Autumn Short Stories

Lost in the Maze

The sun hung low in the sky as the group stood before the entrance to the maze. The dense, twisting hedges loomed like silent sentinels, their dark green leaves rippling with an almost unnatural stillness. To anyone else, it might have been a beautiful, albeit foreboding, sight. But for Darrel, Regina, Carmen, and Trey, it was more than just a maze. It was a puzzle they'd been dared to solve—a challenge they couldn't resist.

"Told you it looked creepy," Darrel said with a grin, stepping closer to the entrance. His voice echoed through the open archway, and for a moment, there was only silence in return.

Carmen laughed nervously and tightened her grip on Darrel's hand. "You didn't mention it was this creepy," she said, her voice wavering as she eyed the thick hedge walls. "I didn't sign up for this."

Trey stood beside Regina, his arm loosely wrapped around her waist, offering her a reassuring smile. "It's just a maze. We'll be fine."

Regina, however, wasn't so sure. There was something unsettling about the maze, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It wasn't just the overgrown hedges, or the whispered warnings from locals about people who entered but never returned. It was the way the maze seemed to call to her—beckoning her inside with a pull that felt almost magnetic.

"I don't know, Trey," she murmured, glancing at him. "There's something off about this place."

"Regina, it's just a maze," Trey said, his voice light and teasing. "You're always worried about stuff like this. We'll have fun. It'll be an adventure."

Regina forced a smile, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that the maze was more than it appeared.

"You guys go ahead. I'm right behind you," Carmen said, her words tinged with uncertainty.

Darrel squeezed her hand, giving her a wink. "Don't worry, I've got your back."

And with that, the four of them stepped into the maze.

The maze was far more labyrinthine than any of them had anticipated. The pathways twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the dense foliage. At first, it was exhilarating—there was laughter, joking, and teasing. Trey and Regina stayed close, their hands intertwined, while Darrel and Carmen trailed just behind. But as the minutes stretched into hours, the fun began to wear off.

"Hey, I think we've passed this way before," Regina said, her voice edged with a hint of frustration as she stopped in her tracks.

Darrel looked up from the map he'd been holding. "Nah, we're good. Just a little disoriented. Happens in mazes."

Regina wasn't convinced. "I swear, we've been here before." She glanced at Carmen. "Look, those same vines. And that weird rock formation."

Carmen's eyes widened. "Oh my God, you're right."

Trey frowned. "It's just a maze, guys. They all look the same. We're fine."

But even as he said it, the atmosphere shifted. The air felt colder, heavier, like the maze itself was shifting around them. The paths ahead grew darker, and the once-friendly rustling of leaves now seemed more like a low hum, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet.

"This doesn't feel right," Carmen said quietly. "It's like... like we're being watched."

Darrel's smile faded. "You're just getting paranoid. It's nothing."

But the doubt was starting to creep in for everyone.

They kept moving, but the maze seemed to mock their progress. The paths kept twisting in on themselves, like they were caught in some kind of labyrinthine loop. No matter which direction they took, the same landmarks kept reappearing—the rock formation, the cluster of twisted trees, the vine-covered wall.