Page 22 of Harvest Maze

There was nothing—or rather, no one. The actors weren’t here. Far in the distance were the screams and sounds of the haunted maze. I jogged down the path, careful not to trip. The red LED lights were gone. The ground was barely lit by the moon—too many shadows cast from the corn. It wasn’t until I twisted and turned enough times to really and truly prove to myself that I was alone did I realize what I’d done.

When the masked man appeared, I went into the wrong patch of corn!

I crossed from the haunted maze into the regular corn maze. The one that families ventured into for scavenger hunts during the day, the one that was child friendly. Slowing my steps, I bent and put my hands on my knees.

Just catch your breath.

It was cheating, but I could always pull up my phone’s map app and figure out how to make it back to the main event. I deserved a caramel apple after tonight’s adventure.

Stalks snapped and dried husks rustled. A voice that was smoke and sin murmured, “There you are.”

A scream caught in my throat as I rounded on the masked man. I hurried backward. He seemed to be at ease, not in a hurry to catch me.

“I’ll stab you!” I shouted.

The bastard chuckled. His voice came out the texture of gravel. Strange and unholy. “I almost wish you would.”

Damn, he probably knew I didn’t have a weapon.

“This maze is closed for the day,” I protested. “You aren’t supposed to be out here.”

And then stumbled on a root.

My ass hit the dirt.

The masked man stopped, seeming to wait until I stood up.

“Neither are you.”

I shot to my feet. “You’re taking this too far.”

“Tell me to stop.” He was baiting me.

Like that would work. I didn’t know who this man was or why he’d followed me. I prepared to run again, but he shot forward and caught my arm.

“It turns me on when you run, my sweet kráska,” he rasped.

I should have panicked. The instinctual familiarity snapped into place. I knew those eyes. I knew that body. I didn’t believe my eyes! It was him. How was he here? His voice was husky, trying to keep the illusion alive. The choice was mine. Call him out, put an end to this, and find my way back. But the promise of a caramel apple didn’t seem as sweet a reward as the idea of playing this twisted game a little longer, now that I knew who my pursuer was.

The fear sluiced away, and in its place was a dangerous desire.

“You have to try harder than that to scare me, monster!” I taunted.

“I’m not here to scare you, Ivry.” His touch slid up my arm. “I’m here to chase you.”

This was a thousand times better than the fantasy in my mind. It was real! My darkest dream was playing out right in front of me.

“Do I get a head start?” I whispered, immediately warmer than I’d been all night.

That laugh was low and rough. The sound curled around me like smoke in the frosty air. Dangerous. Unholy. Sinfully tempting.

“Five. Four. Three—”

I fled.

Chapter 11 – Ivry

It was impossible to stay quiet in a cornfield. Any attempt to hide was betrayed by the skeletal stalks. That didn’t stop me from ducking into the rows the moment I rounded a twist in the path. I wasn’t hiding, merely catching my breath.