Chapter Eight - Things that were lost

Ansus growled. ‘A tick is too kind a word for him.’

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‘Oh Ansus, don’t be so hard on him. He can’t be that bad,’ Pahana said, rubbing the tiger’s back. ‘Besides, it’s good that his friends were able to join us.’ She waved to Jed. ‘Hurry up, we must move on. We can’t linger here.’

‘You sound as bad as the tiger,’ Jed said. He maintained his pace, perhaps slowed a little, and sauntered up to Pahana and Ansus at the same time as his two companions. ‘Lilo, Ben, this is – what is your name again? Let me see, I think it’s Pahana – as in, ‘We must save Pahana’ and ‘We can’t stop because we have to look for Pahana.’

The man and woman with Jed mumbled greetings. They both looked pale and tired, especially Ben, who appeared to be coming down with an illness.

Inwardly, Pahana grumbled. Perhaps Ansus was right about her assessment of Jed, but it would not help anyone to be rude to the man and even objectionable people deserved her help and respect. ‘Pleased to meet you Ben and Lilo.’

Ben smiled. It was beautiful and lit up his face. ‘It’s great we’re united at last. The good tigress was very worried about you. Now that we’re together, I ask that we rest for a short while to gather our energy and to eat a small repast.’

Pahana regretted having to disappoint him. ‘I’m afraid we have to keep going. The true path that will lead us out of the maze will not remain open for much longer and we will lose precious time if we rest. I know you’re tired and it’s hard going, but perhaps Ansus could carry you on her back for a while to help you recover?’

Ben looked at the tiger’s narrow back. Ansus growled.

‘Come on, there is an alcove up ahead. We can stop in there for five minutes. If this true path is so easy to lose we’ll never make it out of here, so we may as well not kill ourselves trying,’ Jed said. He tapped the casket in Pahana’s arms. ‘That better have food or some sort of goodies in it.’

Pahana pulled away. ‘I don’t know what’s in it, but it’s important.’ She hoped it wasn’t food, thinking of the corrupted feast Lipedo had laid out for her.

Jed shrugged. ‘I think we have some provisions left, but we need to go on a scouting party soon. Food and water is hard to find in this place.’

Ansus thumped her tail against Pahana’s leg. ‘We could do with looking in that box and if Jed is right, an alcove is a better place to open it up than exposed in the corridor. I think we can afford to stop for a little while.’

‘Lead the way, Jed,’ Pahana said.

He saluted her mockingly and then carefully squeezed past Ansus to lead the way down the corridor. ‘It should be along here on the right,’ he said, slapping the brick wall with his hand. ‘I found it on one of my hunts. Ah, yes, here it is.’

He seemed to disappear into the wall of the corridor. Pahana could detect no opening, but then his head appeared grinning out of the brickwork and his arm beckoned them towards him. Up close, Pahana saw that a doorway was concealed in the wall. It was so cleverly hidden that even standing right in front of it she found it hard to see. Stepping into the doorway brought her to a small square chamber that was just large enough for the four people to sit against the walls and for the tiger to stretch out at their feet.

Lilo helped Ben sit down on some rubble. He coughed a little, but shook away Lilo’s concerns. She sat down beside him. Jed took a cloth bag out of his pocket. It contained a spongy brown loaf – whether bread or fungus, Pahana could not tell – which he proceeded to divide into equal shares and distribute. Pahana shook her head when he offered her a portion.

‘Not hungry?’ Jed looked surprised.

Pahana smiled. ‘I don’t need it, thank you.’

He looked at her intently for a moment, then shrugged and broke the piece in two, giving a share each to Ben and Lilo. He took a bottle from his other pocket and repeated the process. Once again Pahana refused her share.

‘I don’t get you and the tiger,’ Jed said. ‘You don’t eat or drink anything, but you aren’t sick and tired like we are – or were you dining in style the same place you got your glad rags?’

‘I’m not hungry, that’s all, and I think you need it more than I do at the moment,’ Pahana said.

‘We don’t need you to make sacrifices for us.’ Jed sounded angry.

Pahana flushed. ‘I’m not. If I need it, I’ll ask you for it.’

‘Please Jed, don’t fight,’ Lilo said softly.

Jed sniffed and sat down to eat his food. He stared at Pahana while he ate.

Ansus, stretched between the people, did not have much room to manoeuvre. She nodded at the casket in Pahana’s arms. ‘Open it.’

Pahana caressed the box lid. ‘Are you sure? Is it safe?’ She was afraid. She didn’t want to find out what it contained. She wasn’t worried that it was something evil, although there was certainly the possibility, but what if it was something good? What if it was a key to escape the maze, or a torch to light their way? Even worse, what if it was empty? As long as she carried it unopened it could contain any or all of these possibilities. She didn’t want to ruin it but finding out what lay inside and sealing its fate.

‘It smells of the other worlds,’ Ansus said, sniffing loudly. ‘You were drawn to it for a reason. The sage would not let you keep it if it was going to harm you.’

‘Where did you get it anyway?’ Jed asked.

‘From the room of the creature that the night train brought me to,’ Pahana replied.

Jed smiled. ‘So you’re a thief. I guess we’ve more in common than I thought.’

Pahana was tempted to reply but thought better of it. She wasn’t going to allow him to draw her. She turned the box around on her knee so that the clasp was facing her. She grasped it, then paused, looking to Ansus once more for assurance.

‘Open it,’ Jed said. ‘We can handle whatever’s inside.’

‘Seize the day,’ Ben said. Lilo murmured her agreement.

Ansus nodded. ‘Open it, Pahana.’

Pahana drew in a deep breath. Holding it, she flicked open the clasp and tilted the lid back. It fell open easily, on well-oiled hinges. A bright blue light spilled out of the box and illuminated the alcove. The box was lined with black velvet. Resting in a depression in the centre was a crystal vial filled with sapphire light. Pahana picked up the vial and held it up. It was cold to the touch.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Lilo said.

‘What is it?’ Jed asked, leaning forward to look closer.

Ansus banged her tail against the wall. ‘It’s yours, Pahana. It’s your missing brain.’

Jed laughed. ‘Her what?’

‘The part the Mubby harvested from her, or parts I should say, as it took a piece from her head night after night and placed it in this bottle for the private collection of a lord for this part of the maze,’ Ansus said.

‘That don’t make a whole lot of sense to me,’ Jed said, scratching his head.

Ansus wrinkled her brow, her stripes coming together to form a long black line. ‘What I don’t understand is why the Mubby was giving it to Lipedo, when you were held prisoner in another lord’s area. They must be working together.’ She scratched behind her ear. ‘That is not good.’

Pahana cradled the vial in her palm. Could the blue light really be part of her? It was so beautiful.

‘What’s a Mubby?’ Ben asked.

‘A creature of the maze,’ Ansus said. ‘One of the many. Some – like the butterballs – work in groups. Mubbys' work alone. They form alliances with the various lords of the maze and usually keep to their area.’

‘I hope we don’t meet one,’ Ben said.

‘We’ve handled worse,’ Jed said.

Ansus sat up. Lilo and Ben drew their legs to their chests to avoid them being crushed by the tiger. ‘We must replace the contents of the vial,’ she said. She sniffed Pahana’s hands. ‘We have to put it back before we continue.’

‘What can we do to help?’ Ben asked.

‘I don’t see how we can get that bottle into her head,’ Jed said.

Pahana touched the top of her head. She could still feel the painful edges of her wound. How had Jed not noticed it? She thought of pouring the contents of the vial into the soft spot within the crater of her skull. She imagined blinding pain, similar to the progress by which the light had been extracted. ‘I’m afraid, Ansus.’

The tiger touched her face to Pahana’s. Her nose was cold against the girl’s skin. ‘Don’t be, it won’t hurt. It belongs to you. Returning that which is yours is never painful, it is the extraction that hurts.’

Pahana buried her fingers in the tiger’s fluffy mane. ‘I trust you.’

Ansus stood up. ‘Kneel down,’ she said. ‘Face the wall.’

Pahana knelt on the dusty brick, her face pressed against the wall and the back of her head facing the tiger. She heard the others stand up. She could feel them watching her.

‘Give me the vial,’ Ansus said.

Pahana raised her hand. The tiger’s jaws closed gently around the bottle and took it out of her grasp. She clutched the wall, her fingers digging into the crumbling mortar between the bricks. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the deed to be done. She heard the thick sound of the stopper being removed from the bottle. Even with her eyes shut she could see the increase of light bouncing off the walls in the alcove. Ansus pressed against her back and she could feel the tiger’s breath on her hair. The light diminished and a cool tingling sensation made Pahana’s head itch. It grew until she could bear it no longer. She wriggled, first her feet and legs and then her body. Her hands flew away from the walls, her fingers tearing into the soft flesh of her scalp.

‘My head. There isn’t a hole there anymore,’ Pahana said. She twisted around and threw her arms around Ansus’ neck. ‘It’s gone.’

‘That was freaky,’ Jed said. ‘The light – I don’t know – it was absorbed into your head. I can’t describe it.’

‘Do you feel any different?’ Lilo asked.

Ben slowly clapped his hands together. ‘That was quite a show.’

Pahana stood up. She did feel different. Lighter, clearer, more complete. She couldn’t stop hugging the tiger and then running her hand through her hair and hugging Ansus again. She smiled and it was like the light beamed out of her face onto the others. Blue flame flickered across her skin.

‘I feel…’

‘Pahana?’

Her elation disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. Pain seared through her temples, bringing her to her knees once more. Her fingers dug into Ansus’ shoulder and back. The tiger growled but didn’t remove her support. Pahana buried her face in the tiger’s fur, her teeth gritted against the agony.

She was no longer in the maze. She was somewhere else, some other place that was familiar but she couldn’t name. It was dark – nighttime. She was alone. No, someone was with her. A woman. She stood in shadow against the wall in front of her. She was tall, imposing, with red eyes and long dark hair that curled like a beast upon her shoulders. She was beautiful, powerful, and deadly. Her lips curled in a smile. Pahana knew the meaning of the smile.

‘You belong to me now.’

The door of the room opened. Cold wind blew in. Pahana gripped – what? A chair. Yes, she was sitting in a battered armchair. Her hands ate into the fabric, her body pressed into the back of the chair. A man stood in the doorway. He was very tall and thin, emaciated, dressed in a black suit that clung to his skeletal frame highlighting its awkwardness. In places the suit was worn and scuffed, green with mould. His shirt, once white, was covered in grime. A wilted black rose garnished his buttonhole. Dark hair covered his head and atop his pate rested a tall top hat, similarly decrepit as his suit. His face, however, was the most awful thing about him. It existed, framed by his hair, bound between the hat and the high collar of his shirt, but it was blank. Completely featureless. A smooth void of flesh stood where eyes, nose and mouth should have been. Pahana could not tear her eyes from the expanse of nothingness. In its facelessness she read expressions too horrible to contemplate.

The faceless man strode into the room. Despite having no eyes, he moved with the grace of a man who knew exactly what he was doing and where he was going. In one fluid motion he removed a knife from his pocket. The blade was serrated, curled and cruel. He held it close to his body. His hands were long, his fingers bone thin capped with sharp nails. Pahana could not move as he approached her chair. She willed herself invisible, but she knew there was no hiding from this figure. He reached out, pinning Pahana to the chair with his free hand. He was so strong. Pahana felt a bulldozer was holding her to the chair. He brought the knife forward. Pahana wriggled, but she could not escape. The knife flashed, searing through her clothes and flesh, cutting bone. Two cuts, one horizontal across her chest, the other vertical down her torso. A red tee oozed in blood. The knife, its work done, disappeared into the faceless man’s pocket and now his hands came into play. He reached into the wounds he had made, parting the bone and flesh and making the hole larger. Pahana looked down and saw her organs exposed beneath the fat and blood. Her heart, beating, looked slower than it felt. Her intestines coiled puzzle fashion over her abdomen.

