The Labyrinth

Daryl stood outside the garage apartment, staring up at the windows above the garage door. It had been no easy matter tracking down the delivery girl. Luckily, she worked several jobs around town, and was well known by name at more than a few establishments.

Those who knew her also knew her story. Apparently the love of her life had died in a terrible motorcycle accident. They had scraped what was left of Alex Winters off of the highway, leaving behind grieving parents and a closed casket funeral. It had been easy enough to delve into Alex’s records, and Daryl now found himself outside of Dana’s house.

He wasn’t a hundred percent certain that Dana had even been inside the house, but he did know that he had to try. Kali was determined to dismantle the Geas herself, and Sebastien had already gone rogue. Neither of them had been willing to accept help, so he was here on a hunch, hoping that Mike had been naïve enough to allow her in during those first couple of days in his new home.

He didn’t bother knocking - a quick flick of the wrist and the locked door allowed him entry. His movements were quiet, his soft footfalls barely registering on the concrete floor. Early light leaking through the windows provided the only light to see by.

For him, it was enough. Many years back, he had taken the eyes of a powerful magician, making them his own. He could see everything clearly in shades of gray, even in the darkest shadows of the garage.

Daryl pondered the mostly finished motorcycle in the middle of the bay. It was nearing completion as far as he could tell, and he allowed his fingers to gently touch the exposed chrome.

The sudden chill through his fingertips caused him to yank his hand away. Crouching, he examined the bike. The bike had been meticulously restored, but he could see the areas where the metal had been pounded out, paint reapplied, and new parts installed. He let his hand hover over the bike, feeling the shift in temperature once more.

It was the signature of a young life cut short, a remnant of Alex Winter’s abrupt departure from this world. Fascinated, Daryl allowed his fingers to roam, brief flashes of a wet highway and bright headlights filling his mind. He traced the sensations, wondering if he could somehow find the soul of Alex Winters.

No. At the edge of the spiritual imprint, he felt the severed thread left behind by a soul that crossed over. Once Death cut that thread, the departed were beyond Daryl’s ability to revive.

Standing, Daryl looked around. He had seen Dana’s car in the driveway, so assumed she would be home. The loft upstairs looked like a great place to start. Before climbing the stairs, he reinforced the spell that muted his movements, the shadows gathering beneath his feet. The last thing he wanted was to let the girl know he was in her home and scare her off.

Putting his weight on the stairs, he felt them creak beneath his feet. The spell absorbed the sound nicely, the apartment filled only with the sound of songbirds waking up outside. Climbing the stairs, he kept a careful watch for any movement from up above. He held his wand behind him, the magical energy gathering in his wrists, begging to be released.

The loft had some furniture, a fridge, and a bathroom. Daryl walked into the bedroom area, frowning at the bed. Stacked on the mattress was a large pile of boxes, each one overflowing with clothes. He knelt down, taking a peek under the bed. She wasn’t there either.

Fuck. Walking past her desk, he saw that she had drawn an elaborate diagram of gears. Clearly she had been working on something, but he saw no sign of her current project. He took a peek in the bathroom, hoping she was hiding in the shower.

Nope. Not here either. Scratching his head, he surveyed the apartment once more, casting a spell to detect life. Other than a family of mice living in the walls, he didn’t spot anything of use. Widening the spell, he discovered the weakened soul of an elderly woman in the house next to the garage, her dim light puttering around in the kitchen. Tucking his wand away, he decided to go over and ask her where his prey could be. He closed the door behind him as he left.

Somewhere inside the garage, he heard a clock chime that it was the top of the hour. Gritting his teeth, he walked over to the nearby house, giving the front door a sharp rap of his knuckles. When the old woman opened the door, a blast of yellow light from his wand froze her in place.

“I’ll let myself in,” he said, closing the door quietly behind him.

-

They had carried Beth to the fountain, laying her out gently on the cool marble. Naia and Mike held her in place while Zel examined her, running her fingers gently across Beth’s body. A tiny sphere of glowing water hovered over Beth’s face.

“I don’t feel any breaks,” Zel announced, sliding her hands out of Beth’s shirt. “I’m guessing she was knocked senseless by the… airbag?” She looked at Mike for confirmation.

“Yeah, that’s the right term.” Mike’s arms were crossed. “How long do you think she’ll be out?”

“Hard to say.” Zel shook her head. “It sounds like it may be part shock.”

“Well, she isn’t asleep.” Lily sat on the other side of the fountain, flicking the water with her fingers. She still wore her business casual outfit, one leg delicately crossed over the other. She looked like she was ready for a job interview. “Otherwise, I could go in and try to wake her.”

“Which means we have to wait,” Mike said, gritting his teeth. He didn’t like the idea of waiting any longer than he had to.

“Wait for what?” Lily asked.

“Uh, well…” Mike gestured at Jenny, who sat near Beth’s head, fabric legs dangling by the water. “I was hoping that Beth would let Jenny possess her again so that she could take me to the Labyrinth.”

“And what if she didn’t?” Lily asked. “Were you going to force her to do it?”

“No.” Mike shook his head. “That can’t be something we do. It would make me no better than the people outside, and then where-“

A crack of thunder, louder than an approaching train, shook the house, causing everybody to cover their ears. The earth shook beneath their feet, and dust scattered off the roof, settling around them like tiny clouds.

“What the fuck was that?” Mike called, his ears ringing. He noticed that Naia stared incredulously at the sky, her mouth open. Cecilia burst through the rear wall of the house, energy crackling around her body.

“The Geas,” she said. “It’s cracked!”

“How can you tell?” Mike asked.

Cecilia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters now is that we need to get that crazy woman out of our front yard. The Geas is a powerful spell, but it can be dismantled given enough time.”

“Well, I can’t go get Tink with Beth like this,” Mike said. “I really want to do this by the book.”

“Are you going to go stab that woman out front with the dagger then?” Naia asked him. “Because if you don’t, eventually she will break the spell.”

Mike thought about it. Even if he could get close, could he kill another human? It was the same doubts he had about the minotaur, about violence in general. Maybe to save his own life, or to protect someone. Then again, it was the kind of question that could only be answered in the heat of such a moment.

