That night, I snuck out wearing my hidden p.ants, which now reminded me of freedom—felt like freedom. My hair was braided and then coiled in a tight bun. I wrapped a scarf around the lower half of my face and donned a hooded cape.
I turned myself into darkness itself, the thing that crept in the shadows, that was the shadows.
I walked a wide circle starting behind the packhouse and snaked through the forest so no one would see me. It took longer wearing the clunky men's shoes I swiped on the way out, but I didn’t want to bring anything besides the clothes on my back.
Part of the maze sprawled into the edge of the forest. The onlookers sat above the maze, which was dug partially into the ground.
I hated how impressed I was; this was a huge feat for only a week of preparation. But I had