There was no expression of glee on his face, but Pahana imagined one as the faceless man reached into her chest cavity and removed her organs, one after the other, stuffing them into his pockets. His hands flew, more efficient than surgical instruments, plucking heart and lungs with the ease of picking apples. Soon there was nothing left but blood and strands of tissue. The long hands grabbed the open ends of the rib cage and pressed them together again, hiding the emptiness inside. His work done, the faceless man stepped back. He stood motionless, ready, his suit stuffed with Pahana’s insides.

Now it was the turn of the shadow woman to step forward. Pahana watched her climb out of the wall, grow into a three dimensional shape. She no longer feared the woman. She was numb, her mind reeling how she was still alive after what had just happened.

Chapter Seven - The Sage

Hands caught Pahana out of the black. They cradled her, floating her downwards with gentle movement. She struggled against their grip, but they held her firm. No claws bit into her flesh, no horrible smell accompanied their movement. Light grew below her and she was folded into it. As its glow dimmed to manageable levels, Pahana looked up and saw faces gazing down at her. Two women; one with long white hair, a smooth unwrinkled face and bright blue eyes that sparkled with the light of ages, the other with rainbow hair and a round puckered face that was at once a baby’s and an old man’s, her eyes black with the knowledge of the unseen. They both smiled down at Pahana. They looked welcoming and kind. Strong hands grasped her head and shoulders, lifting her into a sitting position.

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‘Welcome,’ the women said in unison.

Their voices were sweet. The sound calmed Pahana. She relaxed into their grip, allowed them to touch her face, tracing her scars with their fingers.

‘Where am I?’ Pahana asked.

‘A rest spot,’ the women said. They lifted Pahana to her feet.

‘Who are you?’

‘Moriah,’ the rainbow haired woman said. ‘Ophelia,’ the white haired woman said. ‘Friends,’ they said together. Their voices in isolation were beautiful but when they spoke together the sound harmonised, growing richer and deeper.

‘I’m Pahana.’

‘Come with us,’ they said.

Pahana looked for the casket she had taken from Lipedo’s lair. It lay on the floor near her feet. She bent to retrieve it, but Moriah and Ophelia stopped her.

‘Leave it,’ they said. ‘You will return later.’

Pahana allowed them to lead her away. She was in a strange place. She could see things clearly, she felt she was in the light, but when she looked around darkness swam at the edge of her perception. The ground under her feet was warm solid stone. The women gripping her arm felt solid yet ethereal.

A circular depression appeared in the floor ahead of her. It was filled with warm fragrant water that billowed floral scented steam into the air. Shallow steps led down into the bath. Under the water the stone shone emerald green. Moriah and Ophelia guided Pahana into the water until it reached her shoulders. It felt warm and soothing against her skin. There was something in the texture of the water that was slightly gritty, polishing her body with each wave. The women removed her dirty clothing. They produced balms and oils and proceeded to wash her hair. They took great pains to keep her head above the water. When her hair was clean and sweet smelling they gave her soap to wash her body and left her to her abolitions.

Pahana rested in the water for a while, relishing in its soothing caress that gently scrubbed the filth from her body and re-energised her aching muscles. The mould on her fingers from Lipedo’s food was washed away. As the water scoured away her pain and tiredness, she lathered the soap in her hands and began to wash. The scent of the soap reminded her of better days, of sunlight and hope, although the memories slipped out of her reach when she tried to grasp them.

When she was cleansed, Moriah and Ophelia returned. They carried a large towel between them. It was white and appeared to be made from swan feathers. They stood on the steps and held the towel up, averting their gaze as Pahana exited the pool. They wrapped her in the towel and it was warm and soft. It covered her completely, flowing from her neck to the floor. The women left Pahana once more so that she could dry herself in private. Alone, Pahana carefully polished her skin with the towel until her body shone. She sat down on the edge of the pool and gathered the ends of the towel in her hands to dry her hair. She worked the strands carefully, avoiding the ragged edges of the hole in the centre of her head. She looked at the water as she worked. Ripples in the pool spread out from the centre, washing the green stone sides in miniature waves. As Pahana watched the waves subsided and the surface of the pool became smooth. The water was clear and Pahana gazed down at the gold-flecked rock of the bottom, but as she looked upon it the water filled with silver light and grew opaque. The change did not startle Pahana; it was if she had expected it, drawing it forth from the water.

Reflected on the smooth surface of the pool, Pahana saw a familiar clearing surrounded by forest. It was nighttime in the clearing, but the starlight was bright and Pahana could see everything clearly. The door of the house in the middle of the clearing opened and the wood woman stepped out onto the grass. Pale petaled night flowers turned their faces to her as she walked across the grass. A large white-bellied owl swooped silently out of the trees and landed on the woman’s shoulder. Out of the forest came creatures of the night – the badger, the leopard, the wolf. They followed the woman as she moved into the cover of the trees and away from the clearing. It was dark beneath the trees, but Pahana had no difficulty in following the wood woman and her animals.

They walked in the woods for a while and then, through the trees, Pahana saw a light. The woman moved towards it. Among the tall, straight trunks of the trees with the high branches stood a smaller tree made out of white gold. The tree shone with moonlight in the midnight forest. On its frosted branches grew fruit in abundance. The fruit was gilded with gold. At the base of the tree, between its roots, lay a bear. As the wood woman approached, the bear stood up and Pahana realised she was mistaken. It was not a bear but a woman dressed as one. She greeted the wood woman warmly. The animals hung back as the wood woman approached the tree. The woman in the bearskin helped the wood woman as they moved around the tree, testing the fruit and checking the branches. Parts of the tree looked stunted, the leaves withered. When the women came to these parts they clipped the withered leaves from the branches and shook their heads.

After carefully examining the entire tree, the wood woman plucked one of the fruits and bit into it. Out of the forest stepped a man. He was tall and handsome. He was smiling, his face looked kind, prone to generosity and humour. He spoke to the wood woman and although no sound travelled through the pool, Pahana once more understood the words.

‘Hello Bella.’

Bella. Pahana liked that.

The image faded. Moriah and Ophelia stepped silently up to Pahana. They carried a sapphire robe in their hands, similar in style to their own clothes. Pahana was warm and dry, her hair a fluffy halo about her face. She stood up. The two women held the garment above her head. She let the towel drop from her shoulders and held up her arms. The sapphire robe slipped over her arms and shimmered down her body. It looked shapeless when the women held it, but it fit Pahana as if it had been made for her. It glistened in a coruscation of blue tones as she moved.

Ophelia and Moriah took Pahana’s hands and led her away from the pool. Her casket still waited for her. They led her over to the casket and guided her gently to sit down beside it. They patted her head in unison.

‘He comes,’ the women said. ‘Do not be afraid.’

‘Who comes?’ Pahana asked.

‘The sage.’ The two women glittered. Their bodies shrank and changed. On Pahana’s left Ophelia morphed into a white dove, on her right Moriah transformed into a hummingbird of rainbow colours. Pahana could see the women’s smiles shining through the faces of the birds. They bowed to her and flew away. Pahana watched them until their shapes blurred and were swallowed into the shadows.

‘Welcome.’

Pahana jumped. She was not alone. In front of her sat a hooded figure. She had not heard it approach, not seen it appear, it was just there.

‘Welcome.’ The figure raised its head. The hood fell back, revealing its face. It was a handsome young man.

Pahana blushed and looked down.

‘It is nice to meet you,’ the man said.

‘Who are you?’ Pahana asked.

‘I am the sage. This is the resting place. I brought you here because I have a message for you, and it is very important that you hear it.’

Pahana looked up. ‘Is it about Angel? Is she ok?’

‘She is not of consequence.’

Pahana frowned. ‘She did escape Lipedo, didn’t she?’

The sage nodded. ‘The resting place is a safe space, but it requires much energy to maintain. Every moment is precious.’

‘You come from the outside then, from the same place as Angel?’

‘Perhaps,’ the sage said. He leaned towards Pahana. ‘Your path is dark but you will succeed. You can get out of the maze, but you must hurry. The true path will not be open for much longer and when it closes, it will close for centuries.’

‘That’s very comforting,’ Pahana said. ‘If I’m going to be successful, why do I have to hurry? I’ve lost Ansus, I don’t know how to find the true path.’

The sage smiled. ‘I do not mean to alarm you, only warn you that you must work hard to escape. If you dally, you will be trapped here for a long time and there is nothing that I, or Angel, or any of us can do to open up a new path.’

‘Well, you may not have meant it but you have certainly alarmed me,’ Pahana said.

‘You were wise to take the casket. What it contains will help you with the journey ahead. I must deliver you back to the maze now. Good luck, I look forward to meeting you on the other side.’

The sage waved his hand. The darkness grew around Pahana, hemming her in. She grabbed the casket, holding on to it firmly as everything around her changed into something new. Finally all that was left was the face of the sage in front of her. He winked and the darkness absorbed him into it. Pahana felt she was falling once more. This time cold brick broke her fall, rather than gentle hands. She fell on her back with the casket clasped to her stomach.

‘Ouch,’ she said. She sat up, setting the casket on the floor in front of her and rubbing her sore spots. She was in another brick corridor with lichen growing on the walls casting an eerie glow over everything. It was dank and cold after the resting place.

‘Pahana.’

She looked up. The tiger was running down the corridor towards her. ‘Ansus,’ Pahana said, holding out her arms. The tiger ran into them, rubbing her face against Pahana’s.

‘Where did you go and how did you get back here?’ the tiger asked.

‘I’m not really sure,’ Pahana said.

Ansus lay down; her large heavy paws resting on Pahana’s knees. She sniffed the silky sapphire garment that clothed Pahana, rubbed her face in Pahana’s fluffy hair and tapped the wooden casket with a claw. ‘Where did you get these things? Your dress smells of the other worlds.’

Pahana caressed the smooth material. ‘Two women gave it to me. They said they were called Ophelia and Moriah.’

The tiger grumbled in her throat. ‘Did they mention me? Were they cross that I had lost you?’

‘No, but the sage told me that I must hurry to get out of the maze as the true path will close soon and lock me inside. I met Angel too; she helped me escape from Lipedo. That’s where the night train took me. He was horrible, but I found this in his room.’ Pahana touched the casket. ‘I felt bad stealing it, but the sage said it would help me.’

Ansus stood up. ‘The sage? It is not good that he has turned up. We must move, Pahana.’

Pahana picked up the casket and stood up beside the tiger. ‘What happened to the man, Jed? I was afraid Lipedo had captured you. Did they take him on the night train too?’

‘Unfortunately, no,’ Ansus growled. She looked over her shoulder, her eye light casting an orange glow over the pale floor and walls of the corridor. ‘He has been following me like a tick and has brought his friends with him.’

Pahana looked down the corridor. Jed was walking towards them, a man and a woman a few steps behind him. He waved when he saw Pahana watching him.
‘So you came back,’ he called. ‘Perhaps the cat will stop complaining all the time now.’

Michael Crichton Dead at 66

We've lost a lot of good men in 2008 and Michael Crichton is the latest in the list, dying in his LA home yesterday from cancer. A man of great talent, he studied medicine before becoming a full time writer and producer. His works include Jurassic Park, Congo and Eaters of the Dead (renamed The 13th Warrior for its cinematic outing). 13 of his books have been made into movies and he also created the popular medical drama 'ER'.