“I’ve got it!” Mike said. “Lily could go out and knock her out cold for a few hours, buy us some time.”

“That won’t work,” Lily said, her eyes on the surface of the fountain. “The woman with the snake is Kali, the Voduo Queen.”

“Don’t you mean voodoo?” Mike asked.

“I said what I meant. Kali is super old school, pins in dolls, talking to snakes, dancing naked in the moonlight, that kind of thing. She’s made so many deals with so many spirits that even if I could get close enough to sting her, it likely wouldn’t affect her anyway.” Lily crossed her arms. “She got pissed once because she thought that someone had broken into one of her warehouses to take a bunch of rare spell ingredients. Ended up tracking the wannabe witch doctor to their shop in New Orleans.”

“What did she do?” Mike asked.

“Hurricane Katrina.” Lily arched an eyebrow. “Witch doctor’s home wasn’t far from where the levee broke.”

“She broke the levee?” Mike asked in awe.

“After she summoned the hurricane. Figured it wasn’t enough to drown the thief, but killed off anyone who had gone to see her. Made her stand perfectly still in her own house as the water rose, then kept her alive the entire time the fish were feeding on her. I think it got the point across.”

“Holy shit,” Zel whispered, then covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, that slipped out!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Mike stared at Beth’s sleeping form, then looked at the doll. “Does anybody here have any idea how to activate the house defenses?”

They all looked at each other. Zel kept her eyes on Beth, her slim fingers brushing the hair away from her face.

“Nobody? Any ideas?” Mike looked at each of them, hoping for an answer.  The silence between them opened a void in his stomach, and his eyes eventually circled back to the woman lying on the cold stone of the fountain. His fingers tightened on the hilt of the dagger in his belt, and he could feel the weight of his own decision crushing him.

Trying to kill the woman on the front lawn was beyond him. Simply waiting for her to crack the Geas and come into the house, potentially hurting his family was also not an option. He was being forced to choose, and the damnation of such a decision was something he would have to come to terms with later. He looked to the women who stood around him, all waiting on his decision. His eyes found the cold porcelain gaze of the doll standing next to him.

“Do it Jenny.” He looked at the others. Naia looked resigned to the idea, and he couldn’t tell what Cecilia was thinking. Lily, however, turned her back on him.

The air filled with static, and the doll climbed on to Beth’s chest, her cloth hands on Beth’s lips. A white mist emerged from Beth’s lips, and with a sudden blast of light, Beth sat up, her fingers clutching the doll.

“Beth?” Mike asked. Her eyes opened, revealing that they were now completely black.

“Beth is sleepy,” Jenny whispered, holding one finger to her lips. “When she is ready to come outside and play, I will tell you.”

“Okay then. Remember, you are inside her body long enough to get me to the Labyrinth, and then you have to bring her back and let her go.”

Everyone waited for Jenny’s response. Jenny looked up at the sky, her dark eyes focused on something far away.

“Boom,” she whispered, moments before the sky above filled with thunder. Mike flinched, his heart racing in his chest. The shockwave rippled across the house, blowing out one of the upstairs windows. Mike ducked, but the glass didn’t travel far, falling in small fragments to the courtyard below.

“Jenny?” Naia asked, a warning on her voice.

“There and back again, a Jenny’s tale.” Jenny smiled. “I am just borrowing her for today. The sun will come out tomorrow.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Okay then. Show me how to get inside the closet.”

-

Naia sat on the edge of the fountain, wistfully gazing at the house. During times like these, she wished she could leave her fountain, to do more. Unfortunately, that could never be an option, no matter how much she wished it. She was a part of her spring-leaving was a concept as foreign as walking out of her own skin. Having the spring’s water routed through the plumbing of the house alone had been a massively difficult magical undertaking. Though the details were fuzzy, she remembered that much.

“So what now?” Lily asked. She still sat at the edge of the fountain, wearing her intern clothing. She had taken off her shoes, her feet soaking in the warm water.

“We wait, I’m afraid.” Naia could feel Mike walking through the home, so close yet so far. She dreaded that disconnected feeling she would get when he stepped into the closet. He would suddenly disappear, and she would be unable to feel him. She took comfort in still knowing he was alive, but sometimes it wasn’t enough.

“You could order me to go with him,” Lily said, her voice soft.

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Naia smiled at the succubus. “You are right. I could make you go, as your master. You would have to protect him, maybe die for him. And you would like that, because it would prove that you’re right. It would prove that I put him above you, ergo he puts himself above you.”

Lily didn’t respond, her eyes focused on the water in the fountain. Naia could see the tension in her shoulders, the fear of what was to come next.

“The Caretakers of this home have been many things, but this one is different. I have loved them all, in my own way, but something about Mike makes my soul sing for him. He doesn’t see us just as objects, or slaves, or even as monsters. He sees each of us for who we are. He respects us. Some of the others haven’t been nearly as kind, barely tolerating some of us to be here.”

“That’s easy to say for someone who will fuck anybody who comes in this place.” Lily’s face reddened as the words left her mouth. “You’re the one who gets to choose, aren’t you? I saw it in his memories. You can drown anyone who isn’t a good fit.”

“If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.” Naia lay on her back, floating along the surface of the water. “It’s like a calling. I can tell they will take care of the house, but not necessarily love those who dwell here. And things can change over time. It isn’t perfect. No relationship is. There’s a reason Zel hid from Emily. Consider that.”

“So why not make me go help him?” Lily asked. “He didn’t give Beth a choice. Why give me one?”

“He didn’t give Beth a choice because he doesn’t have one either.” Naia swirled the water with her arms, becoming one with the waves. “And if you think he isn’t beating himself up over it, you are wrong.”

“That’s the worst part,” Lily said. “I can tell that he is. I can feel him as if he stands behind me, his chest pressed against my back. I can feel you in the front, both of you just standing there, waiting to command me. It will happen eventually, you’ll see.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Naia stared at the sky. Storm clouds were forming up above, a result of the magical attack on the Geas. “Just remember that he is doing his best to protect the others. Somehow, I feel like that’s the same reason you are here, isn’t it?”

