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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
DISCLAIMER:- in pt 1
AUTHOR'S NOTE:- This is basically the finally part, there's just one last part to go to wrap everything up and that will be out tomorrow. It has to be out tomorrow because I'm going away for a few days tomorrow night, ironically to Sydney. Thanks again KB for all your help.
DELUSIONS
PART 19
by Krystal McDermott
*Thud* Debbie and I duck as a flying stiletto narrowly misses both our heads.
"I take it you find unpacking frustrating?" I ask Miss Parker, preparing to dodge another missile. Instead she simply glares at us and sits herself down on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs.
"Don't even......."
"Go there, yeah we get it, you're still a little touchy after that whole airplane incident" I have to bite my lip to suppress the burst of laughter that's going to erupt from hearing Debbie's last comment.
"Airplane......incident? I was wedged for almost an hour between Fred Flintsone and Mrs. Carol Brady! And she had the nerve to even suggest that I was....... that he was...... my husband!"
"Hey! Remember you are talking about my dad there"
"Yeah and remember what Mrs. Fulcher or as you so aptly named her Mrs. Brady said 'a good wife will be rewarded with a husband for life, a wife who nags will be a lonely old hag" I can't help it anymore and I burst out laughing along with Debbie. Seeing Miss Parker trapped between some guy who looked as though he'd just stepped off Planet of the Apes and the Queen of Bake Sales will entertain me for years to come. Debbie is just about on the floor in fits of laughter and I must admit I'm not far behind her, Miss Parker just may kill us, but at least I'll die with a smile on my face. I wipe my eyes only to see Miss P start to smile a little herself a small laugh escaping her lips.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Sydney pushes the door open slowly, a shocked expression on his face. Obviously he wasn't expecting to find the three of us in here in fits of laughter.
"No, no we were just discussing our plans for this afternoon" Miss Parker announces seriously, vanished from her face any traces or her ever remotely having fun.
"I just came across the hall to tell you that, Jarod would like us all to meet in his room in 15 minutes"
"Thank you, Sydney" Miss Parker rushes out as she basically pushes him out the door and erupts in fits of laughter once more.
After Jarod, Broots, KB and Debbie had explained to us all in detail exactly who would be standing where and doing what and Jarod had demonstrated to us all on how to wear and operate the wires (this time leaving out the confusing stuff about electricity and magnets), Jarod, Broots, and Debbie left for Luna Park to get the area secured. With Jarod posing as a police officer they should have absolutely no trouble getting through security after our little 'bomb' threat. By now Lyle and his band of clowns on steroids should have pinpointed our location. All that's left to do is leave them a couple of nice handy breadcrumbs telling them exactly where I can be found, zip into our 007 costumes, head on down to the hall of mirrors and prepare to get our heads blown off. OK so maybe that last part isn't written into the script.
Michael is just helping Andrea tape her wire to her side when there is a screech of tires from the street below. KB rushes over to the window, her mouth dropping as she sees the thumbless wonder exit the car.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me. OK change of plans" she announces, turning back to look at 7 worried faces. Now I know that wasn't in the script. I never should have left for school that day.
KB, Andrea, Patrick, Miss Parker, Sydney, Jon and I grab the remaining surveillance equipment and quickly race towards the service elevator and ride it to the garage, while Michael poses as bait and heads towards the lobby. Miss Parker and Andrea make it to the two town cars Jarod had purchased earlier this morning first. I climb in the front with Miss Parker in one car as Sydney and Jon jump in the back, while KB and Andrea climb in the front of the other, with Patrick scurrying onto the backseat. I barely have enough time to put on my seatbelt before we are racing out of the garage and screeching to a halt outside the hotel. Five seconds later Michael bursts through the large glass doors and slides into the backseat beside Jon in Andrea and KB's car. In hail of bullets we fly down the main road headed towards Luna Park, with Lyle and the suits close behind and what do you think everyone on the street does? They just stand there with their mouths wide open. A few losers on the corner cheer as we go past as though it's all some kind of stunt. There's no running to the nearest payphone or hastily whipping out their mobile phones. Nah who cares if it's a life or death situation, it's entertainment!
