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** The Mirror Maze

1

Into the Mouth**

Adrian was feeling ill. The white lion had eaten the greasy fair food just before getting on a rickety old coaster. His boyfriend had the stomach for it, but Adrian had to rush to one of the make shift toilets as Peter, a jock wolf followed him. Jeff and David, a fruit bat and German Sheppard, stayed outside, sitting on a nearby bench to watch the lights of the Ferris wheel rotate in a cool night air. David was eager to end the night with something romantic. The carnival was beginning to empty, some of the game stalls were boarding up for the night. The smaller bat was still nursing a now lukewarm chocolate.

"We're behind schedule." The bat said, staring at his watch, "They'll be closed soon."

David shrugged, "You didn't account for this?"

"I always account for Adrian time." He sighed, "Didn't think he'd eat so much, though."

David laughed, "Maybe he's pregnant."

"Is.. Can he?" Jeff looked up at the sky, thinking hard about it.

Peter stepped out of the bathroom fussing over his boyfriend, who was trying to act like he hadn't just puked his guts out. Adrian smiled at the small group, sticking a piece of gum into his mouth. Jeff looked sternly at the two.

"Shouldn't have ridden the zipper right after that chili dog." The bat stated, looking at his watch.

"We got time, don't worry about it." Replied Adrian, checking his sweater for spillage.

David shrugged, "About an hour left."

"We can still check out the horror house and the Ferris wheel." Pete said, looking at a map.

David rubbed his neck, nervously, "Can was skip to the wheel?"

"Why? More time to make out with Jeff?" Asked Pete.

"Yes, actually." Stated David, bluntly.

"Oh." Pete looked defeated, "I should have expected that."

"Horror house! Horror house!" Chanted Adrian.

Jeff looked at his watch, "If we go through it quick."

"We'll be quick." Adrian grinned.

Pete nodded, excited, "Been dying to test a theory."

David began walking towards the rides, "We should go then."

Jeff followed beside his boyfriend. Adrian and Pete trailed behind.

The section of the fair the group been in was well lit. Bright multicolored lights from every direction from the moving machinery of all the screaming rides. Most of the people left at this time were couples on dates and ride enthusiasts getting their final thrills of the day. Nestled in the corner was the horror house. It was unassuming from the outside. Just a large mouth ripping off some 60's rock band's album art. Above it, in a font reminiscent of an old horror movie read, "Enter the Mouth of Madness!" Inside the mouth was a single door. In front of the building was the usual kiosk with a worker standing at attention.

The line was empty when they arrived at the foot of the small staircase. The podium in which the man, a goat stood had a sign attached that read, "Featuring the World's Larges Mirror Maze!" Below that is stated, "Only one may enter at a time."

"Four brave souls determined to face their fears, eh?" The man said, enthusiastically reciting his lines as he stroked his beard.

"Yes, sir." Pete said, rushing to the front of the line.

"You want to go first, huh? Something to prove? Tickets, please." The goat grinned, extending his hand.

Peter handed over the tickets and trotted off towards the door.

"Awooo!" The goat howled at Pete opened the door.

Pete looked back over to the man with a scowl, "What was that for?"

"Isn't that what you wolves do. Scream into the moonlit skies?" He chuckled.

Pete cocked his head, was about to speak but opted to just shake his head and ignore the man. Clearly he was just trying to get a rise. With that he headed into the building.

The second in line was Adrian. The goat looked him up and down and gave an over the top curtsy.

"You're highness." The goat bowed to Adrian. Going so far as getting on a knee.

Adrian handed over the tickets, which the goat refused.

"I would never ask someone of your lionel lineage, please, enter" The goat spoke, sounding frustratingly condescending.

Adrian stood there awkwardly for a moment, before letting out a sigh, "You're a strange guy." then walked over to the door.

"Best of luck to you on this quest, My king!" He grinned, "Or should... No. No, never mind, forget I said anything."

With the door held open, Adrian froze. He shook his head and entered.

Jeff was next. The bat already had the ticket fee ready. Again the goat looked the ticket holder over.