I have been a fan of Crichton's work since I read Jurassic Park at the age of 12. It was probably the first modern book I had read and I was blown away by his graphic depictions of disembowelment and death. I didn't realise that writing could be like that and his influence is very evident in my writing today. I remember sitting in English class a few days after finishing the novel and one of the other girls in my class gleefully describing the disemboweling scene to the teacher. This was one of my favourite scenes and I was amazed that there was another person in my school who shared my feelings about it. Did I say this to the girl, however? Unfortunately no.

My condolences to the Crichton family. RIP Michael.

Chapter Six - Emergence

Lipedo laughed. Its head rippling, it merged back into the fat of Pahana’s belly. Another arm broke free from her hip, attempting to trap Angel even further. Pahana caught hold of it, struggling to keep it from encircling Angel. The arm was strong and slippery. Pahana felt she was wrestling an eel.

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Angel tried to free herself from the tentacle that already bound her. She pushed against it, attempting to fly upwards and slip free from its grasp.

‘Cut through it,’ Pahana panted. ‘Free yourself, Angel.’

‘I will cause you pain if I destroy it,’ Angel said. Each time she pushed at the fat holding her it tightened its grip, drawing her nearer to Pahana. ‘Even though this fat belongs to Lipedo, he has merged his system with yours. He is a parasite, without the ability to feed on his own. He captures people like you and infects them. He forces them to eat to engorge his ferocious appetite. When his victims die from their excesses he moves on.’

‘I really don’t need to hear that right now,’ Pahana said, red faced and out of breath from holding back the arm of fat. Another appendage broke lose from her thigh and attacked Angel’s leg.

‘I’m telling you this because I cannot leave you here alone with Lipedo infesting you. You will never find your way out of the maze with him inside you.’

A mouth appeared on Pahana’s upper arm. ‘I am so glad you are going to stay, Angel. My guests would be very disappointed to arrive and find you gone, especially when they are coming here just to see you.’

‘Angel you must leave me here, I can manage Lipedo. More monsters are coming. They can’t find you here,’ Pahana said.

‘I’m sorry Pahana.’ Angel beat her wings rapidly. The white light surrounding her grew brighter. Pahana felt a searing pain in her side and then Angel was free. The smell of cooking fat filled the air. Angel flew across the room in front of Pahana.

‘I won’t let you get away.’ Lipedo roared. Angel turned and looked back. Pahana lurched forward against her will. Something in her stomach was drawing her towards Angel. She slapped at it, but only hurt herself. She dug her heels into the ground, using all her energy to freeze herself to the spot.

‘Go, Angel, go now,’ she shouted, squeezing her eyes shut, concentrating on rooting herself more deeply to the ground. The tiles were slippery and Lipedo was able to drag her a couple of inches against her will but then her locked legs and heavy feet gave out and she tumbled onto her back. Again Lipedo tried to drag her across the floor, but Pahana dug her nails into the grooves in the mosaic and held on. With a snort of annoyance, Lipedo stopped trying to move her. Instead the fat on her body rose up, twisting and uncoiling from her arms and legs, flowing towards her body. Her stomach bunched, bubbling upwards in an explosion of fat that resolved itself into a thick yellow snake. Lipedo’s features grew out of the snake’s shovel shaped head. He opened his mouth, hissing at Angel, and surged towards her, leaving a greasy trail across the tiles.

Angel flew upwards, avoiding the snake’s first lunge. Lipedo coiled below her, arms growing out of his neck as he prepared to spring.

‘Quick, Pahana, climb into the trapdoor,’ Angel said.

Pahana sat up. How could she leave Angel to the mercies of Lipedo? Angel, who had tried to help her. She stood up. She was angry. ‘Leave Angel alone,’ she shouted, rushing towards the snake.

‘Pahana, don’t,’ Angel said.

Pahana didn’t listen. She could still taste the rotten food in her mouth and her mind was haunted with the thoughts of eating her father. Lipedo was to blame. She wasn’t going to let him harm Angel the way he had hurt her. She ran towards him, screaming. The snake turned to her. His one weeping eye glinted and he opened his cruel mouth. It looked very large, large enough to engulf Pahana if she ran into it. She stopped, holding up her hands in protection, closing her eyes as the snake struck.

Angel gasped. Fat crackled and sizzled, spitting little spots against Pahana’s skin, but Lipedo did not strike. Pahana opened her eyes. A lake of melted fat hissed around her. Her mouth sagged open. Where was the snake? She looked around the room for him, but apart from the greasy lake there was no sign.

‘Is that – is that him?’

‘Pahana, look at your hands.’

Pahana looked down. Blue flame licked her arms and surrounded her hands in balls of fire. It did not hurt her, her flesh within the flames was untouched. The fire blazed brightly for a moment and then winked out, leaving no smoke or mark.

‘What… what happened?’

Angel flew down to Pahana. ‘You did that, you melted Lipedo. You see, you are special. You have powers Pahana, you have to look for them but they are there.’

‘Is he dead?’

‘No, but it will take him a while to solidify.’ Angel hugged Pahana. ‘You fought for me, honey, thank you.’
Pahana felt weak. She sagged in Angel’s arms. ‘I want to get out of here. Take me away with you, please.’

Angel picked Pahana up. She carried her across the lake of fat and deposited her beside the open trapdoor. ‘I can’t take you with me, but know that I would if I could. Now climb down through here. In about two seconds this room is going to be full of very bad things and I don’t want them to find you here. Go to Ansus, she will help you to get back on the right path. I will return when I can, but I have spent so long here this time that it will make it more difficult for me next time. Remember, Pahana, you have gifts. Use them.’

Before Angel could finish speaking something large crashed into one of the walls of the room, sending plaster raining down onto the floor. Another wall was hit and then a third. Holes appeared in the murals, holes that opened into a dark dank tunnel. A trunk like leg, covered in teeth broke into the far end of the room. Pahana heard a familiar whispering surround the room. She sat down on the lip of the trapdoor.

‘Hurry,’ Angel said, pushing her downwards.

‘You will be all right Angel?’

She pushed harder and Angel fell forward into the trapdoor. Free falling, Pahana looked up and saw Angel smiling down at her before the trapdoor closed, shutting out the buttery yellow light and the noise of the creatures battling into the room.

Pahana fell a short distance and landed on her feet with a jar to her legs. She froze, allowing her eyes to get used to the darkness after the light of the room above. Slowly the lichen light filtered through to her perception and she was able to see around her. She was in a narrow tunnel with brick walls on both sides and a paved floor. She listened for noises from above, waiting for feelers to creep down through the trapdoor, but she could not hear anything from the room she had just left. After a few minutes without pursuit, she took courage that she was not going to be attacked and started down the corridor.

It was cold, but it felt good to be moving. At first she took joy in walking, swinging her arms and legs, but soon she grew tired. She wanted to stop, but she kept on. She walked slowly, but what did it matter? She didn’t have Ansus to keep up with. It was liberating in a way, especially when she pretended she was going for a stroll rather than wandering blindly through a maze trying to find the tiger.

The tunnel carried on straight for a long time. When Pahana felt she could not move enough step, she reached a junction. Another tunnel bisected the first. Three ladders led upwards in the new tunnel, the outline of trapdoors above her head. She was tired of walking and even though the tunnel seemed safe – it was quiet at least – she decided to climb up one of the ladders. Ansus was more likely to be above than below after all. But which ladder would she climb? She felt drawn to the middle one and since they were all equally dangerous or safe, for that matter, she started to climb up the ladder. The trapdoor swung open at a touch of her shoulders. She popped her head into a large room full of yellow light. For a moment she thought she had returned to the room she had just left, but this room was silent and its walls were intact. She climbed out into the room and the trapdoor closed shut behind her, sealing so completely with the floor that she could no longer make it out. The room initially appeared identical to the one she had woken up in, however the murals on the walls depicted an enormous fat man, with the face of Lipedo, bathing in an assortment of treasures, a greedy smile upon his twisted misshapen face. Pahana shivered to see the hideous creature once again, even if only in pictorial form.

She looked around the room. She was alone. There was no sign of Ansus, but also no sign of Lipedo or his butterballs, which was good. Like the previous chamber there were no visible doorways, but this room lacked the divan and food packed table, which made Pahana glad. She did not want to undergo another temptation. The room was not devoid of all furnishings however. Spaced evenly along its length were a series of small pillars, each one holding a metal bound casket. Pahana walked among the pillars, curious to open up the caskets but also afraid to know what lay within them. One casket in particular drew her attention. She kept returning to it, brushing her fingers lightly over it but keeping clear of the metal clasp that held it shut. She did not know what drew her to it, whether the impulse was good or evil, but there was something about it that made it impossible to ignore. She stood in front of the pillar, resting her fingers on the wood of the lid, her thumbs hovering above the clasp.

At the far end of the room a dark hole opened in the smooth wall and a troop of butterballs entered, chattering excitedly. They carried a large wooden dish on their shoulders. Inside the dish slopped a dark golden oil with solid white lumps floating on its surface. The butterballs did not notice Pahana at first, and she took advantage of this. She did not want to wait until they realised she was there, and she certainly did not want to find out the importance of the wooden dish. She grabbed the casket. It was heavier than it looked, but she was able to carry it with both her arms wrapped around it. She ran to where she thought the trapdoor had been and knelt down, her fingers searching for the gap, but she couldn’t find it. Behind her, she heard the change in the chatter of the butterballs. They had seen her. They set down the wooden dish and ran towards her. The oil in the dish popped and spluttered.

‘Get her,’ Lipedo’s voice gurgled from within the dish. ‘Thief.’

Pahana stood up, resettling the weight of the casket in her arms. She looked around, but there was nowhere for her to hide and there was nowhere for her to run to. She looked at her hands, willing the blue flames to ignite them, but she had no idea how she had done it the first time and she was drawing a blank on how to recreate it.

The butterballs were unarmed, but their once friendly smiles where now vicious and their podgy hands had grown into sharp tipped tentacles. Pahana ran from them. She was faster than her pursuers, but she was trapped. She reached the far end of the room and turned to face the enemy, her back pressed against the greasy wall. Their burped their way towards her, bumping into each other and skidding on their slimy feet. Pahana looked up at the walls. If only she could somehow blast her way through. She stuffed the casket under her arm and beat against the plaster, but it hurt her hand and left the murals undamaged. The butterballs were nearer, covering her with their foul smell. Pahana held her hand out to them, palm facing outwards in a gesture to stop, and squeezed her eyes shut. It had worked for her the last time. She imagined her hand shooting flames at the butterballs, melting them into pools of fat.

She opened her eyes. Her hand had not combusted. She could see the whites in the floating eyes of the troop. She screamed. Before the nearest butterball could stick its tentacles into her arm, the floor under Pahana’s feet dissolved and she was sucked down into its depths.

Chapter Five: Hunger

She was comfortable, curled up on the sofa in the front room at home. It was raining outside, that’s why she wasn’t playing in the garden. Even though it was warm she could feel the change in the weather. Autumn was coming. The leaves on the trees looked tired, ready for the new season. She would be going back to school soon. Preparing for secondary school; new subjects, which she was looking forward to, and new classmates, which left her less enthusiastic.

She looked away from the window and down at the book open in her lap. It was about animals. Talking animals that lived in a castle and wore armour when fighting battles. She was enjoying it. She loved anything to do with animals. On the back of the sofa rested a plate with a slice of cake. She nibbled at it as she read, brushing stray crumbs off the pages onto the floor.

‘Hello Pet.’ Her father entered the room, slicking back his rain wet hair. He patted her on the shoulder. ‘You should go easy on the food, you’re getting fat.’