A team of sweepers begin to gain on us and Miss Parker screams at me to take the wheel while she grabs her gun.
"Are you insane! I'm not even old enough to have my learners yet, I can't drive!"
"Well unless you want to arrive at Luna Park in a body bag, I suggest you take the wheel, while I lose the monkeys!"
"If I drive we won't be wearing body bags, I'll be wearing the steering wheel and you'll be wearing a steel pole!" I shout back.
"I said drive!" With that she suddenly lets go of the wheel and leans out the window, gun in hand. I quickly unbuckle my seatbelt and lean across so as I can reach the steering wheel. Yeah it's ok for her if we crash she still has her seatbelt on, I'm the one who's going to go flying through the front window. Over the sound of Miss Parker firing out the window I can just hear Jon in the backseat.
"As I walk through the valley of the shadow......" Oh God, Oh God, Oh God.
"We'll you hurry up and shoot out a tire or something. I almost took out a traffic light back there!" That and the fact that I have absolutely no idea as how to get to Luna Park. There's the sound of an explosion behind us and Miss Parker is back inside the car, smiling like the cat that ate the rat. I scramble to put my seatbelt back on, while Sydney tells Jon to breath.
"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" Miss Parker says smugly. I just shake my head and smile. I must admit after the initial 'I'm gonna die' shock wears off, the adrenaline rush is awesome!
With a skid of the tires we're pulled up directly outside the house of mirrors, where Jarod is waiting after he and Broots 'secured' the area of any civilians that may be at risk from the bomb. It's not long before Andrea and the others arrive announcing that Lyle is no more than five minutes behind them.
"Right then. Places everyone!" Jarod announces with a grin. "Broots and Debbie the observation unit, Michael and Andrea the east entrance, Jon and Patrick the north, Sydney, Katherine and I will be at the west and Miss Parker and Krystal you're at south waiting for Debbie's signal."
"I guess this means that I don't have time to sit down to my dinner of fish and chips then hey?"
"Afraid not" Jarod replies with a smile
"Oh don't worry Krystal, I'm sure 'Daddy' will cook you up something nice and tasty when you get home" Miss Parker says as she reloads her gun. I resist the urge to throw up as everyone runs off to take their places.
"And three, two, one, action!" Debbie calls out through the mic as Lyle and the MIB's skid around the corner. Both Miss Parker and I head straight towards the hall of mirrors as they give chase.
Inside it's almost completely dark except for a few blue lights here and there which reflects off the mirrors and makes the fake smoke along the ground glow slightly.
"It's time's like these I wish I never quit smoking" Miss Parker mutters from in front of me.
"Oh that's real comforting thanks" I reply dryly. Please let it be over soon, please let it be over soon. Of course not in the over over sense, as in everything entirely over forever, just in the over, let me go home, or at least let me wake up from this nightmare sense. And did I just explain myself to myself?! Perhaps I do need to be shot, just so as I can go on a little trip to the renewal wing.
"Miss Parker! Krystal!" Oh God that was Lyle! "Come out, come out where ever you are!"
"What's the matter Lyle? Don't fancy a little game of hide and seek? Scared of the dark?" Miss Parker coos back.
"Are you insane?" I whisper harshly "If you answer him he'll be able to tell where we are"
"Exactly! For all we know he could be seeing mirror images of us right now. It'll just confuse his tiny little brain all the more"
"Krystal" I hear Debbie over the wire. "Take a right, and then the second left."
"Gotcha. Oh and Debbie, where's Lyle now?" I'm not totally sure if I want to know the answer but I think I prefer knowing to not knowing.
