YA Spooktacular: Story 3

“Not,” I said, shaking my head.  “It’s got to be some kind of a trap.”

Kara shrugged.  “You’re on your own, then.”  She turned and started off down the path marked TO DANGER.

“You’re crazy,” I called out toward her retreating form.  “You know that, right?”

Without turning around, she gave me the finger.

Great.  Just great.

I turned back toward the clearing, listening to the sounds around me.   The wind howled, stalks of corn rustling in the breeze.   It was quiet, way too quiet.

With a shrug, I set off back the way I’d come, into the dizzying spirals of the maze.  I took my time, moving slowly, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

And then I heard it…a crunch, and then another.  Footsteps.  Slow, deliberate.  Moving toward me.

And then the loudspeaker crackled to life.  “Uh, uh, uh,” a voice chastised.  “Poor form, Josh.  Very poor form.  You chose unwisely.”

I’d had just about enough.  “Who the hell are you?” I yelled, turning in slow circles.

“I am the Corn Stalker.  And you, Josh, are my next victim.”

My breath caught in my throat.  How did he know my name?  It’s a game, I told myself.  Just a game.

From up ahead came a mechanical roar, a pounding of footsteps.

I turned and fled, back toward the center, toward the path marked TO DANGER.

My heart was pounding against my ribs, my shoes slapping against the ground so hard that my teeth shook.  Back at the juncture, I paused long enough to glance back over one shoulder, and I saw him then—the chainsaw-wielding dude wearing a hockey mask, just as I’d predicted.

He was gaining on me fast.

I took off down the path that seemed to lead toward the parking lot—toward Kara—at a sprint.  My legs were aching, my arms pumping hard.  I never should have left her, never should have let her go off on her own.  If something happened to her, if—

Laughter.  I heard raucous laughter just around the bend.   

Still, I didn’t slow down, didn’t break my pace till I saw them, a half-dozen kids lining the end of the path, most of them doubled up in laughter.  Kara stood in front of them all, holding up her cell phone.

I skidded to a stop, my sneakers squeaking loudly as the crowd broke into applause.   My stomach pitched uncomfortably, my mind a muddled mass of confusion.

“What the–”

“I can’t believe you let me go!” Kara said, shaking her head.  Her dirty orange hoodie was tied around her waist now.  “You should have seen your face.  Luckily, I got it all on film.”

“Wha—what?” I stuttered, trying to catch my breath, to slow my racing heart.  I glanced around at the cheering crowd, some of them doubled up with laughter now.

Kara hurried to my side and wrapped her arms around me.  “I’m sorry, but you so deserved it.  I told you I didn’t like scary stuff—you’re the one who insisted we come.”

“But…but how?”  I couldn’t even string together a coherent sentence.

Kara shrugged.  “Laurel’s brother works here.  I told him we were coming tonight, and he set it all up.  Happy Halloween!”

“Yeah, happy freaking Halloween,” I muttered.

One thing was for sure—I was never going into a corn maze again.

THE END.

Keep the tricks going and start the story over again. http://www.pageturnersblog.com/#axzz1bBst10nA

We are a stop hosting a TRICK Crossword Puzzle!

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Signed copy of HAVEN by Kristi Cook

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FYI: The Prize Pack for Story 3 will be posted Oct. 29 at Escape from Reality

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