The Labyrinth and the Minotaur

When I was a little boy my Nana would tell me stories about an ancient labyrinth that was guarded by a great beast. A great beast with the head of a bull but stood on two legs like a man. It was taller than man and stronger than beast. It was a monster but there were names for monsters like the great beast my Nana described to me. Minotaur. She told me that naughty little boys and girls were sent to the labyrinth as punishment when they did not listen to their elders. The children would be tossed down a well that led to somewhere far below the Earth's surface. There the children would be trapped, lost and alone as they were left to wander the endless corridors of the ancient labyrinth. The children were always frightened and the minotaur would watch the children, stalking them as they searched for their way home. If they could not find the right path then the minotaur would deem the children unworthy and eat them. The minotaur would pick the children up by their ankles and gobble the children whole.

These stories frightened me as a child and night after night I would dream of endless corridors made of stone where bones littered the floor. It was always dark and in these dreams I was always running. Running from a monster that I could not see but knew was always there waiting to gobble me up. There were drums beating somewhere in the distance and I could hear the sound of a great beast snorting its displeasure and the sound of its hooves upon the stone floor. The louder and faster the drums beat the faster I would run but I could never outrun the beast. And in the end it would always catch me.

Years later, I went to see my Nana one last time before she died. She was very old and frail but her eyes were full of life, still alight with a fierce stubbornness that I greatly admired. "Nana, why did you tell me those stories about the labyrinth and the minotaur when I was a child?" I asked her as I held her thin hands.

She smiled and gave me a knowing look. "Because of your dreams, dear. Don't you remember?"

"My dreams?" I said in confusion. "I had nightmares for years because of those stories."

She shook her head gently and clasped my hands tighter. "You dreamed of the labyrinth long before I told you those stories. Our family's history and fate has long been tied to that sacred place. I simply told you stories as a child because you were too young to understand our families responsibilities then."

I shook my head. "Nana, that doesn't make sense. What do you mean about our family's fate? Our responsibilities?"

"We are the guardians of the labyrinth. It is our job to make sure the door between that place and our world stays closed and is never opened. If the minotaur was to ever escape then he would cause chaos and destroy everything in its path. The minotaur used to be a king long ago but was cursed to roam the labyrinth until the end of time by Zeus. You dream of the minotaur and the labyrinth because it is calling to you as it has called to me and our ancestors before us. It wants us to open the door but we must never heed its call."

I quickly changed the subject because I was sure Nana was confused in her frail state or simply trying to scare me one more time. Either way I refused to believe her nonsense and a few days later she passed away in her sleep. After her funeral I set to work cleaning our family home and packing her belongings. The large house felt lonely without her and I wasn't sure if I would keep the house or sell it. After packing and cleaning for several hours I decided to take a stroll in the garden to enjoy the fresh air. I loved the garden. When I was a child Nana and I would walk hand in hand along the worn path while pointing our favorite flowers. The garden was large, almost like a maze and once I wandered too far and got lost. Nana had found me hours later crying. Lost in thought and long forgotten memories, my feet carried me down the garden path. My feet stopped and suddenly I became aware that I did not know where I was. I was standing in front of an old door that was overgrown with ivy and thorns. It was strange as the door was not connected to anything. It simply was there, standing on its own. I walked around the door, inspecting it curiously, but the other side was the same. Overgrown with ivy and thorns. There was an ancient symbol carved into the door but I could not read it. I traced my finger over the symbol and for a moment I thought I could hear drums beating somewhere in the distance. Suddenly, I had the overwhelming urge to open the door. It needed to be open and I wanted nothing more at that moment than to do its bidding. The drums beat louder. Were there drums in the garden? I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember anything. All I could think about was opening that door. My heart thudded in my chest and I felt myself begin to sweat. A yowl broke me from my trance as a stray cat bolted through my legs as our family dog, Toby gave chase. Toby collided with me, knocking me to the ground and my hand fell from the door and the strange symbol carved in it.

"Toby! You mutt!" I said as the large canine disappeared into the bushes hot on the feline's trail. I stood up and dusted myself off. I was unsettled and did not want to be anywhere near the strange door a second longer. I followed the path back to the house but a strange uneasiness settled in my bones and I was not able to shake it off. That night I dreamed of the labyrinth again. I dreamed of the stone corridors and the drums beating while I ran from a monster that I could not see. I could hear its hooves as it followed me deeper and deeper into the heart of the labyrinth. The dream did not end the same as the ones I had before. Instead, this time I called out to my Nana and she answered. I could not see her but I could hear her voice clearly. "Follow my voice, child. It will lead you home. It will lead you back to me." And so I did. I ran and I kept running as Nana's voice led me back to the door that I had so carelessly wandered through. Nana was there waiting for me as I collapsed into her arms and sobbed.

When I awoke I knew that it had not been a dream but a memory. A memory from my childhood and Nana had told me stories about the labyrinth and minotaur so I would not remember. But now I remembered and I knew Nana was telling the truth. We were guardians and the door must never be opened. I lived the rest of my life guarding the door and now as I draw my last breath I pass the responsibility onto you. Will you heed its call?