This Corn Maze Has Been Fun But It’s Starting to Get Dark Out

I’ve had such a great afternoon in this corn maze. It has been exhilarating to roam through the towering cornstalks, strolling through soft soil and breathing brisk October air. But it’s beginning to get a little late, and I’m starting to wonder if we should go home soon.

Don’t get me wrong! There is nowhere else that I would rather have spent the last few hours—the last seven hours, to be exact, judging by the angle of the sun over the autumn horizon. We have had plenty of time to weave our way through the maze’s endless twists and turns, strolling in circles and doubling back at dead ends, so maybe we should start finding a way out.

I was hoping that I would be in home in time for dinner tonight, but it looks like we will still be here in the maze, taking in a vivid sunset as it covers the seemingly infinite rows of corn in a yellow glