Radley's Labyrinth for Horny Monsters by Annabelle Hawthorne (highly recommended books .txt) 📕

clock chime that it was the top of the hour. The past ripped itself away from her, leaving her with the cold remnants of the morning. Wiping the tears off her face, she opened her eyes, her vision settling on the window nearest her bed. She could hear the birds singing outside. Groaning, she sat up, a dull ache just behind her eyes. Rubbing her head, she slid out of bed before walking past the clock and into her bathroom for some aspirin. She swallowed the pills and walked back out into the loft.

The morning light had snuck in through a few gaps in the blinds, scattering errant rays across the garage. Several of them bounced off the chrome of the bike, lighting up the concrete floor. Dana stared at Alex’s motorcycle, wondering now if she truly wanted to finish fixing it. She had thought that riding it would bring her closer to Alex, make it feel like they were together again, but the cold reality of day reminded her that she was still alive and Alex was gone.

Shaking her head, she retrieved her phone from its hiding place, only to discover that she was almost an hour late for work. She had a couple of phone calls already from her boss.

“Shit!” She grabbed clothes off the floor and dressed as quickly as she could, then bolted out of the apartment. After getting into her car, she turned the ignition and nearly backed into a giant town car that now blocked the driveway.

“Fuck!” She jumped out of her car, staring at the man in the driver’s seat. “Hey. Hey! I need you to move so I can get going!” He ignored her even as she approached. When she banged on the glass, his gaze remained fixed eerily on nothing in particular. “Hey! Asshole! Let me out!”

The driver wore a chauffeur’s hat and matching gloves, which meant he had driven someone. She looked back at her landlord’s house. Who did she know that had their own driver?

There was only one way to find out. She didn’t even bother knocking, just let herself in through the front door.

Mike stood next to the closet door in the guest bedroom. Jenny, inside Beth’s body, fidgeted with her hair, twirling it in her fingers. She was wearing a small backpack that was just one of Zel’s saddlebags that had been modified to carry the doll inside. If they needed Beth and Jenny to switch back, then the doll needed to remain close by.

“Well?” Mike asked. “How do we do this?”

Jenny grinned, grabbing the doorknob to the closet. “Simple, simple! Three o’clock, nine o’clock, up and down.” She turned the knob right, then left, then pulled up on it. The whole knob slid up like a lever, then Jenny pushed it back down and pulled. A blast of cool air hit Mike in the face, and the interior of the closet was gone. The back wall was now composed of smooth rock, and the light of the room was gobbled up by the cave that had appeared.

“Did you get that?” Mike asked Cecilia.

“I did,” she answered, staring warily at Jenny. Mike looked at Cecilia when Jenny grabbed his wrist.

“Come on! I can show you how to open the gate to the Labyrinth!” She pulled him toward the entrance. Mike resisted just long enough to turn on his flashlight. He ducked in time to avoid smashing his face on the rock above, letting Jenny lead him down the tunnel. Cecilia vanished, heading back to the front door to watch Kali. Mike found himself wishing she was still by his side. Jenny had already disappeared around the first bend, humming a random tune to herself.

He wished that someone else could have come with him. Naia couldn’t, and Lily wouldn’t even look him in the eyes. Zel couldn’t come, and he barely knew her. Instead, he was stuck with a half-crazed ghost in his estate agent’s body.

Mike followed behind Jenny, who had slowed down. “So how do you know so much about the house?”

“I’ve been here a long time, and when I’m not locked up in the Vault, I go on adventures!” Jenny turned around to walk backward. “The Labyrinth is extra fun! It has games and places to hide, and the Minotaur will chase you!”

“That’s kind of why we’re going.” A lump formed in Mike’s throat. “But we want to avoid the Minotaur. At least until we find the others.”

“A chase, a race, my panties are lace.” Jenny winked. “If we can cross the bridge, he won’t follow. He is scared of the water.”

“Like the pool?” Mike asked. And what bridge was she talking about? He was never certain what parts of her speech he should be paying attention to.

“The pool is a way out when the closet is closed. The Minotaur won’t go in so can’t leave.”

A thought occurred to Mike. “If there’s a Labyrinth and a Minotaur guarding it, then what is in the Labyrinth?”

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I have no idea.” Jenny stopped. “Every time I got close to the middle, I would get kicked out. I don’t know how.”

“How do you not know how you got kicked out?”

“I would turn a corner or crawl through a hole and find myself outside.” Jenny frowned. “Even if I was on the other side of the river.”

“River?” That hadn’t been on any of the maps.

“Yeah. The river circles the middle. It changes all the time.” Jenny grabbed Mike’s hand. “Come. I’ll show you!” Pulling hard, she started a brisk jog. Mike followed, noticing how cold Jenny’s hands were.

The caves slowly descended, opening up into the largest underground chamber he had ever seen. Below them, the Labyrinth waited; miles of twists and turns shifted like a bagful of snakes. The trail they were on consisted of switchbacks that terminated on the hard, flat ground at the bottom. A path that went by a reflecting pool led them up to the gate. He