"Ummm don't panic, but he's just on the other side of the mirror" she replies
"That's why I'm giving you those directions. If he takes his next left, which he will because he's in a dead end, he'll be right behind you"
I suddenly push Miss Parker from behind trying to get her to speed up a little bit.
"Go, go, go" I whisper. "I don't particularly feel like having a bullet hole through my back"
"You're such a chicken"
"As long as I'm not going to become a barbecued chicken I don't particularly care"
We quickly round the corner as Lyle calls out from somewhere behind us.
"Oh Miss Parker. There's an interesting little fact about wires and hidden mics, although I suppose Jarod did tell you all about it, but did you know if there's enough electromagnetic activity in the air it interferes with the transmitters frequency and you know what happens then?"
I gulp. I knew I should of listened to Jarod. Although I have no idea about what I could of done to prevent this, but I certainly would have had second thoughts about coming here in the first place. Stupid science. Is nothing fool proof these days?
"What no answer? Well perhaps you'd care for a little demonstration?"
"Oh no. It's OK, you don't have to do that. We don't want you to go to any trouble now" I have no idea as to what posed me to answer him call it fear, call it temporary insanity, but do you think he listened? No. There's a sudden high pitched, ear piercing noise and then nothing.
"Debbie? Debbie answer me!" Oh God I'm gonna die! Miss Parker suddenly turns to me and crouches down a little so as she can look me in the eye. I never actually realised how short I was 'til that moment.
"Krystal, now don't worry, I'll get us both out of here, OK?" I nod, I'm far from convinced, but I nod anyway. "Now just stay close behind me, if he does anything funny, I'll blow off his other thumb, besides I've never lost to Lyle before, I'm not about to lose this round of hide and seek to him" she says with a smile. I smile back slightly, but then my face drops. Miss Parker whirls around to come face to face with Lyle.
They stand there, silent, unmoving for a few moments, guns drawn. Lyle moves slightly and begins to pull the trigger, when Miss Parker shoots. There's a deafening crash as the glass shatters all over the floor and then another shot is heard from behind us.
"It was just a mirror. It wasn't him, it was just a mirror." I tell myself, trying to breath once more.
"Yeah, but that mirror just shattered in a million pieces and his friend just fired from behind us"
Both of us run through the maze as images of Lyle and other sweepers flash past us. After the first fifteen or so, I manage not to scream or jump every time I see one. We round the next bend and the next bend until eventually I have to take a breather.
"Miss Parker can we..............Miss Parker? Miss Parker?!" Uh ohhhhh. No this wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a simple plan, we run around fool Lyle trap him in the centre of the maze and then live happily ever after. Losing contact with Debbie and then losing Miss Parker wasn't part of the plan! Ok, ok, ok I'm just not going to panic, I'm going to breath in and breath out, breath in and brea...........Oh hell is that? No, it's just a mirror, it's fine, I'm safe, the mirror can't shoot me. And look, there's another mirror image. It's of Lyle, and look I can wave right at him and absolutely nothing happens. See perfectly safe, and I'm talking to myself again, but I don't particularly care because it's making me feel better. There's another Lyle.
"Hello mirror image Lyle"
"Hello there" Oh crap. The mirror image just answered me. The mirror image isn't supposed to answer me. It's just supposed to look frustrated and walk away and what am I doing? Mirror image is walking straight towards me I should run. Run!
I race through the maze and I can hear Lyle not far behind me. They promised me that I wouldn't die, they promised me! I round the bend and run straight into Jarod, too bad he's made completely out of glass and just heads off in the other direction as if nothing happened.
"Jarod! Jarod where are you? Answer me please?"
"Krystal!"
"Oh shut up I wasn't calling you, I was calling Jarod!" I yell behind me. "Why don't you go chase someone else, all this running around is getting very boring" I see a mirror image of him to my left and he looks slightly stunned.
"Krystal will you stop running please!" he calls back.