Naia heard Lily pull her feet out of the fountain. The back door slammed shut as Lily went inside the house. A smile crossed Naia’s face, and she became one with the water, melting beneath its surface.

-

Strong arms held her tightly, fingers interlaced with her own. Dana pushed herself farther into those arms, breathing in through her nose and letting out a sigh. She could smell the faint hint of Alex’s deodorant, felt hot breath on the back of her neck. Months of anguish were somehow forgotten, Dana moved to another time and place. Alex must have been working on the motorcycle, because the bed smelled faintly of motor oil.

“Alex,” she whispered, squeezing the fingers in her hand. The fingers squeezed back, gripping her tightly. Memories of the crash and the ensuing months suddenly flooded her mind, the sweet release of sleep now eluding her. She could feel the tears running down her face, hesitant to open her eyes and break the spell, knowing that her true love would vanish in the waking hours of day.

She heard the clock chime, alerting her that it was time to put the past behind her. The weight of Alex lifted free of her, those strong arms vanishing into nothing. The past stripped itself away from her, leaving her with the cold remnants of the morning. Wiping the tears off of her face, she opened her eyes, her vision settling on the window nearest her bed. She could hear the birds singing outside. Groaning, she sat up, a dull ache just behind her eyes. Rubbing her head, she slid out of bed, walking past the clock and into her bathroom for some aspirin. She swallowed the pills and walked back out onto the loft.

The morning light had snuck in through a few gaps in the blinds, scattering errant rays across the garage. Several of them bounced off the chrome of the bike, lighting up the floor of the garage. Dana stared at Alex’s motorcycle, wondering now if she truly wanted to finish fixing it. She had thought that riding it would bring her closer to Alex, make it feel like they were together again, but the cold reality of day reminded her that she was still alive and Alex was gone.

Shaking her head, she retrieved her phone from its hiding place, only to discover that she was almost an hour late for work. She had a couple of phone calls already from her boss.

“Fuck!” Grabbing clothes off of the floor, she dressed as quickly as she could and then bolted out of the apartment. Getting into her car, she turned the ignition and nearly backed into a giant town car that now blocked the driveway.

“Fuck!” She jumped out of her car, staring at the man behind the driver’s seat. He wore a chauffeur’s hat and stared right through her. “Hey. Hey! I need you to move so I can get going!” The driver of the town car ignored her, even as she approached. Banging on the glass, he ignored her, his gaze fixed eerily on nothing in particular. “Hey! Asshole! Let me out!”

The driver ignored her. She noticed that he wore a chauffeur’s hat and matching gloves, which meant he had driven someone. She looked back at her landlord’s house. Who did she know that had her own driver?

There was only one way to find out. She didn’t even bother knocking as she let herself in through the front door.

-

They stood in the guest bedroom, staring at the closet door. Jenny, inside Beth’s body, fidgeted with her hair, twirling it in her fingers.

“Well?” Mike asked. “How do we do this?”

Jenny grinned, grabbing the doorknob to the closet. “Simple, simple! Three o clock, nine o clock, up and down.” She turned the knob right, then left, the pulled up on it. The whole knob slid up like a lever, before Jenny pushed it back down again then pulled. A blast of cool air hit Mike in the face, and the interior of the closet was gone. The back wall was now composed of smooth rock, and the light of the room was gobbled up by the cave that had appeared.

“Did you get that?” Mike asked Cecilia.

“I did,” she answered, staring warily at Jenny. Mike looked at Cecilia, the hint of a memory on his lips, when Jenny grabbed his wrist.

“Come on! I can show you how to open the gate to the Labyrinth!” She pulled him toward the entrance. Mike resisted just long enough to turn on his flashlight. He ducked just in time to avoid smashing his face on the rock above, letting Jenny lead him down the tunnel. Cecilia vanished, heading back to the front door to watch Kali. Mike found himself wishing she was still by his side. Jenny had already disappeared around the first bend, humming a random tune to herself.

He wished that someone else could have come with him. Naia couldn’t, and Lily wouldn’t even look him in the eyes. Zel couldn’t come, and he barely knew her. Instead, he was stuck with a half crazed ghost in his estate agent’s body.

Mike followed behind Jenny, who had slowed down. “So how do you know so much about the house?” he asked.

“I escape the Vault sometimes, and go on adventures!” Jenny turned around, walking backward. “The Labyrinth is extra fun! It has games, and places to hide, and the minotaur will chase you!”

“That’s kind of why we’re going.” Mike felt a lump in his throat. “But we want to avoid the minotaur. At least until we find the others.”

“A chase, a race, my panties are lace.” Jenny winked. “If we can cross the bridge, he won’t follow. He is scared of the water.”

“Like the pool?” Mike asked.

“The pool is a way out when the closet is closed. The minotaur won’t go in, so can’t leave.”

A thought occurred to Mike. “If there’s a Labyrinth, and a minotaur guarding it, then what is in the Labyrinth?”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I have no idea.” Jenny stopped. “Every time I got close to the middle, I would get kicked out. I don’t know how.”

“How do you not know how you got kicked out?”

“I would turn a corner, or crawl through a hole and find myself outside.” Jenny frowned. “Even if I was on the other side of the river.”

“River?” That hadn't been on any of the maps.

“Yeah. The river circles the middle. It changes all the time.” Jenny grabbed Mike’s hand. “Come. I’ll show you!” Pulling hard, she started a brisk jog. Mike followed, noticing how cold Jenny’s hands were.

The caves slowly descended, opening up into the largest underground chamber he had ever seen. Below them the Labyrinth waited, miles of twists and turns shifted like a bagful of snakes. The trail they were on consisted of switchbacks that terminated on the hard, flat ground at the bottom. A path that went by a reflecting pool led them up to the gate. He half expected to see it open like it did last time, the minotaur waiting for them when they had chased Jenny here last week. However, the gate remained sealed. Nearly thirty feet high and made of iron, it was decorated with interlocking rings.

“So how do we open it?” Mike asked.

“Like this!” Jenny moved closer to the gate and stepped onto a decorative slab that Mike hadn’t noticed before. It was emblazoned with an identical ring pattern to the gate. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good!”

