The monster waits for him.
Beyond his control, Chris takes a step forward. And another. His body does not listen as it walks towards the beast, its horrible arms beckoning for him to come closer. Closer. When he is within touching distance, the monstrous arms rise...
...And set the gnarled, broken hands upon the skull. There is the sound of flesh ripping as the deer skull is pulled off of its body, bits of inky tar clinging to the bone. The ripped flesh melts away from the beast of rot
leaving Autumn
standing amongst the filth
But something is wrong. Very, very wrong. The tar does not peel away from her body. It lifts away, and reveals vines. Countless, thorny vines burying into her flesh. They wind around her arms, her legs, keeping her firmly held within the grasp of the rot beast's body. The vines break into her chest, through where her heart would be. Containing her. Controlling her.
They do not spare her eyes. She may have had beautiful, dark eyes once. Now they are simply sockets, sockets that are home to the vines.
And yet despite himself, Chris finds them beautiful. They flower, black as pitch and unlike anything he has ever seen. It is the most beautiful prison he has ever seen.
Autumn does not move.
You could have saved her. You did not. Something whispers to him, and him alone, in the back of his mind.
She belonged to your world, once. But now she is mine. I have all of you to thank. Give your friends my regards.
The ground opens up, and the remaining form of the tar sets the skull back atop Autumn. The vines that imprison her pull her downward, and she is gone.
Then the maze, too, is gone. Chris and Zac stand together, in an open field under the clear sky.
There is a key in Chris's hand.
They may go inside once more.
PeanutButterPies
YAY YOU WIN!
endejester