"Oh wait, what was that? Stop running please? Oh well when you put it that way, sure I'll stop running and let you blast a hole through me head! How stupid do you think I am?!"
"Would you look in one of the mirrors, I'm not even carrying my gun! Krystal I know the secret!" Lyle calls out, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"What? That you're a psychopath? I got news for you, that's no secret!" I take a quick glance at the mirrors and he's telling the truth, he's not carrying his gun. I consider stopping for a brief moment until I realise that he could still strangle me.
"No not that! And I'm not even......well I never was......well I'm not........Not that secret. I know about you're mother, about the Centre, I know I'm your father!"
I stop dead in my tracks. That one I wasn't expecting.
"Thank you" I hear him say puffed from behind me. Wait. What the hell am I doing, just cos he knows his my father doesn't mean he still won't kill me.
"What are you doing? Why are you running again?!"
"We can talk and run. I don't trust you!" I call back.
"Krystal? Krystal as that you?"
"KB? Sydney? Jarod?" I round the bend and come face to face with KB, Jarod and Sydney. Living breathing KB, Jarod and Sydney.
"Oh am I glad to see you!" At that moment Lyle crashes straight into the back of me. "What the? Ahhhhhhhh!" I scream jumping back to hide behind Sydney. Once again childish I know, but I've been running for a long time and I'm really quite tired. Lyle leans up against the mirrored wall, completely out of breath.
"Remind me never to take you jogging" he puffs out.
"Oh no problem, you won't have to ask me twice" I look around from behind Sydney to see Jarod, KB and Sydney smiling.
"Oh what now? What do you all know that I don't?"
"He knows Krystal"
"I know he knows"
"Then why were you.........." Jarod begins before I cut him off.
"Why was I running? Well if Lyle suddenly came up to you and said, hey I know the secret, now stop running, I won't kill you, everything will be ok, what would you do?"
"Good point there" Jarod nods in agreement.
"There's just one thing. I'm just a little curious as to how Lyle knows?"
"You know I am here? You can ask me?"
"I still don't trust you" Sydney smiles and begins to explain.
"After we heard the gun shots we headed in that direction. Jarod had memorised the plans of the maze so we knew exactly where we were going. We ran into Lyle and after Jarod 'persuaded' him to put the gun down....."
"Holding a gun to my head was a very convincing method of persuasion" Lyle interrupts
"Yes well anyway, Katherine, Jarod and myself then proceeded to show Lyle the DNA records and Centre folders detailing the directive to come down here"
I glance at Lyle suspiciously, he seems to be genuine but this is Lyle remember. Trust him too much and you end up in a casserole dish.
"So what about Miss Parker, Andrea, Patrick, Jon, and Michael and the other sweepers.?" I ask.
"Jarod took out a few earlier on and Miss Parker took care of the rest. They said they'd love to come and join the reunion but they're a little tied up at the moment" KB says with a grin.
"Patrick and Jon got completely lost and ended up with Broots and Debbie in the surveillance room, and I think Andrea and Michael are outside somewhere"
With the help of Jarod the five of us walk out of the maze. Sydney continues to recount the afternoons events to me and Lyle continues to assure me that he really is not going to kill me. I on the other hand try to convince him that he really should take up Sydney's offer to hypnotise him, just to be on the safe side. Miss Parker, Broots, Debbie, Jon, Patrick, Michael and Andrea are outside waiting for us when we finally exit the hall of mirrors.
"See Krystal, told you I wouldn't let anything bad happen" Miss Parker says with a grin.
"I'd say this calls for a celebration!" Lyle calls out. "Who feels like dining out tonight? Chinese?" I stare in horror as Lyle bursts out laughing. "Kidding, kidding. Have a sense of humor people"
"Jokes are supposed to be funny, that wasn't" I state still a little disturbed.
"Ok, you pick the restaurant then" I shake my head.
"Sydney, I just might take you up on those psychiatric sessions"
TBC....
