Right away, we’re presented with two options. We can take the left or right path.
“Your choice,” I tell Cami.
She pulls me toward the left, and I fight a smile. This is the longer route. We’ll still find the exit without too much trouble.
We use spooky-themed lighting and special effects to light the maze enough to see in the dark with LED uplights that cast eerie shadows and strobe lights that add to the haunting ambiance. There are sections where the corn stalks are uplit, as well as colored pathways and areas with blacklights.
The result? You can’t quite tell whether it’s a prop, an actual person, or if something else is waiting around the next corner.
Cami screams as a demented clown jumps in front of us, lunging in her direction. She practically crawls up my body, and I hug her close, laughing as she smacks my shoulder. The clown breaks character and laughs, too. I know it’s Voodoo, and I lower my head, catching myself right before I kiss her.
She blinks, putting distance between us, but it’s not out of malice or anger. This is different. I think she feels the connection we share, and this time, it actually tempted her too.
Without warning, the maze plunges into darkness. I hear a few screams and wonder what happened. Our lights never go completely out. It ruins the vibe.
There’s a whoosh of air beside me, and Cami breaks contact, her hand no longer touching mine. It’s so damn dark I can’t see shit this far into the maze. Thick gray clouds cover the moon as I feel my way around, moving forward until I touch the rough straw of a hay bale.
“Cami?”
No answer.
A sickening, horrible feeling festers in my gut. I have to find her. Now!
Chapter 8 Camille
Rex almost kissed me.
I’m so surprised that I don’t know what to do. Before I can react more than take a step back, the maze plunges into darkness. My hand wrapped around Rex’s is suddenly yanked away from him. Someone clamps a gloved palm over my mouth and picks me up from behind, dragging me away from my protector.
Panic claws up my throat as I struggle, kicking my legs as I try to hit the shins of the man holding me. He grunts but doesn’t relent, pulling me further into the maze. I can’t fight him off since his arms have banded around me, blocking any effort to get free.
When he suddenly stops, I don’t know what to expect. He pushes me onto a wooden chair, and I nearly fall off. Rope quickly wraps around my middle and pins me in place, ensuring I can’t run away.
That’s when the lights flick back on. Strobe lights disorient me a few seconds before they stop, replaced by a red light that illuminates a tower of hay bales. Directly in front of me, I see dozens of roses scattered around a toppled vase.
From where I’m sitting, I’ve got a good view of the scene that’s been staged as well as the crimson fluid coating the hay and dripping to the dirt below.
Blood.
“You’ll see,” a male voice says from behind me. A voice-changing device distorts it. There’s no way to know if I’ve ever heard the real one.
I try not to whimper as terror grips me. Is this the crazed fan or someone else? I’m so scared I can’t think straight.
A white card drops into my lap. Red droplets mar its perfect surface. There’s a message I can barely make out since I’m sitting in the shadows.
But I can see enough to read it.Stay pure. With love from your #1 fan.
Stay pure? I have no idea what that means.
“You’re mine.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been this afraid. My body starts quivering, and I can’t seem to stop. Every cell in my body feels like a live wire, waiting for the electric shock to zip through and burn like acid in my veins.
He followed me home. The crazed fan thinks I belong to him.
I feel his warm breath beside my ear. “Tell him this is the only warning he gets.”
He? Is the guy talking about Rex?