"What's the rush?" The goat asked Jeff, who already had his tickets out.

"Huh?" The bat looked blankly at the goat as the goat stroked his beard menacingly.

"Fret not! The road may have been long and bumpy but here you are! Just in time I might add." He gave Jeff a wink, "Now off with ya, before I change my mind."

Fred rolled his eyes, trying not to let the man get to him. As he opened the door, the goat made a loud over the top sighed, "About a second too slow. Gonna have to leave." He giggled.

Fred flipped the goat off with a grin, "Yeah, well fuck you, too." He then entered the building.

"You really just let Adrian in?" David asked, stepping up to the podium.

"Hey, you gotta make time to enjoy the little things, ya know? Make it fun." He laughed.

"Well, here you go." David handed over his fee.

"Right-o!" The goat smiled, "Enjoy your time. And good luck!"

David walked up a step, "What, not gonna taunt me?"

"Guess you'll be scratching your head all night about that one, huh?" He chuckled.

"Damn." David laughed. "Jeff was right."

"About what?" The goat crossed his arms.

"Fuck you, too." David shook his head, heading up the stairs as the two shared a laugh as he entered the building.

** Peter**

The house of horrors this year was advertised as the largest traveling house of mirrors. It had a CCTV set up and secret doors for staff. Pete read about it online. During the day it was half that size, but in the last two hours of the day they changed it around to the full layout. The wolf was looking forward to this challenge. The trick was to always take the left wall. He saw it in a video online. There wasn't a lot about the place that would be considered scary. He guessed the people who got the smaller maze were given more cheap scares. Pete didn't mind, however. His goal was to beat the hard mode maze. The video he saw online said it took an average of forty-five minutes to get through it.

He was giddy, starting right away with his palm firmly planted to the wall on his left. He rushed ahead, determined to get out before any of the others. To watch as the others exited, earning the smuggest look he could must. A look he practiced in his dorm in the mirror. Seeing his own grinning face everywhere at once made him feel like a child again. He smiled, thinking fondly about those days. When Frank, Patrick, Clara and himself would do stuff like this. Frank, a panther who lived on his street growing up, Clara, a malamute who was Frank's girlfriend up until college and Patrick the lion. Pete frowned, he didn't like thinking about Patrick.

Through the maze he went, the faint hiss of the air conditioning the only sound. Not hearing the others behind him, he felt he must be making great progress. Expertly, he traced his fingers along the mirrors, slow and steady as to not run face first into some clear glass wall. Swiftly, but calculative, he made his way through labyrinth.

Suddenly he stopped, his contorted face staring back at him as he thought hard. Something was off.

"Left.. Then I went.." He retraced his steps in his head, but it was impossible.

"That's.. You can't.. The walls are changing.?" he ran his hands around a room, but there was no way out. A full circle with no way in or out. He didn't hear anything move. He continued until an exit revealed itself. He shook his head, casting it off as just a dead end and bad math. So, he headed back, through what must have been the way he came in.

Progress seemed to have slowed. It was more and more dead ends. Still no sign of the other three. Either his strategy was failing him, or he was losing his sense of direction. He looked up at the ceiling to see if there would be any way of knowing north from south. Nothing of value learned, except for the lights and the vents. He took a sharp breath and continued. He needed to trust this was the way.

There was a long straight bit with nothing obstructing him. In the hall he saw a small lump of cloth on the ground. The ash gray lump sat there harmlessly as the wolf walked over to pick it up. It was a beanie, well worn by the looks of it. Without really thinking he held it up to his nose to smell it.

The scent was familiar. Like it belonged to someone he knew. He traced back in his mind to someone who would wear this. He looked over his shoulder to see if someone was watching before he took in the scent again. Smelling the lost hat, he remembered this scent. There was a person, an old friend, the smell of the river, asphalt and car exhaust. He remembered picking this hat up before. He threw the hat back on the floor. He didn't like this memory. He refused to think about it for another moment.

When the memory had faded there was a buzz in his pocket. It startled him into a yelp. Leaning against the mirrored wall, he took the phone from his pocket. Probably a text from Adrian asking him where he was. He stared at the screen, gripping the phone tight.