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Ashamed, she buried her face between the covers and finished her cake out of sight of her father. He sat down and turned on the television, flicking through the different channels of Saturday sport. She felt even hungrier after eating the cake than before she started it. She licked her fingers and gathered up the crumbs, then licked the plate to make sure she had got everything. Her stomach felt empty. Mum hadn’t got back yet from the shop with the weeks groceries. There was nothing left in the house.

‘I’m hungry, Daddy,’ she said.

His eyes were glued to the television screen. ‘Have a glass of water, that’ll fill you up until dinner.’

She tried to read her book again. The words swam on the page. They seemed to spell out appetizing words like pizza and chocolate. She lifted the book to her face and licked the page. It didn’t taste as bad as she thought it would so she tore off a page and stuffed it into her mouth. She ripped out another page, and then another, eating them faster and faster. Soon she held the cover in her hands and was weak with hunger pangs.

She looked towards her father. He hadn’t noticed her eating the book. Part of her knew what she was doing was irrational, but the majority was concerned with filling her stomach and stopping the pain of emptiness that consumed her. She wondered what her father tasted like. Concerns at this thought held her back for no more than a second. She crept towards his chair. He looked up when she grabbed his arm and bit into it. She wanted to stop. A voice in the back of her head screamed at her, but she didn’t listen. Eating was all that mattered and her father tasted so good.

Pahana woke shaking. She retched, gagging and spitting, trying to rid her mouth of the taste of human flesh. It took her several moments to realise that she had none in her stomach She rubbed her eyes, wanting to banish the nightmare from her mind. It had seemed so real. She was not at home eating her father, but the hunger pains were still with her. How long had it been since she had last eaten?

As the horror of her dream left her, Pahana looked around. She was in a large room suffused with a buttery yellow glow. There was no obvious origin of the light. Was she still in the night train? She couldn’t tell, but she was alone. The ceiling was far above her head. It was covered in murals, like the walls. At first glance the pictures seemed harmless – even pleasant. They depicted parties of people frolicking in the countryside eating a picnic. However, when Pahana looked closer at the pictures she saw that the food they were eating was rotten and that the happy faces of the picnickers were actually insane grimaces.

The floor of the room was made up of a bright mosaic of tiles, which was cheerful, but Pahana could not discern any pattern. She had been placed on a beige divan, over flowing with cushions – some smooth silk and others feathery soft. Most of the room was filled with a long table, its surface over flowing with food of all descriptions displayed in gold dishes.

Hunger gnawed at Pahana. It rumbled in the pit of her stomach, an empty hole that demanded to be filled.

She sat up, then levered herself to her feet. There was no sign of Ansus in the room, no visible doorways that she could exit to look for the tiger. The room seemed to be a sealed chamber, without exit or entrance. She knew this could not be true, because she had been brought into it somehow. She hoped Ansus had been carried onto the night train too, and was housed in a similar room nearby, but even if she wasn’t Pahana was determined to find the tiger.

She walked across the room. Perhaps there was a door hidden in the walls, masked by the murals. If she felt along the plaster she might be able to find the join. Her stomach rumbled as she passed the table. The food looked fresh and tempting. Apples, rosy red and unblemished. Green and black grapes ripe and full. Plates of char grilled meat. Creamed potatoes covered in cheese. Pasta smothered in rich tomato sauce. She drifted towards the food, but stopped before she reached the table. She didn’t have time to eat, and besides, could she trust the food?

The walls felt greasy. Pahana’s fingers slipped across them, searching for any indication of an opening. She skirted the room, but could not detect any hidden entrances. As she passed the table again, savoury smells made her mouth water. Steam still rose from some of the dishes, their pleasing aromas wafting towards her where she leaned against the wall. Buttered vegetables rubbed shoulders with roast chicken and lamb, bowls of stewed beef and various deep fried meats. Every variety of potato – chipped, fried, mashed, boiled and baked – glistened in the golden glow of the room. Further down the table an assortment of nuts and dried fruit filled filigreed bowls to over flowing. At the far end of the table chocolate cakes, lemon cheesecakes, tiramisu, ice cream of many colours and flavours vied for room with bonbons, chocolate bars and every kind of sweet stuff you could imagine.

Pahana licked her lips. Her journey around the room had left her light headed. Hunger made her hands shake and her knees knock together. It had gone from an insistent urge in the pit of her being to a trembling pain that made her feel faint and nauseated.

Perhaps a little bite wouldn’t hurt.

She moved towards the table. She didn’t want to delay in making her escape, but what good would she be at getting away when she felt so badly and might fall down at any time? Even if she were to find Ansus easily she would be of no use to the tiger if she were so weakened by hunger as to be unable to move. She raised her hand, her fingers hovering over first the fruit and then the meat. She would take something small, an apple or some grapes perhaps. She could take some with her, to sustain her on the journey ahead.

Her hand shot towards the char grilled beef, grabbing a slice and raising it to her mouth before she realised what she was doing. She tore a chunk of the meat, chewing it carefully before swallowing. It was succulent, basted with a sweet chilli sauce. The meat melted in her mouth, dissolving in a delicate way. It was delicious. She took another bite, chewing it less carefully. The third she bit into savagely, finishing the cutlet. Before she had swallowed her mouthful she picked up another piece of meat and tore into it too. By the time she was licking the juices from her fingers, the plate of meat was empty. She was surprised she had eaten so much so quickly. Rather than stem her appetite, it made her even hungrier. She moved down the table, sampling handfuls of food. There was no cutlery so she had to scoop handfuls of pasta and mashed potato into her mouth. She started with the foods that were easier to eat – the meat, chips and nuts – then progressed to the slippery foods. At times she lifted the dishes to pour the food directly into her. It felt so good inside her mouth. The taste was so intense; it filled her body with pleasure. The moment she swallowed, the sensation was gone, forcing her to eat faster and faster in the effort to reach that moment of happiness and contentment once again. A sense of euphoria enveloped her. She loved each new dish with increasing passion, wondering why she had never tasted it before. Her mouth and hands were filthy, food dribbled down her chin and chest. She didn’t notice, didn’t care. Ansus was forgotten. Her surroundings were zoned out. The food consumed her, and consuming it was all that was important.

Halfway through the table pains spiked her lower back and stomach, but she ignored it. She still felt empty. There remained a need to fill the black hole that seethed within her. Now it was no longer the urge to eat to seek pleasure but the belief that she must finish everything on the table. The pain grew worse and the discomfort of eating caused her to slow down, but she chewed through the fried meat and buttered vegetables with dogged persistence. Her one mission was to clear the table and she was not going to stop until she had done that, even if it killed her.

She slowed in her attack as the number of empty plates grew, often taking breaks between each mouthful to allow her stomach time to settle and to emit foul smelling gases from her struggling digestive system. The pain in her abdomen was quite intense now. It made her eyes water, but she could not stop eating even if she wanted to.

‘Pahana.’

She didn’t hear the voice the first time. With repetition her name filtered through to her, but it was meaningless. Only the food mattered.

‘Pahana, look at me.’

With difficulty she looked up, although her hands continued to shovel grapes and marshmallows into her mouth. A woman stood on the opposite side of the table; a woman wearing a blue dress with beating butterfly wings sprouting out of her back that sent clear bright light cutting through the heavy gold aura that filled the room. She had seen the woman before. Where was it?

‘Angel,’ she said, pleased with herself for remembering the name. She frowned. What if Angel wanted to eat some of her food?

‘Pahana, listen to me. This isn’t you. You don’t want to do this.’ Angel held her hands out, coaxing her around the table. ‘Come here to me, honey.’

Pahana snarled. Part of her wanted to go to Angel, but the base element within her that was causing her to eat saw the woman as a threat. She knew she was being irrational, that Angel didn’t want the food and, if she was honest, she didn’t want it either. However, she couldn’t help from baring her teeth and clutching at the bonbons, grabbing handfuls of cheesecake and licking the lemon mouse that oozed through her fingers.

‘Pahana, look at yourself. Where is Ansus? What are you doing in this room?’ Angel moved closer.

Pahana looked down at her body. She was fat. She could no longer see her feet. Folds of flab undulated out and down from her body, wobbling with every breath. Her thighs had ballooned, pressing against one another and folding back over themselves. Her arms fought for space against the buttresses of her torso. When she looked down a cushion of fat supported her chin against her chest.

‘How did this happen?’ she said.

‘Come here, Pahana, it’s not too late to stop. Look at the food you’re eating. Do you really want to put that into you?’ Angel moved nearer.

Pahana looked at the food. She blinked, seeing it in a new light. Mould grew over the bonbons. Blue and white growths speckled the cheesecake. What she had thought were grapes now looked more like the gel covered eyes of some amphibious creature. She flung the food away from her, stepping back from the table. Her limbs, unaccustomed to the extra weight, cracked and she fell. Strong arms caught her. Angel stood behind her, holding her up.

‘Angel, where am I? What is this? What have I done?’ Pahana swallowed bile; afraid she was going to vomit. Her wiped her hands on her stomach.

Angel wiped the hair from Pahana’s forehead. ‘It’s ok,’ she crooned. ‘You have just wandered from the path. There are many creatures lurking here to ensnare you, but you can overcome them. You are destined for greatness, Pahana. That is why I was sent to find you. That is why Ansus came to help you get free.’

‘Is that why I’m here in the first place?’

‘Perhaps. When you arrived here we were alerted because of the tremendous energy that was required to perform such a feat. It is rarely seen and only in the most extraordinary of circumstances. When we saw that this was because of you, we realised you were very special. I’m not going to let these creatures keep you here, Pahana, slowly turning you into one of their own. Now, where is Ansus?’

Pahana wanted to cry. She felt so guilty. She had meant to find Ansus, but she had got so caught up with eating that she had forgotten about the tiger. ‘We got separated. There was this huge centipede and these things pushed me inside it and then I woke up here.’

‘They’re called butterballs.’ Angel looked around the room. ‘They work for Lipedo; he is the ruler of this section. It is very bad news. We have to get you out of here now, before he arrives.’ She guided Pahana away from the table.

‘It’s no use; I’ve already looked for a door. There’s no way out of this room.’

Angel squeezed her shoulder. ‘You looked around but you did not look down. See, there, that is how you will get out.’

Pahana followed Angel’s pointing finger. In the centre of the room, near the divan, there was a dark outline of a trapdoor cut in the colourful tiles. She didn’t know how she had missed it. ‘Can you come with me Angel?’ she asked. ‘Will you stay with me until I find Ansus?’

‘I can only stay a few more seconds,’ Angel said, leaving Pahana to open the trapdoor. ‘I will help you get out of this room, but then I must leave before I am discovered and Lipedo comes for me.’

Pahana doubled over in agony. Her stomach groaned. She clutched it, rocking with the pain.

‘What is it?’ Angel rushed to her side, rubbing her back.

‘I think I had too much to eat,’ Pahana said. As another wave stabbed her gut she moaned. She was sure her stomach was going to explode. Her belly fat stretched, pulling away from her and forming odd bumps and nodules. She tried to hold onto it, but it squeezed through her fingers, growing out of her midriff in an extension of her already gross figure. The outgrowth resolved into the rough shape of a head and features appeared on its surface. A steaming yellow eye, a melting nose, and a wide mouth filled with row upon row of sharp discoloured teeth. The mouth opened in a wide grin. Pahana screamed.

‘Lipedo,’ Angel said.

‘Get out of here, Angel. Leave me, save yourself,’ Pahana said.

The fat on Pahana’s back ripped free of her spine and formed into an arm. It wrapped around Angel’s waist, then slid back into the saddlebags on Pahana’s hips, trapping Angel.

‘Too late,’ Lipedo said.