Feedback please!!!!!!!!
little_miss_krystal@hotmail.com
AUTHOR'S NOTE:- This is basically the finally part, there's just one last part to go to wrap everything up and that will be out tomorrow. It has to be out tomorrow because I'm going away for a few days tomorrow night, ironically to Sydney. Thanks again KB for all your help.
PART 19
by Krystal McDermott
*Thud* Debbie and I duck as a flying stiletto narrowly misses both our heads.
"I take it you find unpacking frustrating?" I ask Miss Parker, preparing to dodge another missile. Instead she simply glares at us and sits herself down on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs.
"Don't even......."
"Go there, yeah we get it, you're still a little touchy after that whole airplane incident" I have to bite my lip to suppress the burst of laughter that's going to erupt from hearing Debbie's last comment.
"Airplane......incident? I was wedged for almost an hour between Fred Flintsone and Mrs. Carol Brady! And she had the nerve to even suggest that I was....... that he was...... my husband!"
"Hey! Remember you are talking about my dad there"
"Yeah and remember what Mrs. Fulcher or as you so aptly named her Mrs. Brady said 'a good wife will be rewarded with a husband for life, a wife who nags will be a lonely old hag" I can't help it anymore and I burst out laughing along with Debbie. Seeing Miss Parker trapped between some guy who looked as though he'd just stepped off Planet of the Apes and the Queen of Bake Sales will entertain me for years to come. Debbie is just about on the floor in fits of laughter and I must admit I'm not far behind her, Miss Parker just may kill us, but at least I'll die with a smile on my face. I wipe my eyes only to see Miss P start to smile a little herself a small laugh escaping her lips.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Sydney pushes the door open slowly, a shocked expression on his face. Obviously he wasn't expecting to find the three of us in here in fits of laughter.
"No, no we were just discussing our plans for this afternoon" Miss Parker announces seriously, vanished from her face any traces or her ever remotely having fun.
"I just came across the hall to tell you that, Jarod would like us all to meet in his room in 15 minutes"
"Thank you, Sydney" Miss Parker rushes out as she basically pushes him out the door and erupts in fits of laughter once more.
After Jarod, Broots, KB and Debbie had explained to us all in detail exactly who would be standing where and doing what and Jarod had demonstrated to us all on how to wear and operate the wires (this time leaving out the confusing stuff about electricity and magnets), Jarod, Broots, and Debbie left for Luna Park to get the area secured. With Jarod posing as a police officer they should have absolutely no trouble getting through security after our little 'bomb' threat. By now Lyle and his band of clowns on steroids should have pinpointed our location. All that's left to do is leave them a couple of nice handy breadcrumbs telling them exactly where I can be found, zip into our 007 costumes, head on down to the hall of mirrors and prepare to get our heads blown off. OK so maybe that last part isn't written into the script.
Michael is just helping Andrea tape her wire to her side when there is a screech of tires from the street below. KB rushes over to the window, her mouth dropping as she sees the thumbless wonder exit the car.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me. OK change of plans" she announces, turning back to look at 7 worried faces. Now I know that wasn't in the script. I never should have left for school that day.
KB, Andrea, Patrick, Miss Parker, Sydney, Jon and I grab the remaining surveillance equipment and quickly race towards the service elevator and ride it to the garage, while Michael poses as bait and heads towards the lobby. Miss Parker and Andrea make it to the two town cars Jarod had purchased earlier this morning first. I climb in the front with Miss Parker in one car as Sydney and Jon jump in the back, while KB and Andrea climb in the front of the other, with Patrick scurrying onto the backseat. I barely have enough time to put on my seatbelt before we are racing out of the garage and screeching to a halt outside the hotel. Five seconds later Michael bursts through the large glass doors and slides into the backseat beside Jon in Andrea and KB's car. In hail of bullets we fly down the main road headed towards Luna Park, with Lyle and the suits close behind and what do you think everyone on the street does? They just stand there with their mouths wide open. A few losers on the corner cheer as we go past as though it's all some kind of stunt. There's no running to the nearest payphone or hastily whipping out their mobile phones. Nah who cares if it's a life or death situation, it's entertainment!