The gate rumbled, swinging slowly open before them. Mouth agape, Mike stared at Jenny.

“Seriously? That’s the secret password to get in?”

“No. You just have to step on the plate. The Labyrinth is happy to have your bones.” Jenny stepped off. Standing next to Mike, she took his hand in her own, clutching his fingers tightly.

“Holy shit.” Mike whispered, watching the large gate slowly swing open, his free hand clutching the dagger. Tink had told him that the Minotaur had a large ax. Would it come at him, swinging from above? Or would it charge him, horns aiming for his gut? Should he step to the side and stab it, confront it head on, or maybe even hide in the shadows and take the stealthy approach? His mouth suddenly dry, Mike realized that he was staring into the Labyrinth proper. Long stone corridors covered in bioluminescent moss branched off in several different directions. Mike and Jenny stepped inside, looking around.

“Which way from here?” Mike looked around. “Any ideas?”

“Straight, right, right, left, jump.” Jenny cocked her head. “But the maze changes, like a woman’s mind, or a rainbow in July.”

“Well. I guess that settles it.” Mike walked forward. In the distance, he heard the call of the minotaur, a challenge cried across the wall. “I think you should go back, let Beth have her body back.”

“No take backs,” Jenny informed him.

Mike spun on his heels, his teeth clenched. “We had a deal! You would use Beth to help me get here and go back.”

“No take backs,” Jenny repeated, staring back the way they had come. The giant gate had disappeared, leaving behind a wall of stone. Mike’s jaw dropped, and he ran to the wall, placing his hands on the stone.

“How is this possible?” He asked. In answer, the minotaur called out again, this time much closer.

“Straight.” Jenny walked past Mike, then started skipping. “Straight, straight, away from the gate! The Minotaur is coming, he wants a date!”

“Fuck,” Mike muttered, jogging behind to keep up. Jenny’s arms swung wide, and each time she skipped, she covered an impossibly long distance. The hard brick path beneath his feet created sharp footfalls, echos that chased him down the long path.

“Right!” Jenny made a sharp right, disappearing. Mike tripped, barely keeping his feet beneath him. Stumbling to a halt, he saw the small recess in the wall that he would have missed. Walking into it, he found himself in a circular corridor.

Behind him, the minotaur called out.

Mike ran to catch up to Jenny. She was still skipping, but was now doing it backwards, her hair bouncing gently against her breasts. They did this for almost a quarter of a mile, Mike’s legs burning with the exertion, sweat beading along his brow. Jenny didn’t seem to be having any issues - Mike wondered if her control over Beth’s body allowed her to avoid fatigue.

“Right, right, stop at the light!” Jenny came to a sudden halt, arms outstretched. Mike nearly ran her over, stepping to the side at the last second. Jenny grabbed Mike’s wrist and pulled, swinging him in a large circle. They both collapsed to the ground just as the path ahead erupted in fire, streams of fire spraying from nozzles hidden in the wall.

“Holy shit!” Mike watched the fire scour the floor clean, burning up the glowing moss. “This place has booby traps?!?”

“It’s not just a maze,” Jenny told him. Her body was pressed against his, with Mike on top. He was suddenly aware of her legs wrapped around his waist. Looking down into her darkened eyes, he flinched when she kissed his nose. “It’s a giant trap.”

“A trap for what?” Mike asked.

“Nobody in, nobody out.” Jenny turned her head. “The center is that way. If the others are alive, they will be that way.”

“What makes you so sure?” Mike asked. Standing up and pulling Jenny to her feet.

“The minotaur is scared of the inner ring.” Jenny walked over to the wall. “He is not, however, scared of fire.”

“That’s good to know.” Mike watched Jenny step into the stone. This time, it was like looking at a fucked up magic eye painting - she appeared to be touching the stone, and then it moved back several feet to allow her entry. Following her, he saw that the stones were slightly larger than the closer stones,  giving the illusion that they were the same distance away. This time, they could go left or right.

“Which way?” Mike asked.

“Right of course!” Jenny took off again, and Mike followed.

-

Kali closed her eyes this time, letting her magic surge along the crack she had found. The last time she tried to peel it open, the ensuing flash had blinded her. Each time she struck the flaw in the Geas’ boundary, she could feel it give just a little bit more.

Elation flooded her. No spell on Earth was perfect, and she was very surprised that some sort of counter measure hadn’t been enabled yet. Clearly, the Geas had been cast from roughly where she stood, that was part of the magic. A large crack had formed across the sky, a crack that emitted sparks and fire every time she struck.

However, she was tiring. She was using a combination of six different spells to reach into that gap, and had discovered that the Geas was trying to repair the damage she was causing. That meant she needed not only total concentration, but she was dipping into some of her magical reserves. She didn’t like the idea of becoming vulnerable, but she liked the idea of other members of the Society showing up to lay claim to what she may discover even less.

She started casting, her fingers weaving one spell while her lips uttered another. Several of the spirits she had formed pacts with drained away her life force in trade, but she had centuries to spare. No, the big issue right now was to carefully balance her attention. What she was trying to do was akin to plucking a hot coal from a fire without getting burned.

A loud wailing carried across the front yard, but Kali ignored it. The banshee didn’t dare approach, and had managed to distract her only once. She knew the creature could do little to harm her, and a simple spell dampening her shrieks had been enough to protect her ears from further damage.

The wailing persisted, but Kali ignored it, thoughts focused on the magical crack up above. Channeling her energy, she grabbed at both sides of the crack, ready to strike it once more. The front door of the house opened, and a woman stepped out onto the front porch. Kali’s eyes opened to see who the newcomer was, and she had to hold in a laugh.

The woman on the porch was wearing a rain jacket and a fireman’s helmet. In her hands, she tightly clutched what appeared to be a regular garden hose. The snakes emerged from the ground, venomous fangs bared, daring the newcomer to attempt to cross the yard. Satisfied that the firefighter had been thwarted, Kali turned her attention back to the sky.

The banshee wailed even louder, and her voice was like a small bomb.

“NAIA!” The name the banshee cried meant nothing to Kali, but the firefighter braced herself against one of the pillars.

