By © Shawnee Bysh
While trick or treating my buddies and I explored a dark street, we hadn’t noticed earlier. Heading across a cobblestone sidewalk, we notice an envelope in the middle of it. One of us kneels to pick it up. It appears to have our names on it. As I fumble, tearing at the neon shell, I find a note inside; I read it out loud, “Guard this with your life and join me. I will unveil a surprise soon.”
Every hair on us stands straight up as our throats tighten at the same time. A noisy clink of something metal ricochet on the ground. I catch it on the second jump, feeling the icy smooth surface of what appears to be a key. Holding it up to a light, the gleam of a tangerine pumpkin shining at the end. A chilly wind kicked up to grab and whip trash cans on to their sides. My flashlight blinking on and off as wailing floats through the air.
A doorway appearing to the left, lit up against the red brickwork as light bounces from neon green to orange. It swings wide, slamming against the wall as ashy smoke bellows out. Etched eyes peer through the vapor.
Our knees buckle under weight as we clutch onto each other.
Voices echo the words. “Start inside, I’ve been expecting you.” Jumping backward at the sound of rustling. I turn whiter than a ghost.
It’s a rat, I mumble, my face the color of ivory and I jump as a brownish flag pops up.
Enter! A large skeletal hand stretches out, pulling Nick in as we rush to grab to him. Once inside, it spots a weird place with a fern color road and carrot tone grass. The craziest fun-house we’ve ever seen since before the Tibson’s home demolishing.
This property is in the middle of nowhere with marigold tinted skies and a trail that changes color in a blink of the eye. Soon as we close in on the strange lodging, a sign drops.
SCREAM Old Hallows, bang the skeleton, knock five times and join me. I do what the symbol instructs and we enter, stare at the revolving walls, making our way throughout the maze of corridors.
After an hour of racing through the eerie hallways, I crash into Nick when foot steps come out of nowhere. The clatter of shoes closing in, stomping all around us.
We spot the door as noise is getting closer. Shadows racing around dark walls as I reach for the entryway handle. The doorway bolts back away from me as we’re running toward it. Echoes of maniacal laughter taunting us from ever direction.
My friends are screaming at the tops of their lungs now.
I leap, grasping the door’s handle open with such force I thought I’d broke it. We’re twisted and thrown out, landing in the middle of the vacant road. I look over my shoulder, head counting, and decided this would be my last trick.
My Labyrinth 