The Enigmatic Stranger: A Journey to the Labyrinth: Part 1

During the ensuing lunch, the three friends ate and talked about their various trips to the Labyrinth for their holidays. Sam assumed that they would be going again in the near future and that he should go this year.

While they ate and talked, a tall blonde woman, dressed in black, entered the cafeteria. She looked around for a few minutes, swung her backpack to one side, picked up a tray and walked toward the table where the boys were sitting. She set the tray down and sat facing them.

As Tuck, Mitch and Sam watched the young woman ordered a coffee and a bowl of soup be immediately put before her.

She looked up into the corner for a moment then turned to face them.

The boys noticed their friend’s eyes took more than a second in coming to terms with who they actually were.

The woman who sat across from them introduced herself as Suzanne and began to talk to them. She explained that she had been at the demos and at the vigil in the park just the night before.

The boys noticed that she didn't use a spoon but rather picked the food up from the bowl in the palms of her hand and ate it that way. They also wondered why her hand just had the palm lines so they could see that the hand had five fingers. They had also noticed that her fingers tapered off into black, coal black, claws the size of a letter opener.

The boys were amazed by their observations. Tuck was especially astonished.

The woman went on to explain that she had journeyed to the labyrinth that evening at the vigil. She had been drawn by the stillness and catharsis of the park.

She wanted to come back for more, and she wished to meet the people who knew of this special place. After her meal she would be back to take them to the Labyrinth.

The boys asked the woman what she meant by a cavern. Suzanne smiled mysteriously at the boys as she sipped her coffee, her eyes twinkling with an otherworldly gleam. Tuck, intrigued by her enigmatic aura, leaned in closer, his curiosity piqued.

"Well," she began, her voice soft yet tinged with a sense of adventure, "the Labyrinth isn't just any ordinary place. It's a hidden cavern beyond the realms of ordinary perception. A portal to a world where magic pulses through every vein of existence."

The boys listened intently, captivated by Suzanne's words as she described a realm brimming with ancient wonders and forgotten enchantments. Her tales of ethereal creatures and boundless mysteries ignited their imaginations, painting vivid landscapes of possibility within their minds.

As they absorbed her every word, the cafeteria seemed to fade into the background, replaced by visions of a realm teeming with magic and wonder. Suzanne's presence seemed to bridge the gap between their world and the fantastical realm she described.

With a sense of anticipation coursing through their veins, the boys eagerly agreed to accompany Suzanne to the Labyrinth, eager to unveil the secrets and mysteries that awaited them. Little did they know that this encounter marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey that would forever alter their perception of reality.

Together, they finished their lunch, their minds filled with visions of the Labyrinth and its boundless enchantments. As they prepared to depart, Suzanne stood, her figure radiating an otherworldly energy that seemed to stir the air around them.

"We'll meet again soon," she whispered, her words carrying a hint of ancient prophecy. With that, she glided out of the cafeteria, leaving the boys to ponder the fantastical adventure that awaited them in the hidden depths of the Labyrinth.

Excitement and a sense of trepidation filled the hearts of the three friends as they prepared for the journey of a lifetime, where the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary would blur, and the true essence of magic would be unveiled.