Chapter Four - The Night Train

Ansus locked her gaze on the figure behind Pahana’s shoulder. She bared her teeth and crouched, ready to spring.

‘I said move and you’re dead.’

‘I think he’s talking to you, Ansus,’ Pahana said.

The tiger growled and lashed her tail from side to side, but remained frozen in place. ‘Fool.’

‘A talking tiger, well that’s a first.’
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Pahana felt pressure on her neck. The grip strengthened, guiding her backwards. She stumbled, reluctant to be taken away from Ansus. She was pulled away from the platform into the dark opening her attacker had emerged from. Once out of sight of the tiger she was twirled around and pushed against the wall. Before her stood a small man, with dark hair and skin and bright brown eyes. He held a bone knife in his hand.

‘Sorry about that,’ he said. ‘It was the only way I could get you away from that beast. Now, if you’re up for it, I think we should get out of here before more of its kind show up, as they have a habit of doing in this place.’

‘Ansus, help me,’ Pahana shouted. If the tiger leaped around the corner she should be able to knock the man down before he could raise his knife.

The man clamped his hand over Pahana’s mouth. ‘What did you do that for?’ he hissed. ‘You’ll draw those things down on us. Now come on.’ He took hold of her arm and dragged her down the corridor, away from the platform.

‘What do you want from me?’

‘Want from you? I’m trying to help you. There are a couple of us holed up back here. I was out scouting for supplies when I saw that tiger bring you out onto the platform. I waited for you to pass and made my move.’

Pahana shook her arm, trying to loosen the man’s grip. She was torn between anger at being dragged away from Ansus at knifepoint and excitement at the news that there were others like her trapped in the maze. She settled with anger. ‘If you had bothered to wait for five seconds and watch us you would have realised that the tiger and I were together. She’s helping me get out of here.’

The man looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. ‘You serious?’

Pahana tried to break free again. ‘Did I look like I was in any danger? Does Ansus look like those terrible creatures to you?’
The man let her go. He held his knife up defensively. ‘Maybe I have been stupid. I’m thinking you aren’t all that you appear to be.’

‘Is anything in this place?’

He stopped, turning back to stare at Pahana. Before he could speak again, Ansus launched out of the dark behind him, knocking him to the ground. The tiger growled, her teeth flashing in the lichen light as she lowered her head to slice through the man’s exposed throat. Winded and pinned by the weight of the beast, the man was unable to raise his knife in defence.

‘Ansus, Ansus stop.’ Pahana pulled at the tiger’s tail. ‘He wasn’t trying to hurt me.’

Ansus paused, growling at the man beneath her. ‘Is this true?’

‘I don’t have to explain myself to you,’ the man said.

‘He thought you were going to harm me. He thought he was helping me. Now let him go and we can go our separate ways without anyone coming to any harm,’ Pahana said.

Slowly the tiger withdrew from the man, keeping her body between him and Pahana. Despite withdrawing, she was still tense – her teeth bared and the fur around her neck fluffed up into a collar. ‘You’re right. He doesn’t smell of the maze. He isn’t worth my time.’

Pahana stroked the tiger’s back. ‘Thank you Ansus. I knew you would save me.’

‘Climb on my back. We have to get on the right path. Something big is coming,’ Ansus said.

Pahana straddled the tiger and did not look back as Ansus carried her back to the platform. Behind her she heard the man get up. He was gasping for breath. She wondered if Ansus had injured him badly when she knocked him to the ground.

‘Hey, wait up,’ the man called. His footsteps rang on the concrete. ‘You can’t leave. You said that beast is helping you get out of here. How about joining up and getting us all out of here?’

‘He said there were other people trapped in the maze, Ansus,’ Pahana said, tapping the tiger on the shoulder.

Ansus broke into a lope.

‘There are a lot of nasty things out there, wouldn’t it make sense if we joined forces? There are three of us. Four heads and a tiger are better than one head – and a tiger.’

Ansus growled and started to run. They shot out onto the platform. The ball of light in the tunnel had grown larger, and the smell of sulphur had got stronger. Ansus turned right and moved towards the end of the platform. Behind them the man was panting for breath as he pursued them.

‘Hey lady, you understand, don’t you? I don’t expect your pet to listen, but you’re human too. You can’t leave us here. If you have a way out you owe it to us to help. I’d do the same for you if positions were reversed.’

Pahana prodded Ansus’ neck. ‘Slow down. He has a point. Maybe we should help them.’

Ansus skidded to a halt and spun around. Pahana grabbed a handful of hair to keep from unbalancing. The man stood behind them. He brandished the knife by reflex as the tiger stalked towards him. Already bruises were forming on his face from being tackled by the tiger.

‘Rein your pussy cat in,’ he said, stepping away from Ansus.

‘I am not her pet,’ Ansus growled. ‘If you want my help you had better watch your words. Now, where are these people?’

He pointed to the doorway they had just exited. ‘They’re back there. There’s just the three of us – Ben, Lilo and me. We found a little place that the monsters don’t seem to come to so often and it’s easily defendable if they do. Easily defendable, or a death trap. I was looking for some food when I ran into you guys. It isn’t far, come on, I’ll show you.’

He moved towards the doorway but Ansus did not follow. Pahana leaned forward and whispered into the tiger’s ear. ‘Do you think it’s a trap?’

‘Doorways open and close, the maze is not static. The true path will not remain open for much longer. Something comes. Go, fetch your friends. We will wait here. We cannot chance losing the path, it’s too important,’ Ansus said.

The man rubbed his hair. ‘So I go off to get the others and when we come back you two are gone? I don’t think so.’

‘Then you must follow us now. These are your only choices.’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t buy that; there are always more than two choices. Now I say you two come with me and we all follow this ‘true path’ together.’

‘No,’ Ansus said. ‘You go and we will wait here for you to return. If you are not back in time we will go on without you. There is no need to waste more time on this.’

‘Ok, but she’s coming with me.’ He moved towards Pahana.

Ansus bared her teeth. ‘She stays with me.’

He nodded. ‘I get your number tiger, but what’s the deal with you?’ He pointed at Pahana. ‘What’s your name anyway? I’m Jed.’

‘Pahana.’

‘All right, Pahana, I’m going to get Ben and Lilo. I’m counting on you to still be here when we get back. I don’t trust your furry friend, but I hope I can trust you.’ He winked and ran towards the doorway. Two steps from it the platform shock, throwing him against the wall. Ansus wheeled to face the tunnel. Orange light filled the entire tunnel now. It grew brighter as the platform trembled again. The air filled with the smell of rotten eggs and methane gas. A metallic squeal reverberated in the tunnel.

‘What the hell?’ Jed shouted, struggling to keep standing.

‘Too late,’ Ansus said.

The doorways that led onto the platform twisted in time to the shriek from the tunnel. They morphed into cruel faces, hungry skulls with sharp teeth that snapped at the three figures on the platform. Then they collapsed in upon themselves, disappearing from view and leaving an unbroken concrete wall where there had been five entrances.

‘This is not good.’ Jed turned to face the tunnel, instinctively edging closer to Ansus and Pahana.

‘Get off my back,’ Ansus said. ‘I will need to fight.’

‘What’s coming?’ Pahana asked, climbing off the tiger and hiding behind her.

‘The night train,’ Ansus said.

‘I take it that’s a bad thing?’ Jed said.

The orange light exploded out of the tunnel, momentarily blinding them on the platform. A huge armoured centipede emerged from the tunnel and stopped at the platform, its length still reaching into the tunnel behind it. Instead of eyes it had a single orb on the centre of its head, which cast the bright orange light. Its numerous legs were coated with metal and filed to a razor sharp edge. They clattered together, moving restlessly even as it stood still. Two metal plated pinchers, each larger than Ansus and Jed combined together, protruded from its face under the light. The creature clacked the pinchers together, then opened its mouth and shrieked.

‘You’re going to fight that?’ Jed said.

Ansus flicked her ears. ‘No, them.’

Segments on the side of the centipede moulded together and moved aside, forming holes. The smell got worse, billowing out of the centipede in waves. With the malodour came an assortment of small creatures issuing out of the monstrous insect. Their skin was yellow and waxy, their bodies smooth and round. On their oval faces mismatched features slipped downwards, causing them to constantly push them back into place with their podgy fists. Knives were tied to belts at their waist and some of them carried tridents with sharp, curved tines.

‘They don’t look so bad,’ Jed said.

The yellow creatures ran squealing towards the people on the platform. To Pahana they sounded excited rather than aggressive. They wobbled towards her, clinking their tridents against the concrete and rearranging their faces as they moved so that some had noses and broad grinning mouths above their eyes. There was something comical about their appearance and Pahana wanted to laugh.

Ansus obviously did not share Pahana’s humour. She roared, flicking out her claws and launching herself into the fray. The creatures did not seem particularly dangerous, but their weapons were sharp and they greatly out numbered the tiger. Jed moved closer to Pahana, his knife ready to strike.

‘I hope you’re armed,’ he said.

Ansus’ leap carried her into the first wave of the centipede riders. Her weight and motion carried her through them – not only into the heart of the creatures but also right through their flesh. Under her weight they fell apart, scattering in lumps onto the platform. Ansus slipped on the waxy substance, unable to regain her footing and skidded towards the centipede. Rebounding off the hard skin of the insect, she turned and slashed more conservatively with claws and teeth at the enemies in her path. Each swipe sliced another couple of creatures asunder but as the tiger diced her way through the army, the ones she had devastated in her initial leap drew together and reformed. Featureless, they rooted among the noses, eyes and mouths scattered across the concrete, shoving them into their heads in a haphazard manner so that several ended up with two mouths and a single eye instead of the standard. Complete once again, they picked up their weapons and converged upon Pahana.

Jed stepped forward, stabbing strongly from the shoulder. The knife sank deep into the forgiving substance, causing no damage to his victim. With difficulty, he withdrew and tried again. The second time the knife was sucked into the creature and lost.

‘Move to the edge of the platform. We can jump off and run along the tunnel,’ Jed shouted above the giggles of the army.

Pahana looked for Ansus. She could hardly see the tiger anymore. The reformed bodies of the fallen relentlessly pushed Ansus towards the jaws of the centipede. She was still fighting but each lunge left her slipping further away from Pahana on the entrails of her enemies. Pahana turned to Jed, but he too had been separated from her by the chattering mob. She was afraid of the centipede, was not sure of the safety of Jed’s plan to run into the tunnel, but she tried to make it to the edge of the platform. Greasy hands grabbed her and trident tines bit into her when she moved, the army chattering their displeasure. Prodding her on one side and pulling her with their fat hands on the other, the mob guided her towards the centipede and into one of the holes on the side of its body. She screamed for Ansus, but she could no longer see the tiger. The stench inside the insect was overpowering. She pushed against her captors, swimming helplessly into the tide of beings returning to the night train. Pahana could only watch as the side of the centipede contracted, closing the holes in its skin and plunging her into complete darkness. With a shriek and a clack of its metallic legs, the giant insect hurried forth into the tunnel carrying Pahana with it.

Chapter Three - Reflections

For a long time the whispers of the tentacle creatures followed them. Pahana tensed, waiting for a whipcord to wrap around her neck and pull her off the tiger’s back, or one of the giant’s legs to crash down in front of her, blocking her path. She relaxed when the sound of her pursuers faded behind her. She slipped into a trance, soothed by the movement of Ansus and the bobbing yellow circles of the tiger’s eyes on the grey flagstones ahead.