A team of sweepers begin to gain on us and Miss Parker screams at me to take the wheel while she grabs her gun.
"Are you insane! I'm not even old enough to have my learners yet, I can't drive!"
"Well unless you want to arrive at Luna Park in a body bag, I suggest you take the wheel, while I lose the monkeys!"
"If I drive we won't be wearing body bags, I'll be wearing the steering wheel and you'll be wearing a steel pole!" I shout back.
"I said drive!" With that she suddenly lets go of the wheel and leans out the window, gun in hand. I quickly unbuckle my seatbelt and lean across so as I can reach the steering wheel. Yeah it's ok for her if we crash she still has her seatbelt on, I'm the one who's going to go flying through the front window. Over the sound of Miss Parker firing out the window I can just hear Jon in the backseat.
"As I walk through the valley of the shadow......" Oh God, Oh God, Oh God.
"We'll you hurry up and shoot out a tire or something. I almost took out a traffic light back there!" That and the fact that I have absolutely no idea as how to get to Luna Park. There's the sound of an explosion behind us and Miss Parker is back inside the car, smiling like the cat that ate the rat. I scramble to put my seatbelt back on, while Sydney tells Jon to breath.
"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" Miss Parker says smugly. I just shake my head and smile. I must admit after the initial 'I'm gonna die' shock wears off, the adrenaline rush is awesome!
With a skid of the tires we're pulled up directly outside the house of mirrors, where Jarod is waiting after he and Broots 'secured' the area of any civilians that may be at risk from the bomb. It's not long before Andrea and the others arrive announcing that Lyle is no more than five minutes behind them.
"Right then. Places everyone!" Jarod announces with a grin. "Broots and Debbie the observation unit, Michael and Andrea the east entrance, Jon and Patrick the north, Sydney, Katherine and I will be at the west and Miss Parker and Krystal you're at south waiting for Debbie's signal."
"I guess this means that I don't have time to sit down to my dinner of fish and chips then hey?"
"Afraid not" Jarod replies with a smile
"Oh don't worry Krystal, I'm sure 'Daddy' will cook you up something nice and tasty when you get home" Miss Parker says as she reloads her gun. I resist the urge to throw up as everyone runs off to take their places.
"And three, two, one, action!" Debbie calls out through the mic as Lyle and the MIB's skid around the corner. Both Miss Parker and I head straight towards the hall of mirrors as they give chase.
Inside it's almost completely dark except for a few blue lights here and there which reflects off the mirrors and makes the fake smoke along the ground glow slightly.
"It's time's like these I wish I never quit smoking" Miss Parker mutters from in front of me.
"Oh that's real comforting thanks" I reply dryly. Please let it be over soon, please let it be over soon. Of course not in the over over sense, as in everything entirely over forever, just in the over, let me go home, or at least let me wake up from this nightmare sense. And did I just explain myself to myself?! Perhaps I do need to be shot, just so as I can go on a little trip to the renewal wing.
"Miss Parker! Krystal!" Oh God that was Lyle! "Come out, come out where ever you are!"
"What's the matter Lyle? Don't fancy a little game of hide and seek? Scared of the dark?" Miss Parker coos back.
"Are you insane?" I whisper harshly "If you answer him he'll be able to tell where we are"
"Exactly! For all we know he could be seeing mirror images of us right now. It'll just confuse his tiny little brain all the more"
"Krystal" I hear Debbie over the wire. "Take a right, and then the second left."
"Gotcha. Oh and Debbie, where's Lyle now?" I'm not totally sure if I want to know the answer but I think I prefer knowing to not knowing.
