The Lost Midnight Strike

I couldn't remember why or how I got in this hedge maze, all I knew was that it was growing increasingly difficult. I remember the entrance. The damp breaking wood arching over two long forest green hedges. A single long path leading into a peculiar mystery. That was what felt like a day ago, however, may have only been a few minutes. Time had stood still since I came into here. My watch stopped around a hundred feet ago, inexplicably. Everything was in a haze. I knew who I was, albeit, vaguely but I had the ideas. The only thing I didn't know was why I was here and what happened before I wandered into this puzzle. It was unclear if I was here for a reason or why I was here at all.

The futher and further I walked into the maze, the atmosphere grew increasingly darker.

I began to doubt there was a middle to the acres of hedge I was in. The more I walked, the gloomier everything became. The hedges themselves had went from a typical forest green to a charcoal color and their seemed to be unusual blood splashes splattered around the concrete beneath me. It looked shiny, possibly fresh. The sky above me was still, no night clouds, no stars, not even the moon was in my vision. I knew it was unusual but everything was. The sky was nothing more than a blanket or ebony. Behind me, the blood drips decreased in number. I figured the drops may lead the way so off I went following a bizarre trail of bright blood.

As my steps increased, the atmospheric surroundings got worse. The hedges grey leaves gradually dropped off and each one glided on top of a small puddle of blood. The blood drops were growing, turning into puddles, however, the blood was now becoming more purple and dry. As I was inspecting the purple splashes, I glanced around me and strangely, saw a clock tower infront of me. I could not understand how I never saw it before. It was bigger than every line of hedge and was overlooking the maze at all sides. It was as if, it had just appeared. Created in some other dimension and pushed through here right at the splitsecond my eyes locked on a mini puddle of blood. The tower was a large intimidating structure with a clock right at the top. The time on that seemed to have ceased. With no other option to even consider, I walked towards the towers entrance and nudged the door open only to find myself faced with a massive staircase leading to the top.

A spiral staircase made out of cracked marble. The blood stains, if I could call them that anymore, were now a charcoal color, similar to the hedges. They led all the way to the northest point in the tower. At the top was a kind of platform situated next to the clock. It was similar to an altar, only difference being, this one was covered in blood and flesh. Small bloodstains were minimally splashed everywhere over the platform and floor and wall surrounding. However, the clock was immaculate. Not a stain of any color. As I was investigating the clock and its hands, I heard a loud thump coming from the base of the tower. The door.

My heart beated impossibly fast. After the thump, footsteps were heard but not normal footsteps. Incredibly rapid footsteps all the way up every step until the sound came to a extremely sudden halt around ten steps before the platform and clock came into view. I knew that if I stepped forward even a couple of feet I would see it was but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I stood frozen on the spot for at least ten seconds before the same sounds occured. A loud thump at the door followed by very fast footsteps up the steps ceasing to be ten steps before I came into view. The sounds happened another three times. There were five beings ten stairs away from me.

I had no idea who they were or what they wanted but they scared me. I didn't even know if they were human with how fast they came up the marble staircase. Around six minutes past before I decided to at least move my feet. The first movement I made was mimicked by whoever was on the stairs. If I moved forward so did they. I decided to push it to its limit and repeatedly push forward until I was eventually be face to face with the group of five.

After only five steps, I got my first glimpse of the group. All I could see were hoods, black hoods covering a face similar to an abyss. I took another three steps and they came into full view. Each of them looked identical. All wearing black robes with hoods. They all moved in unison, as if the one person. I couldn't make out any part of a face, only darkness. In another five steps, I was face to face with the center being, however, darkness was the only feature available beneath the robe. It was similar to a floating robe but there was definetely something in those robes. The terrifying presence was easily felt. One more step and we would collide, I may get a look at the mystery men or I could just make contact with nothing but robes. I decided to take this one last step.

Slowly, I moved my feet forward one step and so did they. A cold emotion ran through my body and they made contact with me. They continued to push through me, going straight through my body. Further and further into my chest until eventually out of my nervous system. I felt the blood drain from my face and my emotions vanish. A cold empty feeling took over as they left my body. Turning round, expecting to see the five beings, I only saw the clock. However, it was now stained with black blood and the it was ticking. A sharp noise came over the entire clock tower as I noticed it had struck an hour. Midnight.

As the midnight strike echoed, darkness enveloped the entire hedge maze taking the whole clock tower and what was left of my soul with it.

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