The phone read: "From: Patrick. "Msg: The sky is so beautiful, tonight."

** Adrian**

The door closed behind Adrian, leaving the white lion alone in the quiet room. In front of him was the start of the maze. He had hoped Pete would have waited for him, but Pete liked to turn everything into a competition. He gave himself a moment to get settled into his new reality, took a deep breath and began walking.

Unlike his boyfriend, he had no strategy. Trusting his instincts to tell him which direction to go. It wasn't the most graceful approach, as he was walk face first into a thick pane of acrylic on occasion. For a while it was quiet, though he could hear the sounds of someone up ahead. He guessed it could have been Pete, though it sounded like more than one person shuffling around. He ignored them and made his own way through the maze.

He sighed, he had hoped Pete would be here to do this with him. He had no idea where he was going or what he was doing. Aimlessly he weaved through corridors, around corners in through one dead after another. With no plan, he just kept going, led only by the voices of the others along the way.

Their voiced grew closer, more pronounced. It was definitely a couple. A man and a woman by the sounds of it. He was catching up with the two quickly. They didn't sound students, they were a bit older. The man's voice sounded familiar. A professor, maybe. It wouldn't be long until he found out.

It only took a few minutes before Adrian was close enough to see them through one of the plastic walls. The man was a cheetah, a math professor that Adrian had seen playing chess on the quad. The woman he was with was a very pregnant lynx. They were casually strolling through the maze, enjoying themselves. Without thinking about it, Adrian bumped into another clear wall, calling attention to himself.

"Oh, Jesus! You scared me." The man said as his companion laughed.

Adrian waved, "Hello."

"If you go to your left, you'll get through." He then pointed to Adrian's left.

"Thanks." Adrian nodded. He headed down the path as he was told and within a minute he had caught up with the couple.

"Professor, what was it." Adrian stumbled to speak.

The cheetah just smiled, "Please, I'm not at work, it's James."

"Well, James. I don't mean to disturb you guys, I'll just uh." Adrian gestured past them, "Head on through."

"Don't worry about it." The lynx smiled, making room for Adrian.

Passing by the couple, Adrian slipped on something wet beneath him. There was a noise from the couple, a flurry of "Oh god, not here."

Adrian twisted his head around to see that the woman was clutching her stomach, he dress drenched below her waist.

"Oh fuck." Adrian said under his breath.

Jeff

Jeff walked into the room, leaning against the mirrored wall. He waiting for his boyfriend to enter the room. He looked around the room. It was probably the only part of the building that wasn't mirrored. A small foyer of sorts. A place to mentally psych yourself up, or to back out. He wasn't thrilled about being somewhere so claustrophobic. But this wouldn't the the worst thing in the world to get through.

"What did Mr. Goat have to say to you?" Jeff said, leading David into the maze.

"Nothing. He wanted me to feel left out." David said, bemused.

Jeff laughed, "That is kinda funny."

"We should try and catch up with the others." David said, walking briskly.

Jeff nodded, "Maybe we can even beat them." He grinned.

Neither of the two had much direction, so they went down random halls. Trying to listen for anyone else in the building. But it was silent. Jeff lead the way, heading down what seemed like a good route. They didn't speak too much as they walked through the maze. David was definitely being less talkative than usual.

"Do you think we'll catch up with Pete and Adrian?" Jeff asked.

David shrugged, "Maybe."

"I guess if we find them, we find them."

David just nodded as they walked further into the building.

There was a point where Jeff felt they were deep enough that no one would be seeing them. He stopped.

"What is it?" David asked.

The bat grinned at the dog, pressing against him, "Just thought, since we're alone here.." He kissed the dogs neck.

David held him, but he felt his grip weaken, almost tired. There was a lack of energy to the way David responded.

"Is.. Something wrong, Davey?"

David looked the bat in the eyes, his eyes darted briefly.

Jeff took a step back, "What's wrong honey?"

David took a deep breath and sighed, "I wanted to wait until we were on the carousel.."

