We ate our meals in silence afterwards. I ate
just one cronut and kept the remaining
three for later. I hated to eat foods that had
gotten cold or eat foods that had been
made hours before eating. However, I knew
I really had no choice. I had to eat the cold
cronuts later.
Mackenzie shared her wine with us. She did
not bother to offer Mia. Mia got new
glasses, new clothes, shoes, food, and
drinks.
Now, it was only two days left. We only
needed to wait for two days. I tried to take a
nap after eating but I couldn't, all black's
yelling voice kept replaying in my head.
That man scares the hell out of me, I said I
wouldn't get on his bad side but here I was
eping and rolling on his very bad side!
Thankfully, he was not able to catch a
glimpse of our faces. That was the only
benefit we had.
I was guessing the day was going to be
silent one. It was awfully quiet in the room
also amongst us girls.
We lay in each of the beds, Mia stuck to me
like a pest. Even after picking on me all day,
I remain the only one she prefers to stick on
still.
"What do you know about the mind maze
competition?" I heard Mackenzie ask senior
Eira.
The senior sat up from the bed immediately
With a complicated look... " Who is joining
the mind maze competition?" she met with
Mackenzie's question with yet another
question.
I became interested too. I had been eyeing
the mind Maze competition right from the moment I heard of it. I mean for a reason, I was drawn to it.
The dance group was something I liked.
Dancing was something I enjoyed but
wasn't sure that was exactly what I wanted
to do.
Unlike the usual me that runs from the
mystery of the unknown, the puzzle of the
mind maze appeared to be the element that
drew me to it.
Senior Eira returned to her relaxed position
in the bee. She placed her two hands on it
before placing her head on the hand like a
pillow.
"That people die there." she announced in
the calmest and most collected way that I
wondered if the senior had any emotion left
in her at all.
People die in the competition?! And it was
cool with the school and the other magical
schools? They were going to make
students compete even when they know
they might die?
Senior Eira was a stone, I was sure she had
no boyfriend.
Out of the blue," Do you have a boyfriend
senior Eira?" I blurted it out. I needed to
confirm.
All faces turned to my direction and all eyes
on me.
"Are you dreaming out loud again?" Mia
asked me.
I rolled my eyes at her before meeting the
senior's confused gaze. "Ahem!"I coughed
cynically. "Sorry, ignore me. Please
continue"
"I know people die there, I mean how you
see it. Any tip on how the school has been
winning?" Mackenzie because serious.
She knows people die in the competition?
How? I mean.. She knew and she was
being carefree about it. I was harbouring
thoughts of joining the group if l had my
powers but the moment senior Eira
mentioned death, I became skeptical.
"You know?" I said as my face crept into a
frown.
She glanced over at me briefly " I do " she
nodded cluelessly.
She does?
"How?" I found myself asking unbelievably.
She suddenly had changed expression, as if
she said something she wasn't supposed
to say. Is Mackenzie acting fishy or am
just being paranoid?
She shrugged "Heard from students. How
else would I know?"
Oh that was true, she could have heard some students talking.
She stopped paying attention to me and
returned her gaze to senior Eira " Have you
ever participated in the mind maze?" she
asked.
"Why would I want to participate in
something I know there is a possibility that
I might get killed? The missions are deadly
enough. You want me to shorten my
lifespan by going for a dumb mind maze"
senior Eira scoffed.
I couldn't help it " Is it that bad?" I asked.
"No, it's not that bad. People join, luckily
last year we did not loose any student in our
school. Only two students in another
Academy got lost."
"Lost? As in dead?" I raised another
question.
"No, lost as in we couldn't find him. He
never emerged from the other side of the
maze." she said no emotion whatsoever in
her eyes.
Right, senior Eira had no heart I'm sure!
I kept on asking questions "What is it like" I
asked. Now, it seemed as though
Mackenzie was not the curious one but me.
"They wear stuffs on your head and you are
transported to another reality where you
are faced with whatever they face. Your
body remains here while your
subconscious mind travels. It is always
boring for spectators to watch really, that's
why they do it separately behind closed
doors. They only announce winners after
the competition"
"So it's not like we are going into an actual
maze?" Mackenzie asked this time.
Senior Eira shrugged before answering. I
was expecting her to complain the question
was getting much but she didn't. It seemed
as though we all needed such small talks.
The room was getting boring before. " I
don't know since I haven't participated
before. Maybe you do when you get to the
other reality, maybe you don't."
Mackenzie and senior Eira were just alike,
personality related. What l expected her to
ask was how the boy got lost then when his
body was here and only his mind traveled.
I turned to her with a disapproving look.
"Shouldn't your question be how the boy got
lots if his mind was here?" I widened my
eyes. "Have some feelings girl!"
I saw Mackenzie grit her teeth "I did not ask
because l knew he never woke up. That was
what she meant by got lost, the young boy
did not wake up." she almost bit me.
"How did you know he did not awake?"I
became suspicious again and I don't know
why. I mean, I know Mackenzie was harmless but what was wrong with me?
"Common sense Medusa, which you don't
have so much of obviously." Mia answered
her voice coated with sarcasm.
"How about you mind your business, Mia,
you haven't been contributing and the
conversation has been fine!"
Mackenzie got up from the bed and walked
straight to me. She sat on the already tight
bed that had me and Mia sleeping on it. I
thought she was going to eat my ears out or
something but she surprised me.
She pinched my cheeks playfully and smiled. Another side of Mackenzie I didn't know existed!
"I know because apparently, that would be
the only explanation for it" she said.
Ok, I was starting to feel like the dumb one
since everyone understood without senior
Eira explaining and I didn't.
A soft giggle which turned to a short laugh
after got our attention.
It was senior Eira and she was laughing!
Senior Eira was laughing oh my God!
After a satisfied laughter, she placed her
hand above her mouth and coughed faintly.
"Sorry, you guys are just so fun to watch"
her humorous face became serious.
"I hope you make the best of your friendship
and do not betray one another. You are one
lovely trio."
What was so lovely about our friendship?
Mia was a loud-mouthed four eyes that gets
on everyone's nerves.
Mackenzie was a cold and icy girl who got
her powers before us and keeps secrets
from us. I was sure she had secrets. The way she changes like a chameleon call for
suspicion. If Mia doesn't notice, I do and I'm
going to find out what she was hiding.
But then, there could also be a possibility
she wasn't hiding anything and I was being
paranoid. Who knows? I don't know.
"How do I speak to the school staff? I need
a book! I might die if I don't read a book one
more day" Mia sulked, changing the subject
None of us answered her. If she wants a
book then she can go out to get one.
"Why didn't you inform them when they
came to deliver your food?" Mackenzie
asked her.
"I forgot."She shrugged and adjusted her
glasses then she caressed my head that
was facing her. " Medusa why don't you
come with me to get a book" I heard her say.
Unbelievable! Mia wants me to come with
her to get a book?! I almost laughed. My body still facing the other side,I strained my neck in her direction. "Yeah, you wish." I scoffed.
"We are under curfew, the library will not be opened to the students and I bet you couldn't have gone far before you were caught and then boom, welcome to the blank room teacher Zane would say to you " Senior Eira told her with humor.
"We won't go knocking on the library's door,
we will steal to borrow from the library." to
my greatest and wildest surprise, I heard
the well-mannered Mia pour out.
Okay, now it seems to me that there was something in the air making everyone run out of their mind because what?!
****
Author's Note
Dear readers,
Follow my author page @
author_tajudeen_aishat-1.
Thank you and thanks for the love you've
been showering on my book.