The Corn Maze

The howls in the distance made everyone scared, but the sound, wafting through the crisp October air, was coming from the haunted house. 

Kind of funny really, kids freaking themselves out.

It was a week before Halloween, and I had taken the grandkids to the local cider mill. We ate apple flavored donuts, licking the sweet cinnamon sugar coating from our fingers. The apple cider was some of the best I'd ever had, sweet yet tart. The owner's daughter was demonstrating how to make a scarecrow. You could make your own for a price. Standing behind cut-out wooden shapes, we had our pictures taken as a scarecrow family. All we had left to do was take the hayride to the pumpkin patch so the kids could pick out a pumpkin, and the corn maze. No way I was taking two little kids to the haunted house, I didn't want them getting scared.

I had never been in a corn maze and wasn't sure I really wanted to. Charity pleaded to go, and I couldn't turn her down. We didn't want to carry pumpkins around with us, so we decided to do the corn maze first. Charity, Mathew, and I waited in line to enter the corn maze. Finally, it was our turn to enter the maze. It was filled with wrong turns leading to nowhere. Charity charged on ahead. Despite my telling her to slow down, I soon lost sight of her.

“Charity, where are you?” I begged.

“Over here grandma.” she cried joyously.

It sounded like she was just over in the next row. Holding Mathew's hand with a death grip, I pulled him around the corner, but no Charity in sight. Rounding the next corner I had two choices left or right...I took the right. This went on for what seemed like several minutes. I could hear Charity's laughter, but couldn't see her. I started breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of losing her. My daughter had been carjacked, and murdered, not that many years before. The memory was just too fresh. I started to panic, wanting to just break through the walls of corn.

“Where are you now, Charity?” I almost sobbed.

“I'm out of the maze grandma,” she assured me.

Finally, ahead of me... I could see a brighter light! I practically ran out of that maze, rushing over to Charity, who was all smiles. She had the time of her life!

“It was easy grandma, you just keep going left,” she instructed.

You will never, ever get me into a corn maze again!

Author's Note

Photo copyright Camiell Garrett

Reviews

[Jacob Clifford]

This has a nostalgic feel to it. Something about corn mazes take me back. I appreciate Halloween stories that aren't all blood and gore and scares.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thanks for reading, Clifford. This did took place several years ago. I am writing these Halloween stories to read to my granchildren, so I didn't want them too scary.

[Jacob Clifford]

That's wonderful! I'm sure they'll love the stories.

[Tegon Maus]

I've grown a good deal of corn but have never been in a corn maze. The local pumpkin farm has one every year... $10 to get lost. Parking is $5 and the average size pumpkin is $21 !!! too rich for my blood !

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Definitely too rich for my blood now that we are retired! This event took place several years ago. Thanks for reading!