Page 158 of P.S. I'm Still Yours

This guy baffles me.

We’ve gone on nearly every single ride at the fair in the last two hours—some we’ve even done twice—and he wants to go again? I thought we’d be on a time crunch, but the process is much quicker when you don’t have to wait in line.

The last thing we went on was this roller coaster that flips you upside down so violently I thought my organs were going to come out through my mouth.

Afterward, we decided to take a break and hit the food vendors.

I’m the only one who hasn’t inhaled twice my body weight in popcorn. I’m still nauseous from that last ride.

We relocated to the game booths ten minutes ago, and we’ve been alternating between the ring toss game and the dart balloon game.

“I was thinking we could do the Maze,” I suggest, eyeing the big, terrifying house next to the Ferris wheel. It’s got three floors, few windows, and a large neon sign that reads “The Maze: Can you find your way out?”

“Back up. There’s a maze?” Scar asks, scanning the area.

I snort and point to the tall structure in the distance. “Not an actual maze. That’s just what the house is called.”

“Isn’t that the creepy house you can’t get out of?” Jamie asks.

“You can get out. It just takes a while,” I answer.

I’ll never forget the time Gray and I snuck in there while Mom was ordering us cotton candy.

It’s not scary per se, but the Victorian-style house is full of dark, narrow corridors, secret tunnels, and doors that lead to nowhere. It’s old, dusty, and there are flickering lights in every room.

They used to drop visitors through trapdoors, but a guy broke his leg a few years back, and they took those out. They still drop the floors, but just a few inches to make people think they’re falling.

It took me and Gray a good hour and a half to find our way out when we went in. Granted, we were kids back then, but every time we went through a door, it would lead us back to where we started, and by the time we made it back to my mom, she had the entire fair on lockdown and every security guard looking for us.

“That shit’s going to take forever.” Vince makes it clear he’s not sold on the idea.

Scar shrugs. “I’m with Park on this one. I say we continue doing rides until they kick us out.”

There’s just one problem with that: I know for a damn fact that my stomach won’t survive another roller coaster.

They all seem to agree, arguing about which ride to go on.

Whatever, I’ll just do it alone.

It’s been a while since I went into the Maze. I’m curious to see what they’ve changed and if I can find my way out after all these years.

“Well, I’m doing it,” I declare.

“We only have an hour left. You sure that’s going to be enough time?” Jamie worries.

I flash a smile. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

We go our separate ways a few minutes later.

A pit settles into my stomach as I make my way toward the Maze. It’s not like this is a horror house and killer clowns are going to jump out at every corner, but for a reason I can’t pinpoint, I feel anxious.

The employee at the entrance of the Maze walks me through the rules, reminding me to press one of the panic buttons throughout the house if I get lost or feel claustrophobic. He assures me that he knows the house from top to bottom, and he’ll have me out of there in no time.

I thank the employee before pushing the double doors open and walking inside. The man closes the doors behind me seconds after I’ve passed the threshold.

And then there’s nothing but quiet.

Jamie was right.

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