“THIS IS A TRAP, YOU UNDERSTAND.”

“I am well aware of that,” Nick replied coldly, “and you have been voicing your concerns the entire way. But you are welcome to stop any time and continue to sulk, if that’s what you like. In fact, I clearly remember I was advising you not to come along.”

Exflibberaguil grumbled something incomprehensible, though he continued to drag his feet after the team begrudgingly. Oakley delighted in ripping her map into thousands of tiny pieces, then throwing the shreds up and shrieking as they fluttered down.

The doctor stuffed another map in her face before she could begin throwing a tantrum. She snatched it eagerly and ripped it in half with relish. Timothy glowered at her, though he did not look very sane either. He kept twitching and jerking at the slightest of noises, though he never seemed to react when someone spoke to him. Sometimes, his face would freeze in an expression of agony, and it would take minutes before he’d resume to a state of unhappiness.

Exflibberaguil looked just as gloomy as before, as if every step he took aged him by two years.

Nick and the doctor regarded them as heavy luggage, shooting them expressions of disgust every so often before sighing and rolling their eyes.

“Finally (after many delays because of the paper-throwing), the crew arrived at yet another room.

“Where are we now?” Nick asked in a hushed voice.

“I thought you were keeping track!”

“You trusted me, a middle schooler, to keep track of your fate?” Nick said with disbelief. “I’m not sure if I should feel honored or congratulate you on your stupidity. But thank you, nonetheless. I’m not sure if we are at room twenty or twenty-one.”

“Well, let’s figure it out,” the doctor replied, attempting to keep his voice even to hide his nervousness. “Let’s see,” he said, hastily smoothing out his map. “Didn’t we just exit from door sixteen?”

“Yes, but room nineteen and room twenty both exit from door sixteen.”

“Well,” the doctor said, burying his face deeper in the map, “d-do you remember if you went through two doors?”

Nick flicked her eyes to him impatiently. “I wouldn’t be asking you if I remembered. You’re being one of those people that ask, ‘Where did you see it last?’ whenever you tell them you lost something.”

“I apologize for attempting to help,” the doctor snapped. “Shall I go back and check?”

“How will you be able to get back?”

“I’ll follow the paper scraps, of course.” He silently congratulated himself for thinking of a solution so quickly.

“Well, it’s quite a long walk, though I suppose you could do with some exercise,” Nick muttered.

The doctor pretended not to hear, but once he was out of sight, he glanced at his slightly protruding stomach self-consciously. He could almost hear that annoying child’s voice echoing after him, Told you so!

Maybe he was going crazy too.

NICK SAT IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM, BEING CAREFUL TO FACE THE RIGHT SIDE.

“You there,” she said, pointing to Oakley, “go tear up the paper near that hallway, so I know where I came from.”

Oakley, of course, did not even pretend to listen and continued to prance around the room, scattering pieces everywhere.

Nick sighed and stood up, collecting the scraps and arranging them near the opening they exited. Timothy was in one of his fit of jerks again, which was often followed with an agony-face. Exflibberaguil continued his staring contest against the wall, though Nick was beginning to question whether or not he was just sulking or actually speaking to the wall.

Whatever it was, Nick knew she wished she could be as free and insane as they were. Heck, she’d even be willing to die. Exflibberaguil was all too right. This map was likely just another one of the rabbit’s games. Those animals are probably spectating them right now, holding their stomachs in laughter. She clenched her fists, crumpling her map.

Die…she remembered thinking of that. Yes, she remembered clearly now. In one of those rooms, she had been wondering how long it would take for someone with no food to die. And then she began thinking of dice, the cube object. And then, that’s right, her mind had wandered to how a die has twenty-one dots, and they were just approaching room twenty-one…

Yes! She was in room twenty-one!

She grinned, imagining her glee when the doctor came running back, only to learn that his run had been useless. Though she was beginning to feel awfully like Exflibberaguil, and Exflibberaguil was acting a bit like her…so strange what this could do to people.

Nick glanced back at the hallway where the doctor had disappeared to. She knew where she was now. The doctor was only slowing her down. Come to think of it, the doctor had always been slowing her down. He didn’t even keep track of the room they were at.

Maybe she could just go ahead…

Yes, that was what she’d do. Give the doctor a smack in the face. She was feeling awfully bottled up lately, and this would be a perfect prank. Though she didn’t want the doctor to be too worried. He the only sane person besides herself, and she may need a little help controlling the other people. She’d leave a note. She had a pencil, after all.

Out of her pocket she rummaged for her stubby pencil and a spare map, scrawling the words Meet you at the end on the back. She carefully, led Oakley away and to door three, the door they were going to, so that she wouldn’t rip the map. Nick placed it carefully in the center of the room, and then began herding the rest of the team to the door.

“Betraying the doctor?” Exflibberaguil asked flatly.

“Just a little prank,” Nick snapped. “Come on, you were doing such a good job at shutting up.”

She pushed him into the hallway, and hurried ahead to lead the way.

A smile creeped on her face. Oh, if only she could be there to see the doctor’s reaction…