“I know when you have this look on your face, it means you are worried. Tell me, what’s wrong this time?” Jerry asked her as they made their way towards the pond; the designated meeting place.
Mirinda shook her head, still lost in the embrace of her own thoughts.
Jerry stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She turned to stare into his handsome face with a gentle smile she reserved only for him. She liked him, but his heart had always belonged to another and she respected that.
“Mirinda, please tell me what’s got you worried.”
She pointed at the almost visible pond. “When we get there, I’ll tell you.”
They trudged on in silence. When they finally got to the pond, Mirinda was relieved that Manny and Shirley weren’t there yet. She pulled Jerry down on the grass, and they both made their seats on the evergreen surrounding of the lake.
“I had another dream last night.” She began.
“I think I started believing your dreams when Manny suddenly suggested coming here. I mean, what are the odds that he’ll choose to come to the same place you’ve been dreaming about?”
“Jerry! I think the pale man I keep seeing is going to hurt one of us. The dreams are not clear, so I can’t really say who.”
Jerry sighed instead. “I really hope you’re wrong though. What if it’s me? Does that mean I won’t be able to ask Shirley to go to prom with me? I’ve been pining for her too long to lose her now.”
Mirinda winced internally, but gave him a radiant smile as she moved closer to him.
“Want to hear a secret?” She whispered.
He gave a similar conspiratory smile and moved closer to her too. “What’s that?”
“Shirley likes you too.”
Before he could relish in the joy the new information gave him, Shirley and Manny appeared on the scene.
Jerry stood up immediately and tried to make Manny change his mind, but Manny was dead set on proving the tale wrong. He told them they would enter the maze, they’ll take different paths, and they’ll see there was nothing to fear.
Fearing her nightmare coming to life, Mirinda took the offered flashlight and tried to dissuade Manny. “Manny, this is a bad idea. Something feels off around here.”
The asshole had the gut to make a racist slur about her African descent. Mirinda fought the anger she felt as she wondered why she was ever friends with such a vile and shallow boy. She knew the answer; because of Jerry.
Shirley chastised him, and Mirinda threw her friend a grateful smile. Each person eventually took their own path in the dark maze. Mirinda could feel her heartbeat thumping loudly in the eerie silence of the maze. Suddenly, she stopped short when her flashlight illuminated the pale figure of a man standing in her path.
He placed a finger on his lip in the ‘keep quiet’ motion, and he disappeared in a mist, leaving her to almost believe she had imagined him. Still rooted to the spot, an earth curling scream rang through the air. Mirinda made a U-turn and ran towards the entrance to the maze. She almost collided with Shirley, who was coming out of her own path.
As they moved towards the sight in front of them, Mirinda knew what she would see, for had she not dreamt of it for many nights? She was only sorry she lied to Jerry about not knowing who it was supposed to be.
***
Mike stared at the girl in front of him with incredulity. “You mean to tell me you think a ghost murdered your friend, and that you dreamt of it beforehand?”
Mirinda wasn’t surprised about his disbelief. She would have actually been shocked if he had believed her. She nodded only, since she couldn’t trust herself not to break down should she open her mouth one more time.
“Let’s assume I believe this incredible tale, why didn’t you warn him or inform someone about his sudden plans to drag you all into trespassing?”
Mirinda shrugged. “I’ve answered all your questions. I’m not saying anything not related to the case.”.
Mike had a lot of retorts on the tip of his tongue, but he had to keep it down when his partner opened the door to the interrogation room. She signaled with her head that he should meet him outside.
Mike stood up and stared at the seemingly indifferent girl. “I’ll be right back.”
She gave no reaction, and it was as if she did not know anyone but herself was in the room. Mike sighed and made his way to his waiting partner.
“Hey Robin. What’s up?”
Robin’s face looked grim and Mike knew what she was going to say. “All their lawyers and parents are here. The Browns are insisting you stop interrogating the girl or there would be hell to pay. The Stantons are adamant that you can’t question their son until tomorrow, in the presence of his lawyer.”
Mike swore in colorful languages that would make a sailor blush. “Tell them I can’t release the kids.”
Robin looked even grimmer and he didn’t know that was even possible. “Actually, widow Maxfield called. She’s no longer pressing charges against the children for trespassing. They’re free to go now. So, you’ll have to release them to go home, and only invite them here if you have a question.”
“Damn it!” Mike hit his fist against the wall in a moment of unsuppressed rage.
***
Carolyn Maxfield set the table for her sleeping guest. Her joy knew no bounds, and she had extended the joyfulness to those dastardly kids by calling the precinct that she was no longer pressing charges. They had suffered enough for one night.
Oh yes, they have. How dare they barge into her sanctuary? Her only place of peace. But she suddenly let go of the surge of anger as she remembered what their stupidity and childish adventures had done for her.
She hummed to herself as she poured juice into his old favorite cup. He was sure he would be pleased to finally be able to drink from that tumbler again. She had the previous evening to thank for that.
She remembered the previous evening because it would forever be etched in her memory.
***
Carolyn Maxfield jolted awake suddenly. She knew the only reason her heart raced like that was because there were trespassers on her property. She knew the people thought she was stupid for not installing an alarm system, when she obviously wanted to keep people out.
Little did they know that due to the ancient ritual of blood, her body and soul were connected to the estate. She was the alarm system.
She stood up and slowly made her way to the room in the tallest tower in her modest castle. Theirs had been a flourishing estate; with tenants and tourists who loved to pay to take a walk through the Maxfield estate – the last proof of an ancient civilization.
Unfortunately, she lost her husband-Grayson Maxfield to a terrible crime, his own murder. He drowned in the pond near the maze at the hands of his most trusted worker, Daniel Lopez, and his restless spirit haunted the maze ever since.
Bound to the lands, just as she, he couldn’t really pass onto the afterlife unless he lived his life to the end. This was a feat that could only be achieved by taking over the body of his murderer or any one that bore his blood.
People thought she sealed the estate due to her grief, little did they know that the estate, having lost one of its sources of life, sealed itself and preserved his spirit, till he could take a body again.
Getting to the tallest tower, Carolyn saw all three kids wandering aimlessly in her maze, while the fourth one tarried at the entrance of the maze. Probably too much of a coward. But something about his curly black hair and olive skin tone made her look again. Why! The boy was the spitting image of Daniel Lopez.
Before she could smile though, she saw the pale man appear beside him. He took him and stabbed him in rapid succession, that she could barely see the hands move at all, while the boy gave a shattering scream.
***
Her guest groaned, signifying he was awake. She took in the face of the boy that looked exactly like the man who murdered her husband and smiled at him with all happiness.
She knew the entire town would be abuzz with the news that Manuel Lopez’s body was suddenly missing.
Her guest looked surprised but he returned her smile too. He touched his face with his hands and brought down his palms to stare at them with awe.
Not being able to contain her joy, she moved towards him with her hands held out.
“Hello Grayson.”
