A nineteen-year-old boy stands in the middle of the hall. He's wearing street clothes and has short brown hair. He's clearly surprised to see you.
You open your mouth to speak, but a faint note emerges. Your vocal chords haven't been used in quite a while.
"Uh...hi," he says sheepishly.
"Hello," you say in a raspy young girlish voice. You clear your throat for all the good it'll do. "I never expected to see anyone else here."
"My name...well, my name is Glen. I'm sorry for intruding. I didn't think anybody lived here."
"I didn't either," you reply. Your voice is already clearing up. "But you might as well make yourself comfortable."
"Uh, well I think I'll head on back," Glen replies. He starts walking out the door. You decide not to stop him until he sees the maze for himself, but strangely he simply walks straight out the door.
Maybe he just hasn't noticed it. But no, he's staring straight ahead. You run after him with your tiny legs. By the time you get to the door he's almost halfway to the maze and shows no sign of hesitation.
"WAIT!" you call out roughly. The strain on your throat causes you to cough. At this, Glen turns back to you.
"Are you all right?" he asks, walking back up to the porch.
"I just...haven't talked in a long time," you say. "You see that maze out there? It's kept me trapped here. I don't even know how long."
Glen stares out at the maze. "What maze? The one by that garden?" He points toward the statue garden off the side of the house.
Your heart sinks. Impossible. He must be able to see it. "What do you see straight down that path?" you ask him, clearly indicating the dirt track linking the porch steps with the maze opening.
"It's the path I came here from. I decided to go for a walk in the forest and noticed some old-looking gates. Thought it might be interesting."
"Follow me." You jog to the entrance to the maze. "You don't see this?" You run your hand along the thick hedge.
"Look, little girl, I'm sorry I bothered you. Please don't let your parents know I was here."
"WAIT!" you shout. "Just follow me, please! I have to make you see!" You grab his hand and start running through the maze. He tries to resist you, but your strength is bolstered by your persistence. Together you run, turn, then run some more. When you've taken a few turns you're confident that he can't remember the way back. You, on the other hand, know this section like the back of your hand.
"Okay," you tell him, letting go of his arm.
The boy is thoroughly confused. He steps back several paces.
"That's not the way we came," you say. "Can you find your way out or not?"
"My way out of what? We just spend the last minute running in place."
You suddenly realize that you're back at the maze entrance, in plain view of the house.
"I'm going to go now," Glen says cautiously. "It was nice meeting you."
"But...but..." You watch him turn and walk straight through the hedge wall as if it wasn't there. You run after him and meet a face full of brush, falling backward onto the dirt.
"No! NO! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT--" Your voice finally gives out. Unable to make anything clearer than a whine, you pound the ground in a tantrum. You don't know why the house has picked you. Maybe you were the first. Maybe it just wants one. Maybe it's hell meant for you alone. Tears flow from your face for the first time since you destroyed the doll room. There is no maze. All your work these past months has meant nothing.