Kali had no idea how they were able to raise the pressure in the hose high enough to cross the length of the yard and strike her in the face. The spray was hardly powerful enough to harm her, but the icy cold water was a shock to her, and she faltered, her mouth and fingers frozen in place, just as her magic struck the crack.

Lightning arced from the crack, striking her and blowing her off her feet. Shrieking, she tumbled across the yard, smoke rising from her damaged flesh. Her snakes hissed in fury, swarming toward the porch, but they couldn’t cross the barrier. Swearing, Kali tried to rise, only to discover that she couldn’t move.

“Go eat a dick!” The firefighter hollered, her helmet pulled low over her face. But it didn’t do any good, because when she tried to back into the house, she tripped on the hose, and Kali was able to see through her poor attempt at a disguise.

“Lily,” she hissed under her breath. Her wounds were already beginning to knit, but it would take some time. She concentrated the healing along her right arm, clumsily pulling her smoldering phone out of her breast pocket. She dropped it on the ground, letting out a small laugh. The High Priest would have to wait. The python wrapped itself around her, cradling her in its warm coils and carrying her away from danger.

Above her, the crack in the sky glowed blood red, slowly shrinking away.

-

Sweat poured down Mike’s back, his breath ragged. Jenny, who had been singing nonsense, was silent. They ran along the stones, the air of the Labyrinth suddenly hot and stifling.

The minotaur had found them. Mike didn’t bother looking over his shoulder, for he could hear the creatures heavy footfalls behind them. The minotaur was slowed down by its giant axe, which Mike saw both as a blessing and a curse. Still, the beast had impossible stamina, and Mike knew that he would tire long before the minotaur did.

“Jenny?!?” The path split before them, and Mike didn’t know which way to go.

Jenny ran ahead of him. Her movements were fluid, but Mike saw that her whole body was shimmering. Jenny was struggling to hold on, her soul billowing out behind her. In her backpack, Mike saw that the doll was surrounded by a haze, Beth’s soul ready to return to her body. Jenny took a left at the split, and Mike followed.

“How much farther?” Mike called. He could hear the minotaur’s breath, hot and labored.

“Up ahead!” They turned a corner and burst into a small clearing. There was a large patch of grass leading up to the remains of a stone bridge. The bridge had long ago collapsed, and the rapidly flowing river beneath it was about fifteen feet across. Jenny slowed, and they were running side by side.

“Jenny? Her whole body was covered in a mist, and Mike saw that the small bag she carried was the same. Jenny’s breathing was now ragged, and her dark eyes were flickering, the light returning to them.

“Jump, jump, jump!” Jenny accelerated ahead of him onto the stone bridge. A small lip went out over the water, like a makeshift diving board. Mike took a deep breath, pushing his muscles to the absolute limit, feet slapping against the hard stone.

Just as Jenny reached the edge, it happened. With a blast of light, Jenny lost control of Beth’s body, and the swirling mists exchanged places, Beth’s spirit flowing back into her own body. Beth cried out in alarm, sliding to a halt, but Mike was too close behind. He crashed into her, both of them falling into the river below.

-

Dana fought the urge to call out, the hairs on her arms rising. The house held an odd stillness to it and the air was impossibly cold. She walked carefully across the faded carpet, stepping around a cold plate of eggs and toast on the coffee table.

Voices from the kitchen caused her to creep softly along the wall, her head tilted trying to hear. She could hear the landlady’s soft voice followed by the low murmurs of a man. His voice was clinical, yet commanding. Nearing the threshold, she paused just short of the frame.

“Are you sure?” The man asked.

“Yes. She is supposed to be at work.” The old woman’s voice was little more than a whisper. “I was planning to sneak in and do some of her laundry for her, poor thing.”

Laundry. Dana’s mind was suddenly confronted with the knowledge that she couldn’t remember the last time she had washed her clothes. Was she really so far gone that she hadn’t noticed her clothes magically washing themselves? Shame burnt itself into her cheeks, but she stayed to listen.

“Why are you doing her laundry?”

“Her heart is broken.”

“Ah. The accident.” He said the word as if it were a common occurrence, like measles, or chicken pox. “So you can let me in to her apartment to wait.”

“I shouldn’t,” the landlady said.

“But you will.” His voice was relaxed, but Dana detected the hard tone to it. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she suddenly worried that her breath was too loud. What did this guy want?

“I will.” The old woman let out a small moan. “After I do that, will you let me die?”

“What the fuck?” Dana spun around the corner, suddenly compelled to help the kind woman who had been doing her laundry. Her jaw dropped at the sight in the kitchen, and she stumbled back, catching herself on the frame of the door. The old woman was aglow in a soft yellow light, the skin of her body white as chalk, her feet about four inches off the ground. Her head hung loosely to one side, her eyes fixated on nothing in particular.

“Looks like I won’t be waiting after all.” The man sitting at the kitchen table produced a cigarette from nowhere, tucking it gently between his lips. The cigarette lit itself, and he inhaled deeply, contemplating Dana. He exhaled a large cloud of smoke. “You must be the delivery girl. Grab her for me, would you?” He snapped his fingers, and the landlady fell softly to her feet. Her face tightened as she let out an agonized cry, fingers reaching for Dana as she stumbled forward.

Letting out a scream, Dana made it to her feet and bolted. She didn’t go back where she came-a dark shadow had already slammed the front door open. Instead, she ran down the hallway behind the kitchen and out the back door. Running up to her car, she saw that the tires had been slashed.

“Fuck!” Dana heard the back door slam. Without looking back, she raced into the garage, bolting the door behind her. Running across the concrete pad of her garage, she raced up the stairs, frantically trying to call the police on her cell. Strangely, her phone had no signal.

The door to her apartment splintered inward, and the landlady stumbled in, followed by the driver of the town car. They walked with purpose, their blank eyes fixed on her.

“If I bring you to him, he said he’ll let me go,” the landlady explained, stomping up the steps. Dana looked at the window, wondering if she could jump out of it and land without breaking her leg. She should have run literally anywhere else-she had trapped herself in the garage with nowhere else to go. The driver and her landlady were at the top of the stairs now, moving slowly toward her.

