Opal let out a loud groan "We've been waiting forever! It's starting to feel like five-ever" She huffed, sitting down. "Keep your voice down" Penelope chided, her eyes still closed. I wasn't sure if she was praying or meditating or what but maybe five or so minutes after we'd stopped she'd sat down with her eyes closed and she hadn't moved since. She also mostly stopped talking except for the occasional chiding when she thought we were being too loud. I peeked around the corner again…it was still there. The large furry beast had just been…pacing around the hallway, it hadn't gotten closer but it also wasn't leaving. I backed away a little but I could still hear it, the heavy breathing was an inescapable reminder of the monster less than twenty meters away. "Opal's right, maybe we should find another way around?" I suggested, this was taking too long. We'd starve soon and who knows if Basil is even alive. "No" Penelope said simply, she didn't even open her eyes to look at me. She's honestly starting to get on my nerves. As if sensing my impending snap Miriam rested her hand on mine. With Mckensies help she'd braided her now much shorter hair, she looked quite pretty. Miriam reminded me of some of the statues in the temple, especially the Aphrodite one Mom took me to when I was younger. Though colour wise I think Miriam looks a lot more like Athena with those strangely intelligent looking gray eyes, but I guess Athena isn't really known for having blue hair. "Are you just going to keep saying no or are you going to actually help" My voice was a bit louder than I intended but I didn't care. Penelope opened an eye, rolling it before standing. Somehow even the way she walked managed to be stupidly smug. "Keep your voice down first of all, I'd rather it didn't hear us. And secondly it's safer to just stay here until he leaves, unless you want to be eaten on live television by a half man half bull?" Her gaze was sharp and I hated that she was right. "It's better than starving," I grumbled, turning away to look down the hall…he was gone. Finally. "Hey I think he's gone" I took a few cautious steps into the hallway, looking around. I heard Miriam's quiet footsteps behind me "Addies right...where did it go?" She caught up to me, slipping her fingers into mine. Penelope pushed past us "Alright then, lead the way Mckensie" She extended her arm, letting the older tentative girl walk in front. Opal was quick to catch up, walking right beside Mckensie. I stayed back a little, trying not to get too close to Penelope. I'd rather not be around her right now…she's kind of annoying. Penelope wasn't exactly a mind reader so she stuck closer to me and Miriam then I'd like. I did my best not to look at her. What's even up with Penelope? She's so pushy and I just-...why are we arguing again? Now that I think about it I can't even remember…it doesn't even make sense? I feel like I'm going crazy in here. I mean why did we leave Basil too? And why in the name of Athena do we keep splitting up? I hadn't noticed I'd stopped walking until Miriam tugged on my sleeve. "Addie…are you alright?" She looked at me with those beautiful big stormy gray eyes. Maybe I can understand why girls at school used to fawn over Basil's eyes. The rest of the group had stopped to stare at me now and it was like I was a little kid being called on in class all over again but this time I knew the answer. "Why did we leave Basil?" I let the question hang in the air for a moment before I spoke again "Seriously…it doesn't make sense, why do we keep splitting up?". "Don't be ridiculous Addison, it's because…" Penelope tried to respond but based on the look on her face she didn't know either "Because…" She tried again but nothing. Mckenzie scrunched up her face "Hold on…is there a reason we left Basil?" She looked between the group, searching for an answer but not getting one. "Think about it. Everybody's been acting weird lately, we keep splitting up, we're constantly arguing for no reason. But why? And now that I think about it we haven't eaten crap, we should've starved by now but we haven't. It…doesn't make sense" I balled my fists, scanning the group. Miriam squeezed my hand a little tighter, fear in her eyes. Penelope slumped down against the wall "Goddess above…we've been playing right into their hands" She buried her head into her knees. Opal sat down next to her older sister, resting against her. She looked…shell shocked, absolutely horrified. "But…why?" Mckensie didn't seem to understand, I…don't understand. I waited to see if…anybody would say something but nobody spoke for a few minutes. None of us knew, did we? I definitely didn't understand what was happening, Opal had shut down entirely, Penelope seemed to be thinking but I couldn't read her face, and Mckensie was as clueless as everybody else…Miriam was smart? She should know, Miram always knows. My eyes shot over to Miriam, searching through the gray depths. I found nothing but fear and confusion. Just like everybody else. Gods…we're stupid aren't we? We've been playing right into Cretes hands this whole time, letting them string us along like puppets. We're we really just playthings to them? Just a bunch of bodies they can manipulate and mess with until we die on their stupid broadcast. I AM a person, I had a future before this…now I'm going to die here, on live TV, with my brother and my best friend…and my mother is going to watch. I felt my knees go weak and I braced myself against the wall, Miriam gently guided me down to the floor. "Let's just…take a moment to think" She decided, twirling her hair around and around her finger. I tried to catch my breath, the hushed voices of the group blurring together. Miriam reached out, placing a hand on my thigh. I looked up, she didn't need to say anything. I could see the question in her eyes. I gave her a small nod "I'll be alright…I just…I feel like this is all my fault" I mumbled. Miriam scoffed slightly, gently squeezing. "Seriously? This isn't anybody's fault Addie, nobody but them of course" Miriam tilted her head towards the closest camera. "Should we try and go back to Basil? We might still be able to find him again" Mackenzie's voice made me look up, she didn't meet my eyes, turning towards Penelope. Penelope shook her head, scowling. "No, we need to keep going. This might be the best chance we have to get out, we'll find Basil later" Penelope's voice was sharp as ever, she didn't seem as rocked as everyone else. In comparison her younger sister looked like a ghost. Opals face was white and her eyes were blank, she was shaking slightly, I was a little worried she'd fall right over. "Agreed," I tried to stand but stumbled slightly. Miriam caught me, her gray eyes shining with worry. "I'm alright…thanks," I moved away from Miriam quickly, my face a little warmer. Miriam stepped back too, clutching her fists. "We should try and keep going, even if we head back Basil won't make it if we don't have food…neither will we" I scanned over the group, taking a big breath. Penelope gave me a small nod of approval, putting a hand on Opals back to stabilize her. Mckensie let out a nod but she didn't seem fully sure of herself "Alright then…we should be close now, ready?" Pretty much everybody turned to Opal who very much did not seem ready. Opal let out a small squeak, her chest was shaking with every heavy breath. It took a few moments for her to recollect herself and even then her voice was weak and shaking "Y-Yeah, we…got this" she nodded. It took several moments for us to actually start walking because Opal was certainly not ready, eventually Penelope gave up and hoisted Opal up like a potato sack. We had to take a few breaks as we walked, eventually Opal was ready enough to walk but she still stumbled often. I was surprised Penelope didn't grab her again…okay to be completely honest she did look like she was about to pick up Opal but my glare quickly fixed that. Opal wouldn't get better if Penelope kept disorienting her like that. Mckensie didn't look back once, she all but ran one foot in front of the other the entire time. Mckensie stopped only once, sticking her arm out and looking back. "We're getting close, are you guys…sure you're ready" Mckensie tensed up her shoulders, I could hear her swallowing. "We've got this, right?" Miriam did her best to smile, she always said smiling made the pain go away. I nodded, exhaling rather loudly, more like a sigh. "I think so" Opal's voice was a little firmer now, she was still shaking but I think she can at the very least stand without worry of falling down. Nobody moved, or rather Mckensie didn't move and nobody else knew where to go.
