2020 Tapestries: Saint Francis University's literary and visual arts magazine

The Pit of Doom by Alyssa Baxter 4th Place Winner, Gunard Carlson Contest I stand on the threshold of the pit of doom. Light flickers and flashes inside, casting the dirty grey floors in slithering shadow. I take a breath, filling my nose with the stuffy odor of the place. The worst place on Earth, this was. I take a shaking step forward, letting my eyes adjust to the almost constant flicker.

I look around, stomach churning with dread. Where was it? I had to find it. If I failed in my task, I would never be regarded in favor again. I had said I could retrieve this item from the pit of doom. I must deliver. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

I step into the labyrinth, its walls rising up on either side, crowding me. Others wander here, lost souls sucked in, led around by some mysterious force of evil and then deposited with no real knowledge of how or why they had come to be there. I shiver as I pass one such person, staring blankly at one of the walls, as if searching for something there. I know what I seek is not in this part of the labyrinth, so I move on. I truly feel sorry for those poor souls forced to come to this burning place of misery. I wouldn’t have set foot here if my quest hadn’t demanded it be so.

I reach a crossroads in the maze and stop. Which way? I look around. There are signs above some of the paths in the labyrinth, but they could be lies. Lies designed to trick unsuspecting travelers like myself into losing their way here. I will not fall for these vile traps, even if they are not lies. I will find my own way without the signs, just in case. I walk through passage after passage, eyes darting back and forth. There were monsters in this labyrinth, oh yes, there were. I must be wary. If a monster saw me trying to retrieve the item, I would be dragged from the labyrinth and out of the pit of doom. This meant failure, and failure was not an option.

I had to duck back into the labyrinth as one monster glided past. He pushed wispy strands of cloth in front of him with a long pole. Those strands were what caught you.

They were doing their horrid job right now! The floor behind the monster was much cleaner than the floor ahead, the strands having devoured everything in their path. I was almost sick as I watched this monster with his tool. That could have been me. I gather my strength. No, I would do this. Giving up meant displeasing her.

With a mighty bound, I leap the cleaner stretch of floor and dash for one of the paths on the other side of the crossroads. Some of the poor lost souls looked up from their weary travails. It appeared I had momentarily freed them from the grip of this place’s madness. I felt a spike of pride at that. I now knew that this place could be beaten. I could survive the trials set in front of me. I would do this!

I scan the labyrinth, looking for the item I sought. Nothing yet. I turn corner after twisting corner, almost losing myself in the dark bowels of the place. I pull myself out of 7