“Leave me alone!” Dana screamed. Turning to look for anything to throw or use as a weapon, she stared in amazement at the large, open wardrobe that was where the clock had been. Painted on the back wall in bright yellow paint were two words.

Get In

Seeing no other option, Dana jumped inside of the wardrobe, pulling the doors shut. She was tossed about when the wardrobe began shaking, as if someone had picked it up. She heard the wardrobe crash into the landlady first, and then a solid mass that Dana suspected was the driver. She cracked open the door to see that the wardrobe had sprouted wooden legs and was running toward the stairs.

“No!” Dana hollered, but the wardrobe scurried down the steps with ease. The doors opened and spat her out, and she landed on her ass right next to Alex’s motorcycle. Scrambling to her feet, she saw that the wardrobe now had different words on the inside.

Look Away. Ride.

“What?” Contemplating the words, she heard movement upstairs. The driver and the landlady were back on their feet, moving toward the steps. Outside the door, Dana heard footsteps, and she turned to look. With a loud bang and clatter, the mostly restored engine of her motorcycle blew itself across the floor of the garage. Turning back around, she saw that a pristine engine had taken its place. The bike roared to life, and Dana jumped on it. The mysterious stranger appeared at the door, a wand clutched in his hand.

The bike’s engine revved, and left a streak of rubber on the concrete, racing forward toward the garage door. Dana screamed, and the bike punched a hole through the old garage door, leaving bent steel and broken wood behind. The bike slid around the car parked in the driveway, tires squealing across the concrete. Hair billowing out behind her, Dana chanced a look over her shoulder to see the man from the kitchen step out onto the street, his wand raised.

A garden hose, left unattended in someone’s front yard, stretched itself across the street. Dana turned forward in time for it to strike her in the chest, flipping her upside down, the motorcycle crashing to the pavement. The whole world spun, life moving in slow motion while he approached, the heels of his shoes clicking on the cold hard asphalt.

“This is going to hurt,” he told her, raising his wand once more. Yellow light gathered around the tip, and Dana’s world turned black.

-

The river wasn’t terribly deep, but it was very fast. It could have been ten seconds, or ten minutes, he had no idea. The river had carried him through a path of its own, the water terminating on both sides at walls. Eventually, a break had come, and Mike pulled himself to safety.

Lying on his back, Mike stared at the stone ceiling, hundreds of feet above him. He had lost track of Beth in the river, the memory of her hand slipping out of his. His clothes were soaking wet, and he was chilled all the way to the bone.

Reaching behind his belt, he touched the hilt of the dagger. He sighed, realizing the thing had caused more problems than anything else. It was the reason the others had left without him, and he had had a chance to face the minotaur, but ran instead. Why bother carrying the damn thing if he knew he was never going to use it?

Shivering, Mike stood up, glancing back at the river. There was no sign of Beth, and he was worried that she could be seriously hurt. Everyone in the house was in danger now, and he felt powerless to help. Mike stripped off his clothes, standing naked on the cool grass while he attempted to squeeze as much water out of them as possible. Giving his pants a good twist, he was surprised to see the blue stone dangling from its chain. He had stuck it in his pocket, promptly forgetting about it until now.

“Shit,” he muttered, laying it on a rock with the dagger and his shoes. With no sunlight up above, cold and miserable was going to be the recipe for the rest of his day. Frustrated, he threw his pants at the ground and sat down on a rock. The sensation of cold stone on his scrotum made him jump up, and he swore again.

“The wet man is mad,” a tiny voice said from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Mike knelt by the dagger, his hand hovering over the hilt.

“Cold and wet and miserable,” another voice squeaked.

“But he’s still cute,” a third voice added.

“Show yourself,” Mike said. “Please. I mean you no harm, but will fight if I have to.”

“This one’s got fire in his veins.”

“Not like the others.

“And he’s much cuter.”

“What others?” Mike asked. “Have you seen my friends?”

“The one with one eye?”

“Or the green one?”

“Or the one made of stone?” When the last voice spoke, three colorful balls of light rose from behind the stones around him. One red, one green, and one blue. They circled him, pulsating gently in rhythm with one another.

“Please. Please hold still.” They were making Mike dizzy. “You’ve seen my friends?”

“Oh, for sure!” The three lights landed on one of the bigger stones, flaring brightly to reveal three tiny women. Each one retained their colored aura, and stood roughly nine inches tall. Mike puzzled over their nature until he saw the fluttering wings behind their backs.

“Oh. You’re fairies,” he said.

“Indeed we are.”

“Oh, so clever.”

“Glad to hear he isn’t blind.” Mike knelt down for a closer look at them. The red fairy had tiny black antenna sprouting from her head, and dark lines down her belly. She spun around for his approval, her rear end lighting up like a torch. The green fairy had multiple eyes, and four translucent wings behind her back. She took off, her body hovering in place at eye level.

“Like what you see?” she asked, blowing him a kiss.

“Uh…” Mike looked at the last fairy. She had unusually large eyes, and her wings were hidden by a hard blue shell. When she crossed her arms, it pushed her tiny breasts up and out. “Yes. You are all quite pretty.”

The fairies let out a cheer, and took off once more, flying circles around him. Two landed on his shoulders, and the blue one on top of his head. They were very light – Mike felt that the tiniest of breezes would dislodge them.

“I expected fairies to look more… human.”

“You’re thinking of pixies,” the green one told him. “Pixies are nasty.”

“So nasty,” the red one added.

“We’re way more fun to play with,” the blue one told him, leaning over his forehead to smile in his face. Mike smiled back, trying not to stare at her tiny blue nipples.

“As much as I would like to play, my friends need my help. Do you know where they are? And my other friend who was with me, she fell in the river. I have to know if she is okay.”

“Perhaps.”

“Maybe.”

“We could tell you.” The blue one’s smile turned mischievous. “If we wanted to.”

“I really need to know. Are they okay?”

The fairies exchanged looks. “For now.”

“So what is it that you want?” Mike asked. “To help me find my friends?”

The three faeries giggled, and the blue one blushed.

“You have something we’ve wanted for a long time.”