‘We should rest now,’ Ansus said. She slowed to a walk, padding softly for a while before stopping. Pahana slid off her back and the tiger flopped onto the cool flagstones. Pahana looked around. Water dripped down the walls and the floor was jagged and uneven, flagstones pushed up to reveal inky black earth underneath. White maggots wriggled within the dirt. Pahana moved away from them. Ansus lay against the wall panting, stretched out with her tail tip twitching.

‘I can see you,’ Pahana said. She looked around with renewed interest. She could actually see her surroundings, and not because of the tiger’s eyes. A dull glow pervaded the air, illuminating the floor and walls.

‘It’s the lake,’ Ansus said.
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Pahana had not noticed a lake. She turned in a circle looking for it. Behind her the glow faded into the night she was used to, and a stale breath hinted at the larger space they had left behind. She looked at the walls again and realised it was the water dripping down them that provided the scant light. The water fell in single streams but gathered in rivulets in the grooves of the flagstones and flowed away from the Pahana. She followed the flow of the water. A few steps past Ansus the rivulets formed a circular pool, as broad as the span of Pahana’s arms from fingertip to fingertip. She had not realised it was there because, even though the glowing water was bright to her dark dampened eyes, it cast little light, only enough for her to see her immediate surroundings.

‘It’s a small lake,’ Pahana called back to Ansus.

‘Don’t drink from it,’ the tiger cautioned.

Pahana knelt down beside the pool. Because of the concentration of water, the light produced by the pool was much stronger than the drips on the wall. The pale white glow made it look cool and refreshing. Pahana wanted to run her fingers through it, to find out how deep it was. She rested her hands on her knees, in case the water was dangerous to touch as well as drink, and leaned out over the water.

The pool was brighter when viewed from above. The water was still and mirror like. Pahana looked for her reflection. A face peered back out of the pool. She studied it, curious to find out what she looked like and how much damage the Mubby had done to her. The face in the pool was round, with smooth brown skin. Hair framed the face, except Pahana wouldn’t call it hair in the traditional sense. It looked more like moss and strands of tree bark, silver brown and green shimmering in the light. What impressed her most about the face was its eyes. They shone with their own light, like Ansus’, and were a deep electric blue. At least, she thought they were, but the more that she looked at them the more they changed – phasing purple, violet, aquamarine, green, brown and ochre – until she could not tell what colour they were any more. Pleased with her appearance, she raised her hand to probe the wound on the top of her head. She could feel her hair under her fingers – it felt matted and coarse, like horsehair – but there was no corresponding movement from her reflection. The face continued to smile back at her, its eyes oscillating though the whole spectrum. Perturbed, Pahana moved her head side to side, again without a corresponding change in the pool. She wasn’t looking at her reflection; there was something in the pool looking back at her. Frightened, Pahana scuttled away from the edge of the water. No fanged jaw or clawed hand reached for her from below the smooth surface. She waited. The water continued to drip from the walls, flowing towards the pool. A few steps away Ansus lay panting, her tail tap tapping against the wall. Pahana wanted to move closer to the tiger, but she also wanted to look into the pool again. The face had not looked dangerous. It had seemed pleasant. She had been happy to call it her own.

She wiped her hands on her legs and glanced at Ansus again. The tiger was staring into space, recuperating. Surely she would have known if danger was imminent? Pahana pulled herself closer to the pool and tried to look into it slyly, however it was a smooth silver surface when viewed from the side. She could see no reflection, or anything pretending to be a reflection. She leaned further out, ready to pull back at any moment if something rose out of the lake. Slowly an image came into view once more. This time she saw a bright blue sky, laced with puffs of cloud. The sun was shining, but she could not see its golden orb. A forest came into view; the trees broad leafed, raising their branches towards the light. Within the forest there was a clearing, a small house growing out of the ground at its centre. The image was so pretty and so alien from her surroundings that Pahana wondered if it was a picture. She wanted to touch the water’s surface to see if the painting lay beneath it, but she drew her hand back when the door of the hut opened and a woman stepped out into the clearing. She was small and appeared to be formed out of knotted wood. Her slim smooth limbs were mahogany, like her face. She wore a long dress made out of grass and bird feathers. Her hair of moss and bark strips fluttered in the wind as she moved. Where she stepped on the grass flowers bloomed. The trees bowed towards her, in reverence or a desire to be near her, Pahana could not say. The woman started to dance – not in a formal way, but with light fluid movements that appeared almost as a language that was just out Pahana’s grasp to decipher. Animals, drawn by the dance, came out of the forest and gathered around the woman. Colourful birds garlanded the trees. Pahana watched, enraptured. The woman swirled faster until she seemed to fly. There was no sound with the picture, but Pahana imagined the birds providing music for the dance while the larger animals beat time. The woman twirled, leaping across the clearing. With a push from her powerful legs she reached upwards, her hands grasping for the sky. Pahana moved back, thinking the woman would leave the clearing and shoot out of the water in front of her. For a moment it seemed likely. The woman’s twig fingers reached for Pahana. She seemed so close, so easy to touch, and then her flight was cut short and she dropped, like all non-winged things, back down to earth, to the clearing and the waiting animals. The dance over, she crouched panting from her exertion, her head lifted to the sky where Pahana watched. Even though there was no sound, the woman was speaking and Pahana could understand the words.

‘Come join me. I am waiting.’

The image blinked out and the pool was just a skim of slightly greenish water across a shallow depression on the floor. Pahana shivered, missing the light from the sun, the water no longer so bright. She was breathless, panting as if she too had danced in the clearing.

Ansus padded towards her. ‘Time to go,’ she said.

Pahana looked around. How long had she been staring into the pool? She stood up, leaning on the wall for support. Even though her own wounds still wept and smarted, the puncture holes on the tiger’s neck and shoulders had faded to pale scars.

‘Your injuries,’ Pahana said, reaching out to touch the tiger.

Ansus pushed past her, taking care not to step in the pool, and stalked down the corridor. ‘I’m a quick healer,’ she said.

Pahana waddled after the tiger. Her body ached. ‘What is this place?’

‘A maze,’ Ansus said.

‘How did I get here, was I born here?’

The tiger growled. ‘You have not always been here.’

Pahana tripped over a raised flagstone, her foot plunging into the sticky black earth beside it. The white maggots squealed, wriggling towards her foot. She stepped back quickly, but not before one of the maggots had latched onto her toe. She stamped her foot to dislodge it and then tried waving it in the air. The maggot hung on, borrowing deeper into her flesh. She reached down and grasped the fat creature between thumb and forefinger. She pulled, surprised at how much force she had to exert to withdraw it. It came free with much pain and a geyser of blood. She threw it away. It crashed against the opposite wall and slid to the ground a pile of mush.

‘Who would build such a horrible place?’ Pahana said, hobbling after Ansus, who had not waited for her.

They continued walking, although Pahana took more care to avoid the patches of earth and the worm like inhabitants.

‘How far is it to the exit?’ Pahana asked. ‘I feel so tired, I don’t know if I can walk much further.’

‘When you cannot go on I will carry you,’ Ansus said. ‘The maze is very large and I do not have a map. There are many spells cast at each turn to deceive you into taking the wrong turn. I must concentrate to see through these symbols and find the true path.’

‘Oh.’ Pahana wondered if the tiger was telling her to shut up. ‘I’m so tired, can’t we rest for a little while? I don’t heal quickly like you.’

‘We can’t stop now, we are too close.’

Pahana looked behind her. ‘To those things you mean? Those things that are following us?’

‘No, it will take them a while to find us again. When Angel brought me here she left a strong residue that signalled to them where we were, but it has dissipated and I am not as bright a beacon for them to be aware of me.’

‘What are we close to then?’

Ansus growled and looked over her shoulder at Pahana. ‘Your head.’

‘We’re looking for my head?’

The tiger grimaced. ‘Of course not, not the whole of it anyway, part of it.’

Pahana felt her head. Her fingers crawled up her scalp, probing. The holes behind her ears were inflamed and sore. Hidden beneath the dirt she could feel the lumps of old scars. At the top of her head she encountered sharp edges. It hurt to touch them, stabbing pains running down her face and neck which made her want to vomit and filled her with fear that her right eye was going to bulge out of its socket. She withdrew her hand, afraid to cause more pain.

‘What happened to me?’

‘The Mubby. It took part of your head away, removed things from your brain.’

Pahana shuddered. ‘Is that why I can’t remember anything – before here, I mean?’

‘Perhaps. It is close, though, the missing part. We need to find it before we can go much further.’

Missing. Parts of her were missing. Pahana wanted to feel for the hole in her skull again, delve her fingers into it and feel the damp stickiness of her brain. She tried to quell the impulse by remembering how painful it had been to even touch the edge of the wound.

‘How is that possible? How can I move if I am missing part of my brain?’

‘Things work differently here to the outer worlds.’

If the Mubby had taken parts of brain, what other body parts had it stolen? She touched her chest, running her fingers across the long weal that dissected it. She felt tears salting the back of her throat.

‘I don’t like it here. I want to get out of here. I want to leave.’

‘There is no need to shout,’ Ansus said. The tiger’s already gruff voice sounded even sterner.

Tears trickled down Pahana’s face, making the holes in her cheeks sting. She choked on her anguish but she held her screams in.

They walked in silence. The ache in Pahana’s limbs grew stronger. She felt she was wading through custard, every step more difficult than the last. She concentrated on moving forward, even as her body begged her to stop, threatening to tear itself apart, scattering the different pieces and collapsing in a quivering heap if she continued on. She ignored it and, despite the feeling of being pulled in all directions, she managed to keep in one piece.

Ansus stopped and Pahana, focusing on each footfall, bumped into her. The tiger growled and slapped Pahana with her tail.

‘Now we must go down,’ Ansus said, moving forward.

Steps descended down into darkness. Shallow stone steps winding away endlessly. Pahana sighed and hung back.

‘They could be going up,’ Ansus said.

It was disorientating descending with darkness above and below and only a small glow of light all around. The water stopped flowing down the walls and they became dry, changing from blocks of stone to cratered concrete. Luminous lichens growing on the surface of the concrete continued to provide light for Pahana to see by. Underneath the growths she saw faded symbols and letters, pictures of things long forgotten. She peered at the pictures, but they were so faded she couldn’t make them out and she didn’t want to stop to study them because she didn’t want to lose Ansus.

The steps changed to concrete under her feet, the scuffed surface painted with black lines. The skin on her palm was scraped from trailing it along the rough surface of the wall. She felt her feet were speeding up as she descended the steps and she was afraid she would run endlessly onward until she could no longer keep up with the speed of her feet and tumble down, down into the dark. Just when she thought she could no longer take it, the steps ended in a concrete platform. On either side doorways terminated on the platform. Ahead lay a pit of darkness, leading away on either side into tunnels. Ansus stopped beside her, sniffing the air.

‘Something is coming,’ she said.

Wind blew out of the tunnel on the left, carrying sulphurous fumes on its chilling breath.

‘Where are we?’ Pahana asked.

Ansus swished her tail. ‘I don’t know.’ She stepped further out onto the platform, looking left and right. A bright orange ball appeared in the tunnel. An animal roar floated towards her.

Pahana slumped against the wall. ‘I can’t go on, I’m too tired. I need to sleep.’

Ansus growled. ‘Something is coming, we need to leave this place.’

‘You’ll have to carry me,’ Pahana said.

‘We must conceal ourselves.’ Ansus turned away from the edge of the platform and walked along its length. She paused at each doorway, examining them. Pahana stumbled after her.

‘Which one do we take?’

‘This one,’ Ansus said, choosing the doorway on the opposite end of the platform to the one that had brought them there. Pahana walked towards it. As she passed the doorway before it, a figure stepped out of the opening, wrapped its arm around Pahana’s neck and pressed something sharp against her throat. A deep voice rasped in her ear.

