other!!” Shouted the pyro witch. I saw the floor breaking up, and a greenish fog was released.

“Everyone jumps to the left!” I shouted. The split floorboards exposed a lower level, with green fog sizzling upward and bubbling green lava. “This is great…” I spoke

“It’s like an active volcano below us,” said the pyro witch. “Would there be a basement?”

“I don’t know,” answered Claire

“MMuuuugghhh,” Emery moaned

“Emery,” said Armery softly, “Emery?”

“Mmm,” moaned Emery, “Where am I?”

“You’re somewhere safe and surrounded by friends,” I answered

“Am I?” he said, blinking his eyes and moving his hand to his face. “Who are you?”

“I’m Mainhia, a witch trying to get us out of the maze.”

“A witch? Ugh!” He said, backing away from me

“She’s cool, okay,” said Armery, supporting Emery

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I apologized

“Finally, he is awake,” commented the pyro witch. “He can support himself.”

“Y-yeah, and who are you?” he asked, staring at the pyro witch

“I’m a witch too,” answered the pyro witch, flicking one of her strands of braid. “Are you afraid?”

“Witches and monsters, no thanks,” Emery replied

“Emery,” said Claire, giving him a hug, “You’re awake!”

“Uh-huh, I am. What happened?” He asked

“You were getting your blood suck up by the ballerina monster,” said Armery

“Please don’t say any more,” he said, holding up his hand. “I feel sick thinking of it and wish to black out.”

“Got it,” I said cheerfully

“We should continue on before another maze shift,” said the pyro witch

“Okay,” I said, then facing Emery, “Let us know if you want to rest.”

“Thanks, I should just be fine just a sore neck,” he replied

We carried on walking through the mirror maze, and two new paths opened in a diagonal direction.

“Track!” A blue energy trail on the right. The pyro witch led us and walked for a long time.

“So, can I ask a personal question?” said Emery

“I can’t answer anything pertaining to my identity,” said the pyro witch

Crap! I gave away my first name! I slap my mouth and feel a flush on my cheek.

“Welp, that shot down one question I have for you,” replied Emery. “Moving on, do you know what time it is?”

I haven’t thought about checking the time on my cellphone. I reach for my cellphone but stop as soon as I hear the pyro witch answer.

“Time moves differently between the dimensions.”

“My cellphone time stopped at 5:15 pm and hasn’t changed,” replied Claire

“Mhm-hmm.”

The floorboard shakes, and this time it erupts underneath us. We all screamed and fell on the hard concrete ground. The pyro witch enlarged the fireball in her hand, lighting up the spacious area, and the distance to the floorboard was a 10 ft difference.

“What now?” asked Emery

“Track!” I said, seeing the blue aura continuing, “Follow me.” So they lined up behind me until we heard a screeching voice.

“Somebody! Anyone! Help!!” Shouted a male voice

I rushed up ahead and saw the teenage boy; his jacket was hanging on a fabric impaled by a thick nail, and he hung above the boiling green lava. The spacious chamber glowed greenish and shadowy.

“Sam!” yelled Armery, Claire, and Emery

“Guys, help!” he said, freeing his legs

The pyro witch and I looked around the room. It was a round, spherical wall, nicely carved out, with a round ledge inches away from the dangling boy.

“Do you think we can run on walls?” I asked

“We can try.”

“I’m going to do that.”

“Sounds good,” she said, moving towards the group of teenagers below Sam. “Unzip your jacket!”

“I won’t be able to hold on!”

“We will grab you by the feet,” said Emery and Armery

“Okay,” he said, shakily unzipping the jacket. On the other hand, I ran. I found a good pace to run around the walls and jump towards the hanging boy. We fell onto his friends.

“Sam!” They hugged him, and he cried.

The pyro witch and I decided on a whim. We placed our wands together and cast Track. The energy, colored green and red, glowed in the dark as we went into a dark tunnel.

“I wonder if that’s the way out of this lower level,” I said

“It can be, but the mirror maze constantly shifts.”

Everyone gathered; the pyro witch summoned a fireball, and I lit up my wand, and we went to the dark tunnel. It was a long walk until we reached the end with a spiral staircase, and the walls had mirrors reflecting us.

“Do we go up the staircase?” asked Emery.

The pyro witch glanced at the mirror and then ascended the staircase, pushed the square door, and said, “This door is heavy; with everyone's strength, we can push it.”

I approached the mirror. Why are there mirrors in a place like this? I touched the glass; my hand went inside, and the mirror rippled like the surface of water. The teenagers assisted the pyro witch at the door; all hands were pushing upward.

“Come on, Mainhia,” said Emery

“Wait, wait,” I said, looking at them. “The mirror can lead us out!”

“What?”

I put my whole arm into the mirror and, with my other hand, I waved at the group to come. “Come, guys, we can get out of here.”

The teenagers and the pyro witch descend the stairs and surround me.

“We don’t know where it will lead us,” said the pyro witch

“Then let’s all hold hands so we can all end up in the same place,” I said. “I will be in the rear.”

So, the pyro witch led; everyone held hands, and then I let go. I saw a golden seed reflection in the mirror. Curious, I went to the mirror reflecting the golden seed, and then Aperióristi reappeared.

“I am giving you the seed of bravery.”

I reach out and the seed blooms into a four-leaf clover. Joins my gemstone.

“Wait, this was a test?”

“A last-minute test.”

I glare at him and say, “Didn’t you promise me you would tell me next time there was a test?!”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t sure if you would make it out alive.”

I want to punch you so badly. “Thank you, Aperióristi, for the clover seed.”

“You’re very welcome.”

“Mainhia!!” I look in the direction of the voices, echoing through the mirror.

“Until next time,” said Aperióristi

“Mhm, until we meet again,” I said confidently