The Minotaur was enormous. Topped by the head and shoulders of a bull, it had the upper body of a man from which sprung huge, muscled arms. The monster towered over them, standing upright on its two bull’s legs which ended in sharp hooves and, to complete the picture, vicious-looking horns sprouted from its forehead. With eyes narrowed, fixed on its prey, its lower jaw hung open, displaying two rows of sharp teeth, and allowing gluey strands of saliva to dribble on to the floor. A ghastly odour rose off the creature and, as it bellowed in anticipation of devouring them, they were almost knocked over backwards by a gust of putrid breath.
‘Run,’ yelled Theseus. Jemima didn’t need telling twice. Somehow she persuaded her frozen limbs to move and sped off down the other fork in the tunnel, with the others hot on her heels. The Minotaur let out an infuriated roar and raced after them, causing the ground to shake beneath its thundering hooves. They hurtled further and further through the labyrinth, running for their lives.
All Jemima could hear was the sound of her blood pounding in her ears and the noises made by the fearsome creature as it got ever closer. She smelled it gaining on them, its foul breath threatening to choke her in the confined space. Her lungs were almost fit to burst, her throat burning as they twisted and turned, taking fork after fork in the winding tunnels. Just as Jemima thought she couldn’t go any further she hurtled round a corner and, to her complete horror, found herself facing a stone wall.
‘Dead end,’ she screamed, screeching to a halt. Joe, Charlie and Theseus crashed into her and everybody sprawled in a tangled heap on the ground. Before they had the chance to pick themselves up the Minotaur was upon them, its huge bulk filling the tunnel and its flared nostrils snorting as it gasped for breath. This was it, thought Jemima. They were all going to die. How had everything gone so horribly wrong?
Suddenly Charlie struggled to his feet. He reached into his pocket and took something out. The next second a blinding flash filled the tunnel.
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