A Maze within a looking glass

Liv suddenly found herself very disoriented as the world seemed to be building itself around her. For an instant, she could have sworn there was nothing and she stumbled for balance, but then her outstretched hand brushed something. It was a smooth texture, interrupted by occasional rings--like a stalk of bamboo. Her hand traced up it's length and all at once she could see where she was.

It was a corridor, by the looks of it a relatively small one that branched on either end. Liv realized that Skye was there with her as well, the other woman seemingly about to stumble before her fingers brushed the wall as well, and her eyes opened with understanding in them. Skye's hand stayed on the wall as her eyes slowly widened, then all at once she jerked back and fell to the ground.

Liv approached her, crouching down to help the other woman back to her feet.

I--Liv! Are you alright?" Skye asked as she regained her senses. Liv gave her a quick nod, then turned heer attention back to the wall she had touched. As she stared at the woven stalks, she felt a heat welling up in her face. Gradually, she came to realize that the pale green plants that now utterly surrounded the pair had a strange, almost supernatural depth to them, as if the simple plants contained an entire galaxy within their skins.

As her eyes traced higher, Liv let out a groan. At the corners of the corridor where the walls met the ceiling and floor, the bamboo stalks tapered off, changing texture as though they had been carved into stone cockheads.

"Right," Liv scowled. "Of course."

"We're still in the Labyrinth, I'd bet," Liv said. "Keep your eyes open for anything to do with a way out. We don't want to leave Emmaline on her own for too long. Who knows what kind of trouble she'll get into."

After quickly reaching behind her back to check that her rifle was still secure in it's place, Liv glanced down both ends of the hallway. They seemed largely the same, with no real discerning features, so she arbitrarily picked one and motioned for Skye to follow her.

"Do you think the rest of the Bravos got sent down here too?" Skye asked as the pair made their way forward. She did her best to stay focused, but her eyes kept drifting back to the walls. The craftsmanship of the carved tips of the bamboo stocks was astounding, and the way they transitioned seamlessly from plant matter to a stony emerald wasn't something she had ever seen nor heard of before. If Liv hadn't been here with her, she likely would have taken the opportunity to sit down and study them in greater detail.

"Maybe," Liv said. Her eyes stayed locked on the path ahead, quickly choosing each split with a taciturn decisiveness grounded in no real information, simply instinct.

"And Emmaline will probably wind up here too once she follows us..." Skye murmured.

"Maybe she will," Liv said. Her pace was relentless, and Skye sighed quiety behind her.

"Well, we'll have to find her if she does." Skye said.

***

This chapter was co-authored by Mapron01(https://chyoa.com/user/Mapron01) Please check him out!