"Ummm don't panic, but he's just on the other side of the mirror" she replies
"That's why I'm giving you those directions. If he takes his next left, which he will because he's in a dead end, he'll be right behind you"
I suddenly push Miss Parker from behind trying to get her to speed up a little bit.
"Go, go, go" I whisper. "I don't particularly feel like having a bullet hole through my back"
"You're such a chicken"
"As long as I'm not going to become a barbecued chicken I don't particularly care"
We quickly round the corner as Lyle calls out from somewhere behind us.
"Oh Miss Parker. There's an interesting little fact about wires and hidden mics, although I suppose Jarod did tell you all about it, but did you know if there's enough electromagnetic activity in the air it interferes with the transmitters frequency and you know what happens then?"
I gulp. I knew I should of listened to Jarod. Although I have no idea about what I could of done to prevent this, but I certainly would have had second thoughts about coming here in the first place. Stupid science. Is nothing fool proof these days?
"What no answer? Well perhaps you'd care for a little demonstration?"
"Oh no. It's OK, you don't have to do that. We don't want you to go to any trouble now" I have no idea as to what posed me to answer him call it fear, call it temporary insanity, but do you think he listened? No. There's a sudden high pitched, ear piercing noise and then nothing.
"Debbie? Debbie answer me!" Oh God I'm gonna die! Miss Parker suddenly turns to me and crouches down a little so as she can look me in the eye. I never actually realised how short I was 'til that moment.
"Krystal, now don't worry, I'll get us both out of here, OK?" I nod, I'm far from convinced, but I nod anyway. "Now just stay close behind me, if he does anything funny, I'll blow off his other thumb, besides I've never lost to Lyle before, I'm not about to lose this round of hide and seek to him" she says with a smile. I smile back slightly, but then my face drops. Miss Parker whirls around to come face to face with Lyle.
They stand there, silent, unmoving for a few moments, guns drawn. Lyle moves slightly and begins to pull the trigger, when Miss Parker shoots. There's a deafening crash as the glass shatters all over the floor and then another shot is heard from behind us.
"It was just a mirror. It wasn't him, it was just a mirror." I tell myself, trying to breath once more.
"Yeah, but that mirror just shattered in a million pieces and his friend just fired from behind us"
Both of us run through the maze as images of Lyle and other sweepers flash past us. After the first fifteen or so, I manage not to scream or jump every time I see one. We round the next bend and the next bend until eventually I have to take a breather.
"Miss Parker can we..............Miss Parker? Miss Parker?!" Uh ohhhhh. No this wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a simple plan, we run around fool Lyle trap him in the centre of the maze and then live happily ever after. Losing contact with Debbie and then losing Miss Parker wasn't part of the plan! Ok, ok, ok I'm just not going to panic, I'm going to breath in and breath out, breath in and brea...........Oh hell is that? No, it's just a mirror, it's fine, I'm safe, the mirror can't shoot me. And look, there's another mirror image. It's of Lyle, and look I can wave right at him and absolutely nothing happens. See perfectly safe, and I'm talking to myself again, but I don't particularly care because it's making me feel better. There's another Lyle.
"Hello mirror image Lyle"
"Hello there" Oh crap. The mirror image just answered me. The mirror image isn't supposed to answer me. It's just supposed to look frustrated and walk away and what am I doing? Mirror image is walking straight towards me I should run. Run!
I race through the maze and I can hear Lyle not far behind me. They promised me that I wouldn't die, they promised me! I round the bend and run straight into Jarod, too bad he's made completely out of glass and just heads off in the other direction as if nothing happened.
"Jarod! Jarod where are you? Answer me please?"
"Krystal!"
"Oh shut up I wasn't calling you, I was calling Jarod!" I yell behind me. "Why don't you go chase someone else, all this running around is getting very boring" I see a mirror image of him to my left and he looks slightly stunned.
"Krystal will you stop running please!" he calls back.
