Erin walked as slowly as she could, placing her feet, one in front of the other onto the earthy ground. Her long brown hair barely moved against her back as she continued through the maze, trying her utmost not to make a sound. Even her breath was slow; slipping in and out of her body without so much as a sigh. The hedges around her, abundant with green leaves did not rustle in the slightest. Her fierce sapphire eyes remained locked on her path, slowly winding further into the maze.
When she noticed a crossroads in the hedges her fingers flexed, unfolding from knuckles like a flower unfurling for spring. As she walked to the centre of the open space, she held her breath.
Just as her last footstep settled, flashes of steel crossed her vision. Throwing her body against one of the hedges, Erin watched as four shuriken clashed, chiming loudly against one another before they fell to the floor. She allowed herself a quick, loud breath as she rolled along the hedge, placing her in another corridor of the maze. Remaining still, she stared at the end of the pathway, noticing no presence. When a sword, keen to meet her skin was thrust through the hedge, very close to her head, Erin broke into a run. All notions of stealth forgotten, she dashed around the corner, only to be met with a whistling. Once again dropping to the floor, she avoided the cluster of arrows that embedded themselves into the hedge behind her. It was obvious now that she had walked into a trap.
Pulling a small metal cylinder from her pocket, Erin slammed her thumb onto the button in the middle. The cylinder extended into a bo staff which she quickly positioned in front of her body. Walking back the way she came, Erin braced herself as the crossroads approached.
Before she managed to step past the hedge, the swing of a sword, caught by her staff forced her to stop. Then her foes revealed themselves; three enemies dressed in jet-black garbs with dark veils covering their faces. All wielding swords, they emerged from the maze. Erin backed herself into the safety of the two hedges, knowing to face them at the crossroads would not bode well. Blocking another slash, she retaliated by swinging her weapon. When her foe dropped to the floor to evade, he attempted to kick her legs from beneath her. Launching herself into the air with her staff, Erin leapt over him, landing a solid kick on the chest of the second ninja. Watching him fall back against the third, she turned before she landed, barely managing to bring her staff up in time to parry another attack from the first ninja.
When she felt a brutal tug of her hair, Erin quickly threw her arms backwards, satisfied by the resonation of her staff slamming into her foe’s skull. Leaning forwards, she knocked him back with a kick before having to throw herself against a hedge to avoid her head being cleaved. Turning gracefully, she lashed out with her weapon, this time meeting steel. She pushed forwards, forcing her first foe back as he pushed with his sword. With a swing of his arms and a swift shunt of his body, Erin was shoved, her momentum lost. Catching herself by planting the end of her staff in the floor, she suffered a painful blow to the back of the head. Reeling forwards, she reacted as fast as she could to the sword aiming straight for her stomach…
“Cut!”
Immediately the action ceased. From the above them, flood lights revealed themselves with a blinding white.
“Paul forgot the back lighting, get back to your starting positions and let’s roll again.” Spoke the director, his voice pounding through the hidden speakers.
“For fuck sake.” Erin groaned, panting heavily as she swept her hair out of her face. She wasn’t paid enough for this.
Showing posts with label Japanese Maze. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese Maze. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Japanese Maze by Sam Smith
The middle of the maze wasn’t really in the middle. It was at the opposite corner to the entrance of the large square of hedges that were oddly green for November. It had taken us an hour to get to the middle which wasn’t really the middle. Wrapped up in coats and scarves, we bumbled around the unnaturally natural corridors until we reached the middle which wasn’t really the middle. It was like a secluded room of leaves. There were three small benches and a statue of a lion with a cartoon face. It was roaring. The two other benches were occupied by teenagers that kissed too loudly because this was the only place they couldn’t easily be found so they had to make the most of it. We occupied the third bench.
After ten minutes of regaining our strength and trying hard not to listen to the teenagers, I said mazes were stupid and that we should leave. There was only one entrance to the room of leaves and we used it as an exit. We couldn’t quite remember the way back to the entrance to the maze that we wanted to use as an exit. I was sure that we had gone the right way, but mazes are stupid and we ended up back at the middle which wasn’t really the middle, the room of leaves. There were no free benches any more.
Three attempts later, we were sure that we had reached the entrance to the maze. The gate that welcomed us to the maze arched over what was once a gap in the hedge, but the plants had grown over and closed it off. It was decided that returning to the middle that wasn’t really the middle to ask one of the teenagers what was going on would probably be a good idea, but the stout archway to the room of leaves had also grown over. Mazes are stupid.
We died in the maze. Our spirits floated up and we saw the whole of the maze. A green square, filled with lines that lead to no where. A middle that wasn’t really the middle. It was in the corner.