‘Move and you’re dead.’

Chapter Two - Hole in the Head

The darkness hissed. Pahana could see it roiling beyond the limit of Ansus’ eyes. Voices whispered outside the reach of her understanding. She pressed her back against the wall, curling her hands into fists with difficulty.

‘We must fight,’ Ansus growled.

A shadowy tendril shot out of the darkness, snaking towards Pahana. Ansus leapt forward, sparks flashing from her jaws as her teeth sheered together. The thread dissipated in the light of her eyes, but another flew through the air from the right, causing the tiger to spin around. Again it dissolved before she could make contact, before another lured her further from the wall and Pahana.

‘Fight Pahana, follow me,’ the tiger snarled, her gruff voice growing fainter.
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A feeler brushed against Pahana’s foot. She thought it was the blunt end of Ansus’ tail, but then it whipped around her ankle and tightened into her flesh like a cord. The whispers grew louder, coiling around her and rippling across her flesh.

Fight! Fight! They’re coming to get you.

Light glimmered and blossomed in front of her. Pahana blinked. She was in a schoolyard, the grey tarmac pock marked and gritty. She knelt, nose pressed against the cast iron railings that enclosed the yard, her little hands wrapped around the peeling spokes. A beetle crawled across her knuckles, making her skin itch.

‘They’re coming to get you, Pahana.’

A band of children – girls from her class – resolved into being forming a semi circle around her. Their faces, framed with pigtails and French plaits, were twisted with evil glee. Pahana shied away from them, hanging onto the rails for support. Where was Ansus? There had been a tiger in front of her a moment ago, hadn’t there? She shook her head. The hissing darkness was receding, the diluted winter sunshine of the playground growing more solid in her new reality.

‘You’re in trouble now.’ A squat red head with freckles prodded Pahana in the stomach. The pain caused by the touch was disproportionate to the size of the child’s finger.

‘They’ll beat you black and blue. They’ll mush you through the railings. They stomp on your hands and bounce on your belly.’

Pahana squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn’t real. She was with a tiger, in the cold and the dark, with creatures hissing about her. Yet the chanting sounded so real and the railings felt solid in her grasp. She opened her eyes. She was still in the playground. The girls were laughing and clapping, pointing at something that approached from the other side of the yard, out of the shadows of the beige pre-fabricated buildings. Pahana could feel the air growing thicker with the advance of her tormenters, but the ring of children hid them from view.

‘You’re not real,’ she shouted. ‘This isn’t real. I’m not here. Leave me alone.’

The girls giggled. Slowly the ones in the middle stepped back to make way for what approached. Pahana didn’t want to see, but she couldn’t look away. A group of boys, led by a tall thin girl stalked towards her. The boys grinned, but not in a good way, and the girl’s dark eyes were black holes devouring everything in her path.

‘Kill her, mush her, rip her, push her,’ the girls squealed. ‘Pancake Pahana, pancake Pahana.’

Pahana pushed her shoulder through the railings. She was small and she was sure she could fit through. There was a field beyond, and a road lined with buildings in the distance. She lifted her leg and stepped onto the grass of the field. It was wet and her foot was sucked into the ground, damp soaking through the wrinkled sock that flopped about her ankle. Next came her head. She turned away from her attackers and pushed her head through the bars. She could feel the railings moving, drawing closer together as she tried to fit through them. Her head stuck at her ears. She tried to pull back, but she was caught. The grass twined around her ankle, cutting her bare leg with its sharp blades. She screamed for help, inarticulate in her panic. In the schoolyard, hands grasped her other leg. She kicked out, and the fingers slipped, tracing searing lines across her calf.

‘We have you now. You won’t escape.’

‘Fight, Pahana, fight.’

She kicked again. Her foot felt something – not exactly solid – that wobbled against her touch and was pushed back. She wriggled her body, working hard to get through the railings and escape into the field despite the pain. She felt her ears being torn from the sides of her head, her hair being ripped from her scalp. She screamed, but she did not give up.

Bloody, she flopped onto the grass on the other side of the railings amid the angry shouts of the children she had left behind in the playground. As her hands touched the ground it disappeared and she fell forward into the earth, its dark maw closing behind her.

‘Fight it, Pahana.’

She recognised the gruff voice. Ansus Khan’s flashing teeth and claws cut through the darkness beside her. She tried to move, crawling forward on her elbows and kicking with her feet, but her legs were trapped. In the light of Ansus’ glowing eyes Pahana was able to see what held her. A large gelatinous substance pulsated on the wall behind her, whip like cords emanating from its centre. They trailed across her legs, gripping her feet and calves and wiggling towards her thighs. Welts on her arms, the blood black under Ansus’ gaze, showed the places where she had been caught and had escaped. Other blobs seemed to gather from out of the darkness, forming into gloopy lumps on the walls and floor. They lashed out at the tiger, who bit and clawed at them, before moving closer to Pahana. She could hear the voices of the blobs whispering in their grey matter, shouting and screaming in voices hideous and low. A tendril grazed her temple and for a moment she was back in the playground, before the tiger’s large paw swiped through the strand, scattering it into pieces.

‘I’ll cut you free,’ Ansus said, leaping over Pahana and ripping the tentactled mould from the wall. It fell onto the flagstones with a wet plop. ‘Prepare to run.’

‘I can’t, I can’t move,’ Pahana said.

The tiger growled. ‘I will carry you then. Climb upon my back when I say.’

Pahana kicked at the threads gripping her legs. Ansus cut through them, the substance that had formed the vines being absorbed back into the darkness under her touch leaving Pahana’s legs bleeding and raw. Freed, she pulled her legs up, rising onto her knees, her arms straightening to support her upper body. The effort made her pant, her head swirling in clouds of confusion.

‘These are just the foot soldiers,’ Ansus said.

The darkness was alive, and had many fingers. Pahana tried to brush its questing grip away when it touched her skin, each feeler a drop of acid on her flesh. She struggled to keep awake, waiting for Ansus’ word.

‘Get ready,’ the tiger growled.

Heavy feet galloped closer. Deep throated growls escaped from a larynx other than the tigers. A horrid stench alerted Pahana to the Mubby’s presence seconds before it attacked.

‘Ansus,’ she screamed.

Strong hands gripped Pahana under the chin. Her head was pressed into a hairless armpit, scaly skin scraping her cheek. The smell violated her nostrils, making the acid in her stomach boil to the back of her throat. Her feet flopped on the flagstones as the Mubby dragged her away, its speed and strength surprising. She wanted to call out again, but she was afraid to open her mouth in case the smell invaded even further. The sounds of the tiger fighting, muffled through the matted hair of the Mubby’s arm, faded and stopped. At the same time the pace of the creature slowed. It halted, dropping Pahana onto the dank floor. She gasped for breath, the fetid air pleasant after the Mubby.
‘Leave me alone,’ Pahana said, struggling to sit up. Without the tiger’s eye light she was blind. She could hear the Mubby snuffling around her, licking its lips. It sounded like it was laughing at her. Claws raked down her cheek. She hit out, her hand connecting with a scaled arm as hard as metal. The impact jarred her shoulder. She fell forward, out of the Mubby’s grasp. Its claws tapped against the flagstones and it growled. Pahana wriggled to the side and felt the movement of air brush past her face as the creature reached for her and hit empty space where her head had been a moment before. The Mubby growled again and reached for her. This time she could not move fast enough to escape. Its rough hands caught her head, its claws digging in to the soft spots behind her ears. The creature gurgled, slobbering over her. Pahana braced herself for the pain of the strike.

Roaring, teeth bared and claws unsheathed, Ansus Khan ran out of the darkness and crashed into the Mubby, knocking it clear of Pahana. Her neck ached from the violent release from the creature’s hold as Pahana crawled away from the fight. After two lengths she was exhausted and collapsed. She looked back, guided by the snarls and growls to where Ansus and the Mubby were locked in battle. By the light of the tiger’s eyes, Pahana got her first look at the creature that tortured her daily. It was huge, half again as large as Ansus, with enormous shoulders and small, tapering hips. As they fought, Pahana caught glimpses of the Mubby. A long thin tail, covered in scales. Stubby fingers ending in long thick claws, and rat’s tails of matted fur falling in a cloak from muscular shoulders, above which rested a monstrous head. Enormous fish eyes – pale, white and dead – perfect for seeing in the dark, bulged from the top of the head, leaking a pungent fluid that dripped down over the filth encrusted scales of the face. A large nose, surrounded by fleshy petals, glistened in the orange light. Below the nose a dagger sharp spear of bone protruded from the mouth, died black with blood, a narrow pink tongue curling and unfurling from the end of the spear.

Ansus reared onto her hindquarters, swinging with her front paws at the Mubby. Each blow against its armoured flesh scattered sparks of fluorescent green into the dark. The monster seemed undaunted with the tiger’s attack and swung back, its arms like clubs, its claws sinking deep into Ansus’ back and shoulders. The tiger roared in pain and lunged for the Mubby’s chest, but its flesh was as hard and invulnerable under the thick felt of its body as it was on its shoulders. The low lunge left the tiger’s head vulnerable. The Mubby reached up, grasping Ansus around the head and digging its claws in behind her ears.

‘No,’ Pahana said, afraid that the tiger would be crushed, leaving her defenceless and once more at the mercy of the Mubby.

Without the tiger to disperse them, the sticky grey threads of darkness were forming around Pahana again. The feelers were tickling her fingertips and she could hear the squelch of the gelid bodies dragging closer. Something else was approaching also, something large and slow that shook the flagstones under Pahana’s ear with each footfall.

She crawled away from the tendrils, moving closer to the tiger and the Mubby. The Mubby’s naked tail scraped across her thigh then flew above her head as Ansus shifted weight, shoving the monster off balance. Pahana found the wall and pressed her back against it. To her left the unseen creatures of the dark approached, whispering to her. On her right Ansus’ cries of pain grew shrill. The Mubby was compressing the tiger’s skull between its hands, its long claws seeking to pierce her eyes. Ansus had wedged her forepaws against the monster’s chest in an effort to push it away, but despite her great strength, the Mubby was slowly overpowering her.

‘No, Ansus,’ Pahana called to the tiger. ‘You must win, I need you, Ansus Khan.’

Pahana saw a change come over the tiger. Her cries of pain deepened to a guttural roar of rage. Her tense forelegs gave way, no longer battling her enemy but instead moving forward to embrace it. Surprised, the Mubby loosened its grip on the tiger’s skull as she fell towards it. Ansus broke free of the crushing hold, her head on a collision course with the Mubby’s pale, deathlike eyes. Pahana wanted to look away, but couldn’t, as the tiger closed her jaws around the long spear of bone that formed part of the monster’s mouth. With a loud crunch, the proboscis shattered in Ansus’ teeth. The tiger pulled back her head, ripping the spear and the Mubby’s tongue free from its face. Now it was the turn for the monster to scream in pain. Its hands reached for its face, covering the hole where its mouth once had been and which now oozed a thick dark liquid. Its fleshy nose wobbled and it drew away from Ansus. The tiger bared her teeth and lunged for one of the Mubby’s bulging eyes, but the monster had already turned and fled into the dark.

Pahana moved away from the wall. Thick tentacles moved the air above her head, seeking her out.

‘Ansus, over here.’

The tiger limped towards her, spitting out the shards of bones that had lodged between her teeth. ‘Climb on,’ she said.

‘You’re injured.’ Pahana caressed the tiger, tentatively probing her injuries. She could fit her finger into one of the holes on the tiger’s shoulder. It reminded her of the wound in her cheek.

‘It’ll be worse if we wait around here for much longer.’

