It had been repurposed into a village of sorts. It seemed to be mid-build, but they’d made a valiant effort in hiding the rough edges with impressive decorations and rows of tents with games inside. Each tent had a different motif from scary clowns to Disney villains and everything in between.
The food trucks from town were now stationed here to feed the masses who had worked up an appetite. I lost myself in the games and people watched, my music brain soaking everything up like a sponge.
I climbed the winding gravel road toward the back of the pasture. There was a fenced-in area that seemed to be off limits on the far side of the hill, but there was plenty going on near themaze. People were making social media videos with their friends and snacking on the candy in plentiful supply. I avoided the cameras and dipped into the maze.
Laughing my way through the jump scares and costumed kids squealing, I somehow ended up in a dead end of the maze.
I turned around to try and get back to the main maze, but the fog machine left me disorientated. I bumped into a huge form and screeched at the mottled face of a zombie. He was staked into the ground and thankfully not an actual person.
Laughter and screams floated in distantly. At least I wasn’t that far off from civilization. The huge black fabric draped hay bales and cut off the setting sun, leaving it dark save for some eerie purple lights.
I swung around at a sound and my mouth dropped open at the massive rat.
It convulsed and trundled forward. I yelped, bumping into something or someone. I whirled around to find a very tall guy in all black. His face was half covered with little pointy horns at the top of the mask.
The doubleDon the front of the costume was splattered in red and he had a staff in his hands.
Startled, I backed up and the rat was right there. Between the atmosphere and the enclosed space I freaked out.
“Hey, it’s okay.” The deep voice didn’t help the rising panic.
He dropped the staff and held his hands out. “The ROUS won’t get you.”
I bent at the waist and laughed. “God, I’m sorry. Good job on the decorations. You got me.”
I pulled the glasses off and tucked them into the neck of my sweater as I stood.
“Amber?”
6
tate
The punchof awareness in my chest set me back a full step.
I’d noticed the woman in the short skirt and knee high orange tights. I’d always had a thing for Velma fromScooby Doo. There was something about the way she puzzled out mysteries in my formative years. I’d gone out with enough Daphnes in my time as a quarterback. Now, I realized the brainy ones were the far more interesting ones.
The fact that Amber was under that fuzzy sweater and dark wig left me off-balance. Without the glasses, her unforgettable face couldn’t be denied even in the dim, foggy corner of the maze. Those famous gray eyes graced billboards and photos splashed across the internet.
The same gray eyes that had given me a few moments when we were teens.
I cleared my throat and wiped a hand over my splattered costume.
Amber Dalton hadnotbeen on my list to find in here.
“Is that you, Tate?” She tipped her chin up and squinted at me.
“Matt Murdock to you.”I’d impulsively pulled on my Dare Devil costume from last year to play in the maze for a bit. Scaring the teenagers in the maze was hilarious. I’d gotten at least five with a jump scare with my good buddy Frank the ROUS.
She frowned.
I laughed. “Never mind. It’s my costume.”
“Oh.” She grinned. “Sorry, I’m not up on my superheroes, I guess.”
“Antihero, but you’re forgiven.”
“Since when were you anything other than a hero, Tate Reynolds? Especially with what I’ve heard about you lately.”
