We haven’t talked since rehearsal yesterday. We went over the scene countless times, and every run was better than the last. Emily gave us some directions, small changes to try here and there, but overall, it was hands down our best rehearsal yet.
We were attuned to each other in a way we had never been before.
“Hey,” Julia’s voice cuts through the air.
I turn to see her giving Cam a small wave, which he returns with a megawatt smile that could light up this entire park. I catch Winter watching them, a shadow of guilt crossing behind his eyes.
“Hi,” Cam says back, and I’m surprised to hear so many emotions hidden in a two-word letter.
I wonder if they’ve talked. If Julia gave him the chance to apologize for his mistakes. Their bodies say everything their mouths don’t. It’s clear to anyone who sees them that there’s something between them, but I don’t want to force her to do anything.
Olivia comes to my side and whispers in my ear, “You know it pains me to say this, but I think you were right.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Winter. What he did to them and…” Her voice trails off. “You were right about him. He’s a terrible person.”
“Where did that come from?” I turn to question her.
“Just…” She waves me off. “Never mind. Have you seen Graham? I thought he’d be here.”
A warning bell goes off in my head. Her sudden change of opinion about Winter and her interest in Graham can’t be unrelated, but before I can ask her anything, the crowd breaks out in applause as the manager opens the main gate to let us into the park.
It takes exactly three seconds for me to scream at a jump scare. A zombie sprints out of a hidden spot behind a bush, coming straight to me. Everyone laughs at my expense, and after my heartbeat calms down, I’m laughing too.
I should’ve known this wouldn’t be the best place for me. But no, I had to go and think because everyone thought this was fun, I’d think so too. I don’t even like horror movies.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve startled before we make it to the first maze. At some point along Reel Road, before we even make it to the Palace Theater, I just give up on keeping up with the group and tell them to go ahead without me for now.
I feel like my heart is going to fly out of my mouth every time a monster jumps at me. Rationally, I know they won’t do anything to harm me. They’re actors, and they can’t touch me. But tell that to my body.
Counting back from ten, I wait for my breathing to normalize before I unfold myself. My hands are resting on my knee after I all but ran from a masked guy wielding a chainsaw. When I stand up straight, I look for my group in the crowd, knowing they won’t be more than a few feet away.
A quick sweep of the place, and I find Cece’s blue hair. Cam’s walking beside Julia, not touching her but ready to provide a safe place if she needs him, and I can see in the way her body is slightly leaning his way that she wants to get closer to him. Olivia and Cece are walking right behind them, their arms intertwined, seeking solace in each other as their eyes take every detail of the apocalyptic scene around them. I smile despite myself. A warm feeling blankets my heart at the sight of my sister and best friend becoming friends.
I realize Winter’s not with them.
I look around and find him lagging behind the group. His head turns, eyes searching under the brim of his baseball cap, and our gazes meet. He quickly looks away as if I caught him doing something he shouldn’t.
As I quicken my step to reach my friends, realization sinks in. He was looking for me. Staying behind to make sure I didn’t get lost.
“Luiza, c’mon!” Cece yells for me. “The line is already huge.”
I’m just a few steps behind them now, Winter walking by my side. He leans towards me, and this time the goosebumps that erupt all over my body have nothing to do with any scare.
“You don’t need to go in the maze if you don’t want to, Sunshine.”
I turn to eye him, a sense of challenge washing over me. “If you’re scared to do this, you can sit this one out, Winter.” I nod to the bench where some people wait for their friends who are brave enough to go in the maze, then I eye the line and announce, “But I’m going.”
Winter just shakes his head. I arch an eyebrow, challenging him, but he just shrugs and follows me into the line.
“Your call.”
Way too soon, we’re entering the maze. I didn’t have nearly enough time to mentally prepare. It’s all far too realistic for my taste, and I have a feeling something horrible is about to happen.
I feel like we’ve just walked into an Inception dream. It’s so meta, it confuses my brain.
We’re standing inside a movie set, three walls up, and the fourth one missing, replaced by a line of old cameras and flickering light fixture. The set is made to look like an old motel room, blood stains all around—on the floor, bed, and wallpaper. The scene of a massacre.