As Joseph, Billy, Jane and Poppy stood at the entrance, the emotions on their faces were very clear. Some were scared, some annoyed, and some were smug. In fact if you walked past at that very moment, the middle of the night in Greece, you would be greeted with a very peculiar sight, probably tempting you to run. After all they were standing a the entrance, so they were chosen. They were chosen for the beast. They won't be coming back if history has ever taught us anything.

It is that time of year and for the beast to not bother us, we must pay the beast. That is how it has been for over a thousand years, since before Aristotle and Alexander the Great.

Joseph, Billy, Jane and Poppy know what they are going to have to face. But they all know there is no way out once you are inside the labyrinth.

The ancient ceremony is about to begin and and the contestants (as we like to call them) are separated to different entrances. They must fight for them selves. The drums echo through the stadium and a mans voices booms out an Ancient Greek prayer. The rest of the people in the stadiums repeat it too. Then the contestants are pushed in the labyrinth, and the thick bush and vines close trapping them inside.

They belong to the beast now.

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Jane's breathing is fast and laboured from running. She knows she must not stay in one place or the beast will sense her. She learnt that at primary school, but she never thought she would have to use that knowledge.

Her sneakers sink slightly every time she takes a step into the sticky mud ground, resulting in her shoe coming off. She comes to a halt,attempting to put her shoe back on, when she hears a growl. Her ebony black haired head whips around with her gaze landing on some huge yellow hooves. She screams and just misses being squished into a pancake as the beast hurtles towards her. She takes up her other shoe in the midst of running and throws it at the beast resulting in it flaring its nostrils in annoyance.
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Billy was a fast runner, and he knew that he could outrun the beast if he had too. Only three sacrifices had to be taken, and he was determined to be the the one to make it out alive. He was certain that his log slender and athletic body would promise him victory. It was a shame really, that three had to die, he had no quarrel with any of the others sacrifices, and he quite fancied that girl Poppy. But, she was one of the sacrifices now, and he could always find another when he won. Billy smiled as he thought of all the gifts and congratulations he would receive when he got out of the labyrinth. That was when he heard a terrifying scream. He jumped, and immediately ran the other way. "Stay strong" he whispered to himself, although the rest of him was cowardly hugging the hedge walls in fright.
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Joseph was scared. He was terrified of what might happen to him. He could feel his slim bony legs shaking, and felt like he was having a heart attack. He wasn't much of a runner, and when they entered the labyrinth he tripped over a root and cut open his lower leg. He knew that the east could smell blood. And he's already heard a scream. It sounded like Mary. Mary was his best friend from when they were young. A jolt of sadness went through him, at the though of her being taken by the beast. His face was wet, and he realised that he had been crying. He quickly wiped the tears away, getting prepared to run. But one step on his hurt leg made him lose balance an cry out in pain. He plummeted towards the sticky, mud ground, slowly sinking into the ground, before he entirely disappeared.
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Poppy was running around the maze, certain to keep moving. She turned a corner and saw Joseph, lying on the ground. "Joseph?" She whispered, careful not to speak to loudly. "Joseph?" She carefully walked towards him, and realised he was half submerged in the mud ground. She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. Poppy went to touch Jacob, to possibly wake him up, when he sunk down in an instant, now completely gone from sight. Her eyes opened wide in shock. Poppy staggered back, the realisation that he was dead hitting her. Hot, wet tears began to stream down her face, then she heard footsteps, and stumbled away.
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-Mitty284