The Maze

The Maze

“I'm so excited,” Stacy said with a happy bounce. She shut the car door and waited for Mason.

He stood by the driverside door and stared at her. His expression was a bit chilling. His response made her forget any misgivings she was having. “I've been waiting for this day for a long time.”

As a rule, Stacy never dated people she met online. She watched too many true crime shows on tv. She knew the internet was full of weirdos. She had been talking to Mason for well over a year now. So she felt comfortable accepting when he asked her out.

She had been droning on about the new attraction that had opened in her town, a high-tech maze. It had taken almost three years to build. It had its grand opening a month before. The reviews were raving… Most fun they had in ages… it's a cross between a haunted maze and an escape room…

“Why don't you and I check it out together?” Mason had blurted out. “We can go and get something to eat afterward.”

The invitation had shocked Stacy at first. She didn't think Mason liked her like that. He was drop-dead gorgeous and she was just an average girl. She had to tell herself it was just a friendly get-together. Nothing more.

He had seemed a little more angry than necessary when Stacy told him she wouldn't be able to go until her next day off, Saturday but he grudgingly agreed.

“Just let me grab my jacket,” Mason said and opened the trunk of his car. The trunk slammed “Let's go.” he said wrapping his arm around her waist leading her towards the gate. Stacy smiled to herself and leaned into him.

There was a family of four in line in front of them. Two little girls jumped up and down clapping their hands “Yay, Alice in wonderland”

Stacy groaned. Mason looked down at her with a smile that melted her heart. “Not a fan of Alice?” he asked

“Who isn't a fan of Alice?” She said, “I was just hoping for something a little scarier.”

“Last week was a ghost theme.” the dad from the group ahead of them said.

“Yes,” The doorman or dormouse ( as he was dressed) said sleepily “We just did our monthly update.”

“Excuse me, Excuse me,” a young man wearing a staff t-shirt pushed right through the middle of them. He stopped right in front of Stacy and looked directly into her eyes for a solid two seconds then pushed through the people in front of them “Excuse me, sorry..” and ran inside.

“Wheres the fire!” the dormouse called out to him

“Someone's late for work,” Mason said with a chuckle.

They had to wait ten minutes for the group ahead of them to get started. Stacy laid her head on Maons shoulder and read the signs taped to the wall behind the dormouse. They were mostly information on the Maze, Look for… Watch out for… One of them looked out of place, the one taped to the door. It was more weathered and faded than the others... It was the shape of a traffic light The little red light means stop… The little green light means go…

“Okay folks… if you get lost or frightened just look for one of our red easy buttons, push it and someone will come and get you.” the dormouse said and let them inside.

They stepped inside. Mason looked around intently “The whole thing is different.” he complained again sounding angrier than needed.

Stacy was confused “Have you been here before? I thought…”

Before she could finish a door slid closed between them.

“Are you kidding me!” Mason grumbled loudly and banged the wall with his fists.

Stacy frowned at his temper. “Watch for sliding doors” she repeated what she had read on the outside poster. “I'll look for you,” she called but felt he had already left. “Okay,” she said a bit sarcastically then turned around and followed the row.

They had done a fantastic job building the place. It felt like she was actually walking through a hedge maze. The hedge was plastic of course.. Attached to segments of wall, but it felt real. She could even hear outside sounds birds water even the wind.

“Stop! What garden are you from!” a strange female voice called

Stacy turned in small circles trying to find the source.

“That's not a flower! That's a weed!” another voice said

“No weeds in our bed!” a choir of voices sang

Stacy began to giggle when she finally found it. A bed of human-sized flowers scowled at her while flapping their leaves at her, trying to push her in the opposite direction that she intended to go. “Well, that's just rude.” Stacy laughed. It seemed to her that they would be trying to move her in the wrong direction. She quickly scooted past them in her intended direction. She didn't notice the little red light she had stepped over.

Not wanting to finish the maze by herself, Stacy began to jump up and down hoping to get a glimpse of where Mason was. “Mason” she called loudly and thought she saw the top of his head.

She walked a bit then turned left in the direction she thought she had seen him, again missing the little red light at her feet. She took another left and saw Mason up ahead. Her arrival surprised him and he jumped making Stacy grin.

