Page 85 of The Sea Witch's Son

Spanning across a hundred acres, the maze is the only structure that crosses property lines on both the poor and the rich side of town. Landscapers are hired every few months to tend the overgrown garden, cutting bushes and building new walls to ensure visitors never end up in the same spot twice.

It is a living, breathing puzzle. One that breaks even the strongest minds.

Running a hand along the hedge next to me, I let the brush of leaves guide me down the beaten path. The moon is bright tonight and the silver glow provides me with enough light to see where I’m going.

The trick, you see, is to understand the purpose of the maze. It is a source of entertainment for the Heart family, a luxuriouspleasure that holds no meaning except for the meaning not found.

There is only one person who knows the inner workings of the puzzle, a single soul who lives and breathes the maze’s treacherous turns, and to find him is to find the passage you’re looking for.

Dips and turns, more turns and dead ends. I keep walking forward, going around in circles yet finding new paths never seen before. My mind stays crisp and clear as I weave my way through the labyrinth, focusing on the fern pressed against my hand rather than the landmarks around me.

Time slinks by as I keep walking, every step drawing me further into the endless maze.

“What do you call a man with one foot in the grave?”

The croaky voice halts my tracks. A smile stretches across my face as I turn and peer up into the darkness.

“A ghost.”

Bright white teeth glint through the night sky.

“What do you call the most foolish fish in the ocean?”

“A clownfish.”

The teeth spread into the shape of a smile. I watch as the figure unfolds himself from the top of the hedge and peers down at me.

“Marlin Seaborn. To what do I owe this pleasure.”

“I’m looking for a passage.”

“Aren’t we all?” Laughter croaks out, “You turn right, thinking it will take you left, only to realize it was nothing but a theft.”

I smile, “You go up, thinking it will lead you down, only to realize you were never above ground.”

“Above ground! Hah!” The smile glows at me from above, “Always a clever one, the Sea Witch’s son.”

Old, dusty boots swing over the hedge. I watch the old man fuddle his way down the branches, his tattered pink sweater marked with stains and dirt streaks.

“Chester. You’re looking well.”

His hunched back straightens at the compliment.

“The maze has been kind to me these last few weeks.” His lips are cracked and bleeding, but that doesn’t stop his smile from stretching from ear-to-ear, “Although I hear change is on the horizon.”

“Nothing like change to keep a man’s head on straight.”

His smile widens, “Nothing like a man to initiate change.”

“Indeed.” Looking down at my shirt, I flick off a stray leaf, “I need a passage to Jack Heart’s chambers. An unguarded one, if possible.”

Chester rocks back and forth on his heels.

“What is it like, walking above ground while your name stains the earth below?"

“Riveting.” I tuck my hands into my pockets, “Jack and I have some unfinished business. I’m looking for a passage to his bedroom.”

“A passage, you say?” Kicking a rock on the ground, he bends down to pick it up, “If you know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

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