Chapter 33 #2
“Can we just admit that the funhouse is the absolute worst and just like never go in there again?” I pleaded.
Kenna and Emory gave each other knowing looks and burst out laughing. “No,” they squealed in unison.
“Fine,” I conceded because maybe the room of mirrors might be growing on me, but I would never admit it.
“Next is the corn maze.” Emory pointed straight ahead. Cal and Eli lingered by the entrance a few yards away.
“Took you girls long enough.” Cal pretended to check his extremely expensive watch he’d gotten as a high school graduation present and rarely ever took off.
“It’s because Lyra got lost in the funhouse,” Kenna teased.
“You’re the one who got lost,” I muttered, slowing my steps.
I took a long look around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the demon who haunted my every waking moment, but all I saw were kids running around, parents trying to keep up, and teenagers who thought they were too cool to be here.
“Go!” Emory yelled. The others bolted into the maze, swallowed by the darkness. Thanks to Cal and his competitiveness, the corn maze turned into a race, and this was one competition I’d never win.
It was difficult to see anything, and I didn’t have a flashlight to help navigate the twists and turns. Was it really too much to ask that they put up lights?
A musky, earthy smell seeped from the ground, intensified by all the recent rain. Ears of corn and broken stalks lay discarded all over the compacted dirt. I took a third consecutive right and ended up in the same place I started. Fuck. I was never going to get out of here.
The maze had been the exact same for years, yet I still managed to get lost. Cal could probably do this thing blindfolded at this point.
Thankfully this wasn’t the kind of maze where people chased you with chainsaws.
The deep, rich green of the corn stalks at some point turned a brownish hue as my brisk walk turned into a frantic sprint.
I was expecting to make a left but came to an abrupt halt in front of a wall of stalks.
I was so turned around at this point; I couldn’t even tell which way I’d just come from.
If I just kept going, I’d eventually find my way out.
The strategy had worked year after year for me.
The path I had chosen eventually dumped me back onto the main trail.
I must be getting close to the end because sounds of laughter and merriment drifted through the maze.
I pressed on, continuing down a particularly dark corner where the moonlight barely reached.
The temperature instantly dropped and a shiver ran down my spine.
I whipped my head around but saw nothing, and as quickly as the cold came, it vanished.
The leaves and husks underfoot were shriveled and dead, crunching beneath my feet.
“Hello?” I yelled, hoping one of the others was close by.
Muffled footsteps sounded behind me, each one growing louder. Strong hands gripped my shoulders and a strangled wheeze escaped my lips as I crumpled to my knees. Cal’s laugh flooded my ears as he stood over my fallen form.
“What the hell? You asshole.” I tried to grab his ankles, but he easily escaped my grasp.
Eli and Emory burst around the corner, their expressions panicked when they saw Cal hunched over. It only took a second for them to realize the crazed sound coming from him was laughter.
“A little help here.” I extended my hand, and Emory yanked me to my feet.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to almost kill you.” Cal said, brushing the dirt off my back and picking at the dried leaves stuck in my hair.
“It’s fine; I’m used to it these days.”
“Where’s Kenna?” Emory asked, noting her absence.
“I haven’t seen her.” Eli’s brows scrunched together.
“I swear…if she won,” Cal huffed, already being a sore loser.
“You chose to scare the shit out of me, and that cost you the win.” I wagged a finger at him. “Sucks to suck.”
“You’re right, but it was totally worth it.
” He threw his head back and laughed. But it was drowned out by a loud, piercing scream.
It was followed by another, and then another that tore like wind through the maze.
“Help! Help! We need help!” A male’s voice hollered, the commotion growing louder and louder.
Cal took off in a dead sprint, leading the way. The rest of us fell into place behind him, trying to keep up.
“Shit,” Cal cursed. Yanking Emory to his chest, he turned away from the sickening sight.
A bloody figure hung from the exit sign. Shirtless and limp, the body hung on full display for everyone to see.
“Wait, is that…” I squinted, trying to sharpen the blurry detail of the face.
The light from Eli’s phone illuminated the corpse.
“Oh fuck,” he said beside me.
Mr. Whitethorn’s lifeless body hung, crucified, to the exit post, the word retribution written in bloody letters above his head.
I stood frozen, unable to look away. Blood…there was so much blood, everywhere. But his throat wasn’t slit like the others. His chest and torso had been stabbed repeatedly, to the point where the flesh began to peel from the body. His face had been so badly beaten it was barely recognizable.
This had been personal. The thought hit me like a gut punch.
It was Grey.
“Someone call the police! And an ambulance!” Cal bellowed.
“They’re a few minutes out.” Someone shouted back. But it didn’t matter. We all knew it was too late. Mr. Whitethorn was dead.
The crowd quickly grew around us. Panic and hysteria fueled the chaos as people began to recognize the body.
It didn’t take long until sirens were heard in the distance, drowning out the crowd.
“Where is Kenna?” Cal whispered, his eyes scanning the crowd. We all began to look, but there was no sign of her.
Mr. Abbot burst through the crowd, pulling his son in for a hug. “Are you all right?”
Cal only nodded, unable to look his father in the eyes.
Sheriff Muncy wasn’t far behind, running toward us. He took a few deep breaths, struggling as he spoke. “Hey, kids. I’ve got a few questions to ask y’all.”
“Not now, Will.” Mr. Abbot protested, standing between us and the sheriff.
“I’m sorry, Matt, but I have to ask. I’m just trying to do my job.”
“Sheriff Muncy.” Cal stepped forward, nodding for him to continue.
“Can you run me through what happened?” He took out a notepad and pen to write down our answers.
“We had almost made our way through the maze, and that’s when we heard yelling. We ran to see what the commotion was all about, and that’s when we saw Mr. Whitethorn—” Cal pointed to where he hung.
“And it was just you four?” The sheriff had clearly noticed one very important person was missing from our group.
We all nodded.
“And you didn’t see anything else?” he pressed, writing something down.
“No, sir,” Cal confirmed.
“All right, that’s all I have for now, but we might have some more questions later,” the sheriff said to Mr. Abbot, clasping him on the shoulder.
“I’ve called Kenna multiple times and only got her voicemail,” Emory whispered, her grip on my hand so tight it cut off circulation. “Where do you think she could be?”
I looked back to the maze, but the police officers had already begun roping off the area. “I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders, shaking my head in disbelief that any of this was happening.
“When was the last time anyone saw her?” Eli asked.
“We were all going into the maze.” Emory looked to us for confirmation.
“Yeah.” I agreed. “Let’s spread out and see if we can find her.”
We searched and searched, but there was no sign of Kenna anywhere. It was like she had just vanished.
“She’s still not answering. I’ve tried her like a hundred times.” Emory brought the phone to her ear and tried again. “It’s going straight to voicemail now.”
“Maybe she’s down at the police station,” Cal said with an exasperated sigh, running out of ideas.
“It’s worth a shot.” Emory nodded in agreement. “And if she’s not there, we’re reporting her as missing.”
“Yeah sure, Dad.” Eli rolled his eyes, ending the phone call he was on. “I’ve gotta stop by my house. Can one of you give me a ride? My truck is in the shop still.”
“I’ll drop you off,” I offered, unlocking my SUV.
“Okay, Cal and I will go check the police station.” Emory jumped in the passenger seat of the black Jeep. “I’ll let you know if we find her.”
Things were spiraling out of control. Mr. Whitethorn was dead, and Kenna was missing. The darkness that had been creeping in suddenly felt all too real, and I couldn’t shake the sense that everything we feared was about to come true.