“Something powerful.”

“Something magic.” Blue slipped off his head, her wings fluttering loudly while she hovered before him. “We want to eat your seed.”

“My seed?” Mike asked. The three faeries nodded hungrily, Red licking her lips. “You mean my sperm?”

“It gives us powerful magic.”

“Magic to escape this place.”

“Magic to make wishes come true.”

“You’re trapped here too?” Mike asked.

“For a long time.”

“The Minotaur can’t catch us.”

“But we can’t leave.” Blue pouted, her eyes expanding adorably. “Will you help us?”

“I…I suppose.” All three faeries glowed like tiny stars, their faces lit up (literally) in excitement. Mike looked around. “Um, where do you want me to go?”

“You can sit if you want!” Green told him, and she hovered over the ground, glitter falling from her wings. A tiny mushroom sprouted beneath her, and the longer she hovered, the bigger it got. Eventually it took the size and shape of a small loveseat.

“Thanks.” Sitting down, Mike almost laughed at the looks of desperation on their tiny faces. “This will take me a few minutes, if you don’t mind waiting. It doesn’t help that I’m half frozen.”

“Oh, we don’t need your help!” Red told him, and the faeries landed on his thighs.

“Just lay back and relax.” Blue said, placing her hands on his stomach. His body flooded with heat, hot air encircling him and drying him off.

“And we’ll take care of the rest,” Green said. Her hands covered in a rainbow aura, she began massaging Mike’s scrotum, her hands creating a tingling sensation that spread along the base of his cock. His dick slowly hardened, and the faeries surrounded it, wrapping their arms around his thick shaft.

“Oh!” Mike was surprised at how good it felt, the sensation of tiny hands all along his penis, but the real surprise came from the tiny kisses they planted on the head of his penis. Each one sent a tiny surge of energy into his body, their tiny tongues making his cock twitch. The faeries giggled when his dick moved, holding on tightly and wrapping their legs around him.

Blue held tightly to the bottom of his shaft, using her legs as a cock ring and making his dick swell even larger. She let out a laugh, licking him, her tiny warm tongue making his cock twitch again, releasing a tiny drop of pre cum from its tip.

Red and Green were there to intercept it. The drop was big enough for them to split, and they licked the head of his penis even more, causing yet another trickle of precum to flow from the tip. They rubbed themselves against it, like cats with catnip, letting out tiny gasps of their own. At the base of his cock, Blue was moaning, and Mike realized that she was now rubbing her tiny pussy against him. It left behind a glittery trail of lubrication, and she slowly circled him, anointing him with her fluids.

“That… feels really good,” he told them, which seemed to inspire their efforts. Red was openly feeding, her lips on the rim of his urethra, sucking and mewling in delight. Below her, Green was lapping up what Red couldn’t swallow, grinding her hips against his shaft while fingering Red above her with her free hand. Red began swiveling her hips, pushing herself lower onto Green’s hand, letting out tiny, high-pitched moans.

“Hey!” Blue reached up to try and grab some of his pre cum, but Red and Green had intercepted all of it. Green shifted her weight and pushed Red farther up Mike’s cock. Red was now actively lapping at the steady flow of pre cum, a result of his unfinished orgasm earlier with Naia. Shoving her face onto the head of Mike’s cock, he watched in amazement when her lips stretched impossibly wide, enveloping the top half of his glans.

“Holy…” Mike whispered in awe, watching the little red fairy’s mouth and head expand. She was gulping greedily, sucking Mike dry and making his cock even harder. Her eyes bugged out of her head, and Green pulled her glitter soaked hand out of Red’s snatch.

“No fair!” Green pulled on Red, and Red popped free, tumbling onto Mike’s crotch, a satisfied look on her face. Red adjusted her antenna and smiled at Mike, her body glowing.

“I’m going to find your friends now,” she said, doing a little pirouette on his lap before turning into a ball of light and disappearing in the distance.

“Thanks, uh…” Green had taken position at the top now, her eyes hungrily fixated on Mike’s twitching shaft. Licking around the edges of his glans, she worked her way up to the top of Mike’s penis, nibbling at the edges of his urethra.

“The best stuff is farther down,” she informed him, holding up a glitter soaked hand. Gently circling his urethra, she slid her hand inside, gently moving her fist inside of his dick.

“That’s… I mean…” Mike’s cock spasmed, the sensation of something moving along the inside both strange and enticing. He could feel her fist moving up and down inside his shaft. He pressed a couple of fingers against the base of his cock, reveling in the sensation of that tiny fist moving just below the skin. Was this even a thing? It felt good, but what would it accomplish?

Blue sighed, scooting slightly higher on his dick. The lower half of his shaft looked like he had fucked an envelope full of glitter, and she was letting out tiny moans the whole way. Green’s slow movements made his cock spasm again, and she held still.

“I’m going to go deeper,” she informed him, hovering just above his penis with her four wings and pushing her arm in past her elbow. It was like flicking a switch, and the slightly pleasurable sensation suddenly changed. Every few movements felt like a miniature orgasm, and Mike watched in amazement as she worked her arm in all the way to the shoulder, her face a mask of concentration as she moved her arm in and out. Small, clear pools of semen formed, and then were pushed out, and Green lifted her arm free, pulling out some of the stickiest cum Mike had ever seen.

“Don’t… don’t stop,” Mike begged her. Green was quickly lapping up what she could, the remaining cum leaking down onto Blue, who was actively humping Mike’s shaft while she licked up what she could.

“Don’t worry,” Green assured him. “I’m not full yet.” She slid her arm inside of his shaft again, and he felt like his dick would suddenly burst. The sensation was similar to the moment before an orgasm, but it had been stretched all the way out. Green was making a fist, and she continued to jack him off from the inside with tiny little movements that made his head spin.

“Oh fuck,” Mike whispered, and he felt Blue slide down the bottom of his cock. With a show of super strength, she wrapped her legs around the top of his balls and squeezed, doing the same to the base of his shaft with her arms. The orgasm was halted, but not before semen squirted out all around Green’s arm, sticking to her like honey.