"Oh wait, what was that? Stop running please? Oh well when you put it that way, sure I'll stop running and let you blast a hole through me head! How stupid do you think I am?!"
"Would you look in one of the mirrors, I'm not even carrying my gun! Krystal I know the secret!" Lyle calls out, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"What? That you're a psychopath? I got news for you, that's no secret!" I take a quick glance at the mirrors and he's telling the truth, he's not carrying his gun. I consider stopping for a brief moment until I realise that he could still strangle me.
"No not that! And I'm not even......well I never was......well I'm not........Not that secret. I know about you're mother, about the Centre, I know I'm your father!"
I stop dead in my tracks. That one I wasn't expecting.
"Thank you" I hear him say puffed from behind me. Wait. What the hell am I doing, just cos he knows his my father doesn't mean he still won't kill me.
"What are you doing? Why are you running again?!"
"We can talk and run. I don't trust you!" I call back.
"Krystal? Krystal as that you?"
"KB? Sydney? Jarod?" I round the bend and come face to face with KB, Jarod and Sydney. Living breathing KB, Jarod and Sydney.
"Oh am I glad to see you!" At that moment Lyle crashes straight into the back of me. "What the? Ahhhhhhhh!" I scream jumping back to hide behind Sydney. Once again childish I know, but I've been running for a long time and I'm really quite tired. Lyle leans up against the mirrored wall, completely out of breath.
"Remind me never to take you jogging" he puffs out.
"Oh no problem, you won't have to ask me twice" I look around from behind Sydney to see Jarod, KB and Sydney smiling.
"Oh what now? What do you all know that I don't?"
"He knows Krystal"
"I know he knows"
"Then why were you.........." Jarod begins before I cut him off.
"Why was I running? Well if Lyle suddenly came up to you and said, hey I know the secret, now stop running, I won't kill you, everything will be ok, what would you do?"
"Good point there" Jarod nods in agreement.
"There's just one thing. I'm just a little curious as to how Lyle knows?"
"You know I am here? You can ask me?"
"I still don't trust you" Sydney smiles and begins to explain.
"After we heard the gun shots we headed in that direction. Jarod had memorised the plans of the maze so we knew exactly where we were going. We ran into Lyle and after Jarod 'persuaded' him to put the gun down....."
"Holding a gun to my head was a very convincing method of persuasion" Lyle interrupts
"Yes well anyway, Katherine, Jarod and myself then proceeded to show Lyle the DNA records and Centre folders detailing the directive to come down here"
I glance at Lyle suspiciously, he seems to be genuine but this is Lyle remember. Trust him too much and you end up in a casserole dish.
"So what about Miss Parker, Andrea, Patrick, Jon, and Michael and the other sweepers.?" I ask.
"Jarod took out a few earlier on and Miss Parker took care of the rest. They said they'd love to come and join the reunion but they're a little tied up at the moment" KB says with a grin.
"Patrick and Jon got completely lost and ended up with Broots and Debbie in the surveillance room, and I think Andrea and Michael are outside somewhere"
With the help of Jarod the five of us walk out of the maze. Sydney continues to recount the afternoons events to me and Lyle continues to assure me that he really is not going to kill me. I on the other hand try to convince him that he really should take up Sydney's offer to hypnotise him, just to be on the safe side. Miss Parker, Broots, Debbie, Jon, Patrick, Michael and Andrea are outside waiting for us when we finally exit the hall of mirrors.
"See Krystal, told you I wouldn't let anything bad happen" Miss Parker says with a grin.
"I'd say this calls for a celebration!" Lyle calls out. "Who feels like dining out tonight? Chinese?" I stare in horror as Lyle bursts out laughing. "Kidding, kidding. Have a sense of humor people"
"Jokes are supposed to be funny, that wasn't" I state still a little disturbed.
"Ok, you pick the restaurant then" I shake my head.
"Sydney, I just might take you up on those psychiatric sessions"
TBC....
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