Maya’s Game

Sweat drips down my forehead and the panic makes me tremble. Where am I? I can't see anything, not even my hand in front of my face. As I try to raise my arms higher I realize I’m in a confined space. I feel around… am I in a box?

My heart races as I bang on the wall in front of me. 

“Somebody help me! Let me out!”

Suddenly there is a beeping noise like a bomb. 

“Somebody help me!”

As the beeping gets faster I give up hope and cover my face like that would save me from getting blown up. Seconds later a slamming noise along with a bite of wind hits the back of my hands. I uncover my eyes, I can leave the box. I don’t hesitate, and instantly walk out. As I look around I see an unfamiliar room. 

“Where am I?”

The room feels pretty normal: bed, dresser, and closet but it's not mine. The walls are covered in hideous floral print. The floors kinda resemble the ones I have at home, wooden but extra shiny. Like they were just put in and waxed kinda shiny.

I  walk towards the only door in the room and I am greeted with a long semi-dark hallway with a metallic smell. I cover my nose as the smell is overbearing. As I walk through the hall I come across these doors on either side they are all numbered. At the end of the hallway, there is a bright red door. I turn the knob and it is unlocked. As I enter the dark room I desperately hope someone is around to help me. The room is mostly empty but reminds me of my aunt’s creepy basement I strongly avoided as a kid. 

“Hello? Anyone here?”

Suddenly the lights flicker on, I swallow hard as I feel a sudden uneasiness. Ready for my fight or flight skills to kick in, I take two steps back. A huge TV is about 6 feet from me and it turns out. The screen is bright white but a deep voice speaks.

“Hello, Maya.”

I say nothing. 

“I bet you’re wondering how you got here. We’ll discuss that later. Right now, we have more important things to discuss.”

“Like what?”

“For one… you’ve been living a lie I’m here to correct that.” 

“What are you talking about? What do you want from me?”

“I want you to see the truth. As for who I am… think of me as your guardian angel. I am on your side Maya.”

“My side?”

“Yes, you will understand soon enough. Let’s get started. Leave this room… enter door number 8 it is now unlocked for you.”

The TV screen goes black. As much as I want to run, my legs walk slowly and towards room number 8. I slowly open the door. Peeking my head in. The room is barely lit. Another dark room waiting for me, with the unknown waiting to surprise me. That's the only thing I can be sure of right now.

“Hello?”

“Maya?” Said a familiar voice.

Before I can address the familiar voice, another TV turns on and the voice speaks. 

“Maya this is how it works. We uncover the truth together and you will see I’m on your side.”

The lights flicker on and it's almost too bright. The walls look freshly painted white like a mental hospital. 

My eyes widened as my eyes adjusted and I saw who was calling out to me. 

“Blair?”

“Maya! Oh my god Maya… help me!”

Blair was strapped in a chair with a bomb underneath. It resembled a land mine but something was different and almost unique about it. Almost like it was homemade. Slowly it starts ticking. I rush over to help her but I am stopped by glass. I slammed my hands on the glass. 

“What are you doing? Stop! Why are you doing this?”

“Please help me!”

The voice sighs. “Blair tell Maya the truth about why you left Mike’s party and I’ll think about letting you go.”

“The truth about what? Are you crazy? You’re going to kill her because she kept a secret from me so what? We are best friends!”

“Oh, Maya if only you knew the truth… Blair tell her or you die.”

Blair struggles and fights to break free but sadly cannot. The metal won’t give way. 

“Okay okay! Maya, I’m so sorry! But… remember at Mike’s party when I told you I had to leave because I was feeling sick.” 

“Yes…”

“I wasn’t sick, I was leaving to go have sex with Chris.”

“Chris? My boyfriend Chris?”

Blair nods as tears and sweat run down her face.

“Please let me go! I'm sorry!”

I quickly try to take it all in but I get frozen in place.

The ticking gets faster. 

“Maya, how does that make you feel?”

“Is this some sick game to you… you are going to kill her because she made one mistake.”

“Don’t be so naive Blair has been doing this for almost a year now. Some friend.”

“A year?” I gasp

My heart felt like it broke into a million pieces. 

“Maya please please don’t let me die. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

As I look into Blair’s eyes I know she can feel my rage and sadness. But I didn’t want her to die, I didn’t feel like the crime fit the punishment. 

“I forgive her! Let her go.”

The voice sighs once more. 

“Unfortunately Maya the choice is not yours.”

The ticking gets even faster.

“What? No!”

I stare deeply at Blair knowing this is the last time I get to see her alive.

“Maya I’m so s-”

Just like that, I saw Blair’s body explode into a bunch of tiny pieces. Pieces of her hit the glass and blood splatters everywhere. I scream at the top of my lungs. My ears feel like they're about to burst and my heart feels like it's in my stomach. My body trembles and I fall to my knees. Tears flood my face. 

The voice laughs. 

“Yes! The decision is mine Maya I am your survivor! Welcome to Maya’s Game!”