Screaming with delight, the fairy began her feast, her whole body lighting up with every swallow. Blue held a tight grip against his balls, and he could feel his arousal declining. Green was meticulous, licking everywhere he had sprayed, including her own arm. She contorted unnaturally, her long tongue easily cleaning off her elbow and armpit.

“I’m going to find your river friend,” she informed him once she was clean. She hovered in front of his face, her many eyes blinking. Blowing him a kiss, she flew away, turning into a bright green ball of light.

“Oh my god,” Mike uttered, staring down at the last remaining fairy. “And what sort of trick do you have up your sleeve?”

“A good one,” she promised, releasing her tight grip on his balls. Climbing up his shaft, she moved to the upper half, grinding her pussy against him once more. Moaning quietly to herself, she coated him in her glittering juices, spiraling her way up until she was near the head of his penis. His cock was tingling now, and it sparkled in the light of the Labyrinth.

“You have me on pins and needles,” he told her. She giggled, scooting her crotch across the head of his dick. His urethra was still sensitive to the touch, but enjoyably so as she moved across it. She took off, hovering over him to inspect her handiwork. The sounds her wings made reminded him of a beetle in flight, a low, whispery rumble. Circling above his cock, she landed gently on top of it, a large smile on her face.

“I’ve never done this before,” she told him. “But I’ve practiced when the others aren’t around.”

“Practiced what?” Mike asked. Blue began circling her hips on the head of his cock, the sensation very similar to a tongue or a determined finger. Working her hips back and forth and odd intervals, Mike saw that her swollen little pussy was expanding, widening itself to an alarming size.

“There’s no way that’ll work,” Mike told her.

“You’ve never met a determined fairy,” she replied. Her pussy was almost wide enough now to take the tip of his finger, and she grabbed on with her tiny, blue armored arms and pulled. Her hips expanded to accommodate, and Mike felt her widen once more. He was suddenly reminded of the Red fairy, and how her mouth had expanded to encompass the head of his dick.

“Can you… can your whole body stretch like that?” Mike asked.

“Mmh hmm,” Blue responded, her eyes tightly shut in concentration.

“Then allow me to help,” he said, carefully grabbing her legs with each hand. Her eyes opened wide when Mike tugged down on them, and he was surprised to see her body expand even farther, taking in most of the head of his dick. Her hips were now huge in comparison to the rest of her body.

“Don’t stop,” she begged, panting loudly. “Please don’t stop.” She felt impossibly tight, and the glittery fluid leaking from her cunt was now glowing.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Mike informed her, shifting his grip to her waist. He grabbed her gently, then pulled her body even farther down onto him. Her stomach was now swollen, the head of his cock buried inside her. Blue let out a scream, and Mike let go.

“No, no, more!” She yelled, grabbing at his fingers. Mike grabbed her again and proceeded even farther, watching her torso swell like a balloon, her breasts pushed out by the top of his cock. His dick was wider than she was, and she stretched even farther. Using his free hand, he teased her nipples with the tip of his finger, grinning at the panicked look on her face.

“Do you like that?” He asked, playfully flicking them with his fingernail. Blue nodded, her eyes rolling into her head. He pushed himself deeper, stopping when he realized that the top of his dick was now just below her throat. It suddenly occurred to him that with her current distortion, there could be no room for internal organs, and he worried that he was crushing her insides. He relaxed, and her elastic body began to slide up and off of him.

“What are you doing?” She hissed, her tiny legs kicking.

“I’m going to hurt you,” he said.

“No you aren’t! Now be a fucking man and put it all the way-AHHHHH!” Blue shrieked when Mike grabbed her by the hips tightly and pushed his way forward. His cock stretched her throat wide, then went up to her head. Her skull expanded now, and her eyes rolled wildly as she dug her tiny fingers into the flesh of his thumb.

“OH GODS, MORE!” She demanded, and Mike obliged. Her body stretched vertically as he pulled her down as far as she could go, her pussy hitting the bottom of his dick. She was tight, and the inside of her body was now vibrating, sending ripples of pleasure through Mike. He moaned softly, lifting her up and then pulling her down again.

“OH, FUCK, MMM, DON’T STOP!”

Mike moved her slowly at first, adjusting to the strange sensation that he was holding a person and not a masturbator. Still, the little blue fairy was pretty demanding, and Mike stroked himself faster, adjusting the timing to Blue’s outbursts, bottoming out at the end of each sentence.

“Oh, please, all the WAY! Yes, yes, yes, FUUUUCK!” Blue’s words ran together, and Mike felt her whole body tremble. Stroking harder, he started to twist her now, delighting in the sensation and in her reaction. She was letting out screams now, and Mike shoved himself in deep as she came.

“FUCKING DIRTY HUMAN!” She screamed, and her magic launched fireworks in every directions, fireworks that stained the ground and rocks around them in glitter. She gushed more of the slippery fluid all over him, and her whole body contracted like a set of fingers around him, fingers that were vibrating rapidly. Thinking of all the frustration he had built up inside him, the pent up energy from worrying about his friends, he pounder her mercilessly. Unable to contain himself any longer, the orgasm that had been denied him for so long built up inside his body, and he unleashed it inside of the Blue fairy.

“FUUUUUCK!” She squealed, her body expanding like a water balloon. Mike grunted, shoving himself inside of her again, a second blast making her breasts expand to comic proportions. Her arms flailed wildly, and she opened her mouth, blue light escaping from it. Mike groaned, leaning back in his mushroom chair and releasing the fairy.

“Oh shit,” he said, staring at the high ceiling above him. The Blue Fairy slowly slid her way up his shrinking shaft, her stretchy body forcing her free. Mike’s cock glowed blue with her fluids and his own, and she collapsed in his lap, lying in a pool of semen and glitter. Breathing heavily, he found himself getting sleepy. “You okay down there?” He asked.

“I’ve never been better,” Blue replied. Her whole body was coated in his semen, but she wasn’t bothering to clean it. Her body was slowly deflating as she absorbed his cum, glowing like a tiny star. Mike ran his fingers along her body affectionately, and she pushed herself into his touch. “Let’s wait for the others to come back. Then we can go find your friends.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said, staring into the darkness up above.