Jeff's heart skipped a beat, finally, "Oh? What is it?" he tried to hide his smile.

"I." David's voice was shaking, "I want to break up."

"What?"

"I think I'm growing out of the whole gay thing."

"What."

David's face grew grim, "I want to be with a woman. I'm bi, maybe even straight."

"I don't understand." Jeff's heart struggled to beat.

David's voice became angry, "Since we were kids you've manipulated me, controlling me because I felt sorry for you." He shook his head, "You bitch and moan about everything, but news flash! Other people had rough childhoods." He slammed his palm against the glass, "But that doesn't give you the right to take it out on me. Using MY kindness to feed into your self pity bullshit!"

"David.." Jeff pushed his voice, but nothing was coming out.

"Stop it, for fucks sake! For one god damned second could you just stop taking advantage of everyone you know!" David was almost screaming now, "Everyone knows what you're doing! And they look at me like I'm some kind of freak for going along with it. But I'm done! I want to be happy now!"

"I didn't-" Jeff choked out.

"Let me finish! Fuck! You're always interrupting me!" David stepped towards Jeff, "You just prey on all of us, and you're sucking me dry like some kind of fucking succubus!"

"I don't.."

"Shut the fuck up!" David slammed the mirror hard enough to make the whole area rattle, "I'm done with your bullshit, Jeff! You can't manipulate me anymore. I wanted to tell you this calmly, but I just don't think I can anymore. But I never loved you. I just pitied you." He then turned around.

As he walked off he muttered, "You're just like your father, and it makes me sick that you can't see it." He then left Jeff alone as the bat slumped onto the ground.

David

David entered the small room. The door slammed behind him, leaving him in the middle of an empty room. Confused, he looked around for Jeff, who he was sure would have waited for him. No one was around and there wasn't a sound to be heard.

"Jeff?" He called out, "Pete? Adrian?"

There was no reply.

"Well then, I guess It's just me." He said to no one. "Shall we?"

Down into the maze he went. He copied Pete's strategy, knowing he'd at least catch up with the wolf at some point. And if he didn't, it would mean the best route. A win either way.

With his left palm on the wall, he walked. He took his phone from his pocket to text the others, asking them to yell or something so he can find them. But he never got a response. So he walked. The strategy seemed to be working, though it was hard to tell when every hall and room looked identical.

Just like Pete said it would, he found himself walking through the exit. Thirty minutes after he had entered the building, he found himself standing in the moonlight. The sounds of the fair filling his depraved ears. The exit was around the corner to where the entrance was. Seeing that no one else was hanging around, he rounded the corner to see that the goat was standing at his post, looking bored.

Jeff, Pete and Adrian however were nowhere to be seen. He fished his phone back out of his pocket to see that no one had texted him back. He sent another round of texts to tell them he was finished, then leaned against the building to wait.

Doing the math in his head, Pete should have gotten out by now. They used the same strategy. Pete was a stubborn wolf. Plus, they knew there were cameras inside the maze, so it's not like he and Adrian would be fucking.

"They're probably fucking.." He sighed.

He walked over to the goat, who greeted him warmly, "Welcome to the other side. I hope your trip through the maze was enlightening." He grinned.

"Weird question, but would you happen to have access to the cameras inside?"

"I am sorry but I am not at liberty to discuss such things."

"I just wanted to know how they're progressing is all."

The goat grinned, "In a hurry?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Wait.. Don't tell me." The goat closed his eyes, pretending to do some king of magic, "You wanted to propose to the bat, correct?"

"How can you tell?"

"Kid." He chuckled, "You're about as subtle as a freight train."

David sighed, "Well, is there anything you can do?"

"I am sorry," The goat said, his voice filled with mocking tone, "But once someone steps into that maze, it is up to them to get themselves out. They are beyond our help, now."

The dog sighed, defeated, "Alright.. Guess I'll wait." He then headed back towards the exit.

"Perhaps praying for their safe return will help ease your mind." The goat called out after him.

David ignored him, walking around the corner. He sat down on the hard ground, taking out his phone, hoping for a reply.