After ten minutes of regaining our strength and trying hard not to listen to the teenagers, I said mazes were stupid and that we should leave. There was only one entrance to the room of leaves and we used it as an exit. We couldn’t quite remember the way back to the entrance to the maze that we wanted to use as an exit. I was sure that we had gone the right way, but mazes are stupid and we ended up back at the middle which wasn’t really the middle, the room of leaves. There were no free benches any more.
Three attempts later, we were sure that we had reached the entrance to the maze. The gate that welcomed us to the maze arched over what was once a gap in the hedge, but the plants had grown over and closed it off. It was decided that returning to the middle that wasn’t really the middle to ask one of the teenagers what was going on would probably be a good idea, but the stout archway to the room of leaves had also grown over. Mazes are stupid.
We died in the maze. Our spirits floated up and we saw the whole of the maze. A green square, filled with lines that lead to no where. A middle that wasn’t really the middle. It was in the corner.
Japanese Maze by Emily Chadwick
Sayuki sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the cherry blossoms fall like snow. It was quiet here in the centre of the maze. No one knew the way in but her, and the gardener who had built it long ago. Her brothers used to blunder their way to the centre, crashing down the neat hedges, ignoring scratches and cuts to their skin. But she was the only one who could walk the corridors of the maze and not get lost.
It was her sanctuary, her special place.
“Excuse me, miss?”
The voice startled her. A tall youth stood beside one of the hedges, looking faintly lost. He was slender and dark-haired, with stormy grey eyes. He did not look scratched or dishevelled at all.
Sayuki’s eyes widened.
“How did you find your way?”
“Through the maze? It was simple.”
“No one can find their way through the maze but me. How did you do it?”
The youth smiled a secretive smile.
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
It was her sanctuary, her special place.
“Excuse me, miss?”
The voice startled her. A tall youth stood beside one of the hedges, looking faintly lost. He was slender and dark-haired, with stormy grey eyes. He did not look scratched or dishevelled at all.
Sayuki’s eyes widened.
“How did you find your way?”
“Through the maze? It was simple.”
“No one can find their way through the maze but me. How did you do it?”
The youth smiled a secretive smile.
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
Japanese Maze by Meg Burrows
Origami turns left and blossom drifts right
and we are left clueless in a pink sky.
We no longer have the fruit, we’ve eaten it all along the path
whilst rearranging faces of pain to beauty to regret.
and we are left clueless in a pink sky.
We no longer have the fruit, we’ve eaten it all along the path
whilst rearranging faces of pain to beauty to regret.
Japanese Maze by Lesley Whyte
Silence. Awkward silence. Drinks had been ordered and had arrived. Food had been ordered. Simon was having the chicken. His date, Laura, was having a Caesar salad, which he took to be a bad sign. Nobody liked salad, let alone ordered it when they went out for dinner. She'd wanted something quick to prepare and quick to eat. She didn't feel comfortable enough with him to order something inelegant.
Simon ran his hands over his head, smoothing his dark hair back. His hands were sweating. He wondered if they were making his hair look greasy. He was nervous. These things always made him nervous and it didn't help that now he was picturing his date eating dog food, as he always did whenever someone ordered a Caeser salad. It was spelt differently, but he couldn't help it.
Talking. Conversation. A question. Yes, a question! Simon thought hard, trying to remember the conversation-starting questions he'd found on the website. His favourite one leaped to the forefront of his mind.
"What's your favourite colour?" he asked Laura, who sipped her water before answering.
"Uh, red, I guess."
"Oh. That's...that's nice," Simon said, smiling at her. He'd been hoping for a little more than that.
"You?" she asked.
"Japanese Maze. It's a fresh, bright, almost minty colour. It's so revitalising, and I love the name. Japanese Maze. I can just picture the delicate white blossom on the trees, hear the tinkling fountain in the middle."
She was looking at him like he was crazy. This had happened before, and now he knew how the night would end. Not that there had been any doubt about that before that point - she'd brought her own car. Always a bad sign.
Simon ran his hands over his head, smoothing his dark hair back. His hands were sweating. He wondered if they were making his hair look greasy. He was nervous. These things always made him nervous and it didn't help that now he was picturing his date eating dog food, as he always did whenever someone ordered a Caeser salad. It was spelt differently, but he couldn't help it.
Talking. Conversation. A question. Yes, a question! Simon thought hard, trying to remember the conversation-starting questions he'd found on the website. His favourite one leaped to the forefront of his mind.
"What's your favourite colour?" he asked Laura, who sipped her water before answering.
"Uh, red, I guess."
"Oh. That's...that's nice," Simon said, smiling at her. He'd been hoping for a little more than that.
"You?" she asked.
"Japanese Maze. It's a fresh, bright, almost minty colour. It's so revitalising, and I love the name. Japanese Maze. I can just picture the delicate white blossom on the trees, hear the tinkling fountain in the middle."
She was looking at him like he was crazy. This had happened before, and now he knew how the night would end. Not that there had been any doubt about that before that point - she'd brought her own car. Always a bad sign.
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