Pahana grabbed a handful of fur on the tiger’s back and pulled herself up. With difficulty she straddled the cat. Despite Ansus’ size, Pahana had to stick her legs forward to keep her heels from touching the ground. The tiger’s backbone stuck into her uncomfortably. Once she was aboard, the tiger started moving – slowly at first, until Pahana got her balance, and then she broke into a fast lope.

‘Where are we going?’ Pahana asked.

‘Somewhere with a bit more light,’ Ansus said. ‘And as far away from that as possible.’

Pahana looked ahead. For a moment the tiger’s eyes illuminated a forest of legs, the surface of each covered with round, teeth filled mouths. Behind the legs an enormous bulbous body quivered, making the ground shake with each step as it was dragged along. Before she could get a better look, the tiger turned and carried Pahana away in to the darkness.

Chapter One - Touched

Something stalked the hall.

She opened her eyes. Golden autumn sunshine shone through the curtainless window at the end of the bed, fading the flickering images on the black and white television to obscurity. Curled up in bed, duvet tucked to her chin, Pahana knew she should be warm but she could not keep from shivering.

The bedroom door creaked open. Pahana flinched. Her mother’s round face peered into the room, her forehead creased with worry.

‘How are you feeling?’

Pahana smiled. ‘Tired,’ she said. ‘Cold.’

Her mother entered the small room and placed her palm on Pahana’s forehead. Flour was encrusted around her fingernails. She must have been baking. Pahana couldn’t smell any enticing odours wafting up from the kitchen.

‘You’re shivering.’ Her mother tut-tutted. ‘What would you say if I sat with you for a while and we watched some TV together?’

‘I’d like that.’

Her mother sat down on the side of the bed, her arm around Pahana’s shoulders. The bed was small; there wasn’t enough room for two. Pahana was forced against the wall. It felt icy to the touch.

‘There, that’s better,’ her mother said, swinging her legs onto the bed.

Pahana heard the footsteps again; the slow pad of a predator stalking the corridor outside her room. It stopped, and then started again, drawing nearer. She tensed.

‘What is it?’ her mother asked.

‘Can you hear it?’

The floorboards at the top of the stairs creaked as the thing crossed them. Its steps were heavy, like her father when he couldn’t sleep and paced at night.

‘Hear what?’

Pahana sat up, her eyes on the door. A low growl sounded outside her room. ‘That,’ she whispered.

Her mother laughed. ‘Oh, that’s nothing. That’s just the Mubby.’

Claws scrabbled against the thin plywood door. It exploded inwards, hitting Pahana’s mother on the side of the head and knocking her unconscious. She slumped onto the floor, a trickle of blood snaking down her cheek. The door, in splinters, rained over her body. The doorway was a black hole, sucking the light out from the window. The growl sounded again. Pahana tried to press her body into the wall, willing herself to become as cold and numb as the ice of the plaster. Something, a blur of fur and scales, detached from the doorway and threw itself towards the bed.

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Pahana opened her eyes. Darkness surrounded her, falling upon her eyes and ears in the sticky black threads of the night spider. She was not in bed, but the wall she lay against was as cold as the one in her bedroom. She shook her head to clear it. Something was stalking her. She could still hear it breathing. It padded closer, growling.

She tried to sit up. She was so tired she could barely move. She pressed against the damp floor and raised her body a few inches. The small movement made her head swim and the blood pound in her ears. Not a good idea, she thought, lying prone again. Maybe if I am as still as possible it won’t notice I’m here and leave me alone.

It came closer. She could smell it now. The aroma of clothes left long unwashed, the scent of a dirty litter tray and food gone bad all rolled up into one disgusting stench that made Pahana gag. She choked, and the thing pounced. It landed on her back. Heavy paws pushed her down into the stone floor, while clawed hands reached for her head and pulled it back painfully. She could feel the claws piercing her skin, delving into her cheeks and coming out inside her mouth. She bit into the claw that emerged between her teeth. It tasted of metal, its hardness making her jaw ache. Other claws punctured the skin of her forehead, scraping against bone. Blood washed her face, clotting in her eyelashes and making her skin sticky.

She couldn’t fight. She lay still, frozen in its grasp. It hurt like hell, but the thought of moving – of tearing flesh ripping free from those claws – made her more frightened of change. She heard a wet sneeze beside her ear. The creature – what had her mother called it? The Mubby – was licking its lips. Its grasping hands yanked her head back further until she thought her neck was going to break with the contortion. It would be a merciful release. She almost wished it would. The Mubby snuffled again and then she felt its jaws clamp down upon her skull. There was a moment of intense, bone liquefying pain. Pahana screamed, her voice echoing in the dark. When the sound of her voice died, she was left numb listening to the Mubby lapping at her head.

Time. How does one trace its passing when there is no light, no movement, no tick of the hands travelling on a clock face? There was no time for Pahana, only the Now. The rushing static now, where she was immovable, frozen to the floor, aware she was alive because of the timpani of her heart within her chest and the pain that traced its way through her body. Had she slept? She couldn’t tell. She knew she was alone. How had she got here? Had she ever been anywhere else? She couldn’t remember. She had memories of other times, glimpses of light and warmth, but perhaps they were illusions conjured by her mind to ease the horror of the now.

Slowly she raised her hand to feel around her face and head, assessing the damage. Her fingertips brushed against the flakes of dried blood, and then fell into the claw holes left in her cheeks. She didn’t dare explore the dull ache in the back of her skull, afraid to find out what the Mubby had done to her.

I will get out of this, Pahana whispered. Others will come looking for me.

She lay still and listened for the sounds of the creature moving in the darkness. She heard nothing. Whether it lay quietly sleeping beside her or had left, she did not know. She placed the side of her hand against the wall and slowly pulled herself forward, feeling for gaps in the wall that might lead to something other than Now, her eyes searching for a hint of far away light that might signal escape.

What if it is not dark, and my eyes have been ripped from my face? The thought struck Pahana motionless. What if the Mubby and a whole host of creatures stood over her, washed in daylight, laughing at her pitiful efforts to escape. She was too afraid to feel for her eyes, in case she was right and found the sockets empty.

She was still rocking from the thought when a speck of light ahead resolved the question. It hurt her to look at it, but if she pressed her face into the ground she could see it out of the corner of her eye without pain. Slowly she discerned colours in the pulsating cloud – blue, yellow and orange. It swayed back and forth, coming closer.

‘Pahana?’

The voice was sweet, but she was afraid to answer.

‘Pahana?’

Footsteps – heavy paws stalking closer. Pahana closed her eyes, shutting out the light, bracing herself for the attack. Something large and bestial approached, bringing the light with it. She could smell it’s animal scent, not unpleasant, as it stopped in front of her. Stale breath blew against her skin.

‘Pahana, open your eyes. There is no need to be afraid.’

The light was very bright now. She could see it pressing against her eyelids, turning the darkness red.

‘I am here to help you.’

A hand touched the back of her neck. The caress was soothing, unlike the grip of the Mubby. Pahana opened her eyes. The light was so bright that it stabbed into her eyes. They watered, making the colours before her run in a shower of tears. Two creatures stood before her. One stood square on four powerful paws, each as large as dinner plates, its orange fur streaked with black marks. A tiger. The other was a woman, tall and elegant clad in blue, with golden hair haloing her head. From her back sprouted fourfold wings of incredible delicacy and beauty. It was from the wings that the light emanated, widening the circle of brightness with each beat.

The woman crouched above Pahana, one hand resting on the tiger’s broad back, the other gentling touching Pahana’s head. She smiled, her soft face filled with love.

Pahana wanted to rub her eyes to make sure this was not another mirage. She wanted to touch the bare feet of the woman, rub her fingers across the furry toes of the tiger, but she was afraid that if she moved she would shatter the illusion and they would vanish, leaving her alone in the darkness once more. The night was always so much darker after the light.

‘Who are you?’ Pahana said.

‘I am Angel, and this is Ansus Khan,’ the woman said. ‘I have been looking for you for a long time.’

The tiger lowered its head and sniffed Pahana’s face. It licked her head, its tongue rasping against her skin.

‘My, you are in quite a state,’ Angel said. ‘Sit up, so I can look at you.’

‘I can’t,’ Pahana said. ‘I’m so tired, I can barely move.’

‘I know.’ Angel grasped Pahana’s shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position, her back resting against the cold wall. ‘Oh dear, they have done quite a number on you, haven’t they?’

Pahana tried to look down, but Angel caught her chin and held her head up so she couldn’t ‘t see. She caught a glimpse of a long red scar tracing a route across her chest.

‘It is better if you don’t look,’ Angel said.

The tiger moved closer, its whiskers tickling Pahana’s flesh. It sniffed her carefully from head to toe and then started to lick her hands and face.

‘Ansus is cleaning up the worst of it, but your wounds will take time to heal,’ Angel explained.

‘Can’t you heal me?’ Pahana said. ‘Haven’t you come to rescue me?’

Angel smiled. Pahana had seen such a smile before on the faces of many people. It was the expression they used just before they told you bad news, as if smiling could lessen the blow. ‘I have come to help you. I’ve been looking for you for a long time, but it has been very hard to find you. The magic around this place is very strong, and I can only penetrate it for so long before I am discovered and expelled.’

Pahana shuddered. The tiger raised its head and looked at her quizzically, its amber eyes shining with their own light independent from Angel’s wings. ‘You can’t leave me here alone, there are things here – what about the Mubby? What if it comes back?’

Angel pushed the hair away from Pahana’s face. The strands were stiff, glued together with filth. ‘Even though I cannot stay with you, I will not leave you alone. That is why I brought Ansus Khan with me. She volunteered to be your guide. She is going to help you escape when I cannot.’

Pahana looked at the tiger again. It winked at her. ‘But what is this place? Why am I here? Please don’t leave me alone in the dark again.’

‘It’s a maze,’ Angel said. ‘A labyrinth, magically constructed and home to a variety of fearsome beasts.’

‘You aren’t making me feel any better.’

‘The labyrinth is heavily disguised, its outer shell marked with many ruins, its entrances all sealed with spells. They will not detect Ansus, she will stay with you, but they will know I am here. Yes, in fact I can feel them looking for me know.’ Angel’s light flickered. For a moment she vanished and then she was back again, her warm hands wrapped around Pahana’s arms.

‘Can’t you take me away with you, the way you brought the tiger here?’

Ansus Khan stood up, swinging around to face out, her long tail thumping against the wall. A growl rumbled deep in her throat.

‘They have found me,’ Angel said. She gripped Pahana tighter and leaned close to her face, whispering rapidly. ‘I cannot take you with me. They have placed many spells upon you, chaining you to this place. It would take many powerful people to break these chains, and even if I could get them here, we would not be left in peace long enough to do the work.’

‘I’m trapped then.’ Pahana didn’t mean to shout. Ansus glared at her over her shoulder, one large paw placed on her leg to quiet her.

‘No, there are other ways you can break the spells – slower ways, but just as effective. Ansus Khan will help you. She will show you the way. I must go now, they are coming for me, and I must be gone before they find me or I will not be able to go and I will be of no use to you trapped here also – or worse. I will be back, if I can. Keep faith, Pahana, and do not be afraid.’

The tiger bowed her head to the woman and they exchanged looks. Angel squeezed Pahana’s arms one more time, and then she was gone. The ghostly image of her light bearing wings stayed on Pahana’s retinas before they too faded, leaving her at the mercy of the darkness once more.

Ansus Khan’s eyes glowed amber in the black, twin beams of orange that cast light inches in front of the tiger’s face. She turned her head, casting the lights on to Pahana. ‘They are coming,’ she growled. ‘Get ready.’