Chapter 5 - How Do We Get Ourselves Into These Things?

Chapter Five : How Do We Get Ourselves Into These Things?



Chantal stared at Stephanie. "WHAT! And you couldn't have told me this before we entered the maze?"

"I thought I had told you," Stephanie said sincerely. "I'm sorry."

"Okay, I forgive you. Now let's hurry up and get out of here," Chantal said.

"Right," Stephanie agreed.

They entered one hedge section of the maze. Once they stepped onto the path, they noticed that they could go either left or right. The girls looked both ways, trying to decide which direction to go. "They both look the same," Stephanie reflected.

"We've been having pretty good luck going right. Should we try going that way again?" Chantal asked.

"Hmm..." Stephanie thought. "All right."

"Okay, let's get going then."

The girls turned to the right and started walking down the selected hedged corridor. They walked for about ten minutes when Chantal suddenly stopped. "Steph! I think we have been here before, this spot looks familiar," Chantal told her friend.

"Oh!" Stephanie frowned.

"There was another path just back a ways, why don't we try going that way?" Chantal suggested.

"All right." Stephanie brightened up.

The two girls turned around and walked back the way they had come to the turn they had passed and continued down the new corridor; both girls in a bit brighter mood. A moment later, they turned a corner and suddenly Stephanie stopped.

"How did we end up here again?" She asked confused.

"I don't know," Chantal confessed.

"It keeps changing! What are we suppose to do?"

"I don't know, keep going around and hope we find the way out."

Stephanie sighed as she looked around for some helpful clue.

"What else could we do?" Chantal told her friend. " Come on, let’s keep moving. A way out will pop up sooner or later, hopefully sooner." Chantal grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her down the corridor.

After going around in circles for about thirty more minutes the girls began to lose hope. They sat down on the path to rest. As they were catching their breath, Serek jumped off Chantal's shoulder and walked over to the hedge furthest from the many pathways. Chantal watched the small creature. Serek walked up to the hedge then through it.

"Hey, where did Bob go?"

"I don't know," Chantal replied as she jumped to her feet and followed Serek to where he had vanished. "Hey, there is a hidden path here!" she exclaimed. Serek came back to see if they were following.

"Wicked! We'll get somewhere again!" Stephanie said, running off into the new path.

Chantal laughed, starting to cheer up again. "I hope so." Chantal followed her pet and Stephanie through the hidden path. Stephanie stumbled over something.

"Are you okay?' Chantal asked.

"Yeah," Stephanie stood up and brushed the sand of her black elbow length sleeve shirt, it had a red Chinese dragon on it.

Chantal looked around then spotted something in the distance. "Hey look, there is somebody over there." she pointed down the hedge corridor. Hearing laughter, Stephanie ran down the corridor then suddenly stopped, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She reached into the hedge next to her and pulled out two strange creatures by their tied tails.

Chantal caught up with Stephanie then stared down at the two strange creatures. "What, and who are these two?" she asked. The creatures tried to get free from her grasp. The twin creatures were short, plump and had grey skin. They were dressed in simple garb; shirt, pants, vests, all in warm tones of sand, similar to goblins, if the girls would have encountered any.

"Let us free and--" one creature spoke.

"--and we'll help you out of this dead end." the other continued.

"What dead end?" asked Chantal, looking down the corridor for the end. The creatures pointed behind Chantal. The hedges had formed a closed wall. Chantal turned around while Stephanie looked up. The creatures were right; they were boxed in.

"Damn," Chantal swore under her breath, she turned to glare back at the two creatures. "You closed the hedge behind us," she accused.

"No we haven't." the one on the left said.

"We do not control these things." the other said.

"The Goblin King," Stephanie breathed. "You shouldn't have pissed him off Chantal." Chantal shrugged. What’s done is done.

"All right," Stephanie paused to think. "What should we do with them?"

Chantal turned to Stephanie. "Should we trust them?"

"Hmmm..." Stephanie looked at Chantal, biting her lower lip in thought. "Well, we don't have any other choice, do we?" She looked down at the tied creatures. "You said you're going to help us, so, how do we get out of here?"

Both creatures looked at the girl.

"First you have to--" began the first.

"--answer three riddles." finished the second.

"Riddles?" asked Stephanie. She then turned to Chantal. "Are you good at riddles?"

Chantal shook her head. "Not really."

"What are the rules?" Stephanie asked the creatures, still holding them by their tails.

"The rules are simple--" said the first.

"--we ask you a riddle and you answer it," the second added.

"--Answer the three riddles correctly and be allowed through the door." finished the first.

Chantal turned to Stephanie "Well, it's worth a shot."

"What happens if we answer one of the riddles wrongly?" Stephanie asked one of the creatures.

"You will have to take the Goblin trail," one spoke up.

"Goblin trail?" Stephanie raised her eyebrows.

"Yes," the other replied. "People have come here and solved the riddles wrongly and have taken the long way."

"Most people who take the long trail don't make it out of the Labyrinth before the thirteen hours are up and get turned into goblins."

Chantal then turned to her friend. "I guess then that we will have to answer the questions correctly."

Stephanie nodded. "Well," Stephanie said to the creatures. "Ask your first riddle."

"First--" the first creature began.

"--you must set us free." finished the second.

Stephanie looked at Chantal. "Should I?"

Chantal nodded.

"You'd better not run off," Stephanie said as she let go of the tails. The two creatures walked up to the side and stood in front of Chantal. One began whispering to the other. Stephanie waited, hands at her sides, head tilted to one side, wondering the possibility that they were plotting their escape or worse; an attack.

"Before we begin, we would like to introduce ourselves," one creature told them.

"All right," Stephanie said as she went to stand next to her friend.

A moment of silence.

"Well?" Stephanie asked.

The creatures looked at each other and nodded their heads. The first one took a step forward and began to speak. "My name is Snowden," he told them. Stephanie nodded her head, waiting for them to finish their introduction.

The second creature looked at his partner. "No, my name is Snowden."

"No it is not. Remember?" the first argued.

Stephanie looked from creature to another, and Chantal only raised an eyebrow at the two creatures. The creatures continued to argue, Stephanie looked at Chantal, and she rolled her eyes, and shook her head. Chantal then began to giggle. "You know we're not going to get anywhere if they keep this up," Stephanie said to Chantal, almost smiling.

Chantal nodded, then turned to the two creatures and cleared her throat. "Excuse me! Could we get on with the introductions?"

The creatures stopped arguing. "Yes!"

The second creature looked at the first "Fine...you can be Snowden this time, and I'll be Ashby." the first creature nodded.

"Good. Now that that's settled. Let's get on with the riddles," Stephanie said looking at the castle in the distance, she wondered about the time.

Snowden and Ashby exchanged a look, then turned to face the two girls. Ashby, the creature on the right, then spoke up. "Since there are two of you, you will be allowed to discuss amongst yourselves before you give your answers."

The girls nodded.

"Let us begin," Snowden said.

Ashby then began to tell them the first riddle:

"Come follow me, though I cannot move

Still I will lead you through the trees

Come follow me though I have no voice..."

Ashby trailed off. Snowden then began to speak:

"...To call you on the breeze.

These words are wild as they can be.

I know them...I know them well

Come follow me."

Snowden finished and both riddlers looked at the girls waiting to see how well the girls were at their games.

Chantal turned and looked at Stephanie, who was deep in thought. Chantal smiled. "This is an easy one!" She chimed.

"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked. Chantal nodded and whispered into her friend's ear. Stephanie then smiled. "Answer then."

"The answer is 'A Path.'" Chantal said happily.

"Congratulations," Snowden began.

"You are correct," Ashby finished. "Now for the next riddle."

Snowden began the riddle this time:

"The beginning of eternity

The end of time and space..."

Snowden trailed off and Ashby continued:

"...The beginning of every end

And the end of every place."

Chantal's smile disappeared and a look of confusion crossed her face. "You can answer this one Steph."

"Gee thanks!" her friend said sarcastically. She then began to think half aloud to herself. Chantal tilted her head and looked at her friend, she then grinned mischievously and began to hum the 'Jeopardy' theme. Stephanie turned on a dime and looked at Chantal. "CHANTAL!" She snapped. Serek squeaked and jumped off Chantal's shoulder. "Do you mind?"

Chantal shut her mouth, trying to look all innocent. "Sorry, I'll shut up now."

"Every...beginning...end..." Stephanie mused.

Serek landed on Stephanie's shoulder and began squeaking in her ear. "Squeeee--eeeeeeeee!"

Stephanie's eyes lit up as if a bolt of lightning had hit her. "I got it!" Stephanie then turned to Serek on her shoulder. "Bob, I love you!"

Chantal raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"The Answer is--" Stephanie almost yelled with excitement, she then calmed herself before continuing. "--the letter 'E.'"

"Correct again!" Ashby answered.

"Here is the last riddle. This one is a difficult one," Snowden told them. He then began the riddle:

"The more there is..."

Snowden trailed off once again. Ashby then finished:

"...less you see."

Chantal and Stephanie exchanged confused looks. Both girls then began to pace around in a circle, thinking. A few minutes passed, but neither of the girls have come up with an answer to the final r

Chantal suddenly stopped and turned to Stephanie. "We better hurry up and come up with an answer before it gets dark."

Stephanie's eyes grew wide. "Chantal, you're a genius."

"What?...what did I say?" she asked all confused.

"The Dark," she told her friend. Stephanie then turned to the two creatures. "The answer is 'the Darkness.'" She told them, a big smile on her face.

Ashby and Snowden looked at the two girls in amazement. "You two are the first to answer all three riddles," Ashby told them.

"You certainly deserve to take the shortcut," Snowden replied. The large double doors behind Ashby and Snowden slowly began to open. The tail tied creatures moved aside to let the girls pass.

"Woohoo!" Stephanie exclaimed with a grin.

The two girls approached the double doors.

"Good luck--"Ashby began.

"--on your quest," Snowden finished.

"Thanks," Chantal replied. The two girls then walked through the doors, Serek still perched on Stephanie's shoulder.

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