“There you are,” He said quickly hiding the angry scowl he had been wearing.

Just before she reached him another door closed between them.

“God damn it!” Mason swore. He kicked the wall. Stacy knew it was a kick because she could see his shoe through the hole he made.

“Don't get upset.” she told him “We will find each other again.” She was becoming disenchanted with Mason and his temper.

Stacy continued walking for a while with no incidents. This stretch of the maze was a bit boring. That's when she began to notice something that struck her as odd… Lights on the floor. Small ones like the little laser light cat toys. One red and one green… “The little red light means stop… the little green light means go… She stared at them quietly for a few seconds as her thoughts came together. “Son of a bitch! “ she swore out loud. “A secret cheat! Mason!” She called out loud

A truly terrifying hologram of the red Queen came stomping down the hall in front of her “QUIET!” It yelled

Stacy screamed, it was completely involuntary. She ran taking a right turn and ran right into Mason. She had surprised him again. He stood straight up with a shocked look on his face and Stacy was sure she heard something hit the ground behind him.

“Are you okay? What in the hell happened?”

Stacy began to laugh at herself so it took a minute to explain... She saw the tell-tale signs of his anger rising again“ I'm fine. I had a run-in with the red Queen. Apparently, she likes silence.” she bent down to pick up what Mason had dropped but began to hear marching… Peaking around Mason, she began to smile again, Two, five, and seven… playing cards. Their march quickened as they began to sing..”Painting the roses red…”

Two and five looped their arms through Stacys and began draping her backward. Seven stayed behind holding out his red-tipped paintbrush dramatically towards Mason. The red queen’s voice boomed loudly around them “Off with his head! Off with his head!!”

Stacy laughed madly and allowed them to lead her away. Mason looked like steam was about to explode out of his ears. “Follow the green lights” she called out to him hoping he would understand.

“Stay away from him” Two hissed in her ear

“Danger.” Seven said before they unceremoniously dropped her onto a mushroom-shaped pillow. And ran away.

“That was rude,” she said. Standing to dust herself off Stacy noticed a Peartree. Three spotlights were aimed directly at it making the golden pears sparkle. Had they dropped her in the center of the maze?

There was a big green arrow that said pick me was nailed to the trunk of the tree and pointed to a low-hanging pear.

So of course, Stacy picked it.

The floor dropped out from under her and she was falling… She laid on the giant air-filled pillow and laughed with relief.

She screamed then laughed hysterically when she turned the knob on a tiny door and it yelled ouch! Not so hard!”

Crawling through the door Stacey found herself in a room an overgrown living room. The furniture was three times the size it should be. Stacy felt like an ant.

The doors in the room suddenly shut and locked themselves. Her good humor was overshadowed by fear. She tried to open the door she had come through… it wouldn't budge.

The television came on… black and white surveillance video began to play. Mason at the trunk of his car, looking in… a shiver ran over her skin as she saw what the trunk held.. Zip ties, tape… what was that he just put in his pocket? Stacy shook her head. “I'm sure there is a logical explanation for that…” she said weakly.

The videos began to randomly change. Mason peeking over the wall to look at her... Then ducking low as he walked towards her… what was he holding?

She felt faint and stumbling back into the leg of the giant sofa… when she realized he held a knife… “Has he been stalking me?” she asked as she watched the videos. She watched in horror as he crept up behind her...The red Queen came running… Mason jumped the wall behind her and she hadn't even known he was there… “He’s been hunting me.” She felt the blood rush from her face. “What am I going to do?”

The Cheshire cat jumped from … somewhere making Stacy jump in fear. He made himself comfortable on the arm of the chair. Then he looked down at her and said “The little red light means stop, The little Green light means go.” He disappeared just as the door on the far side of the room opened.

The White Queen stood on the other side of the door. “I told him how to find me.” She stuttered

“Go Child.” The White Queen whispered urgently.

On a normal day, the maze didn't take that long when you knew where you were going… but today it was the longest most nerve-racking ten minutes of her life.

She opened the door and screamed when someone grabbed her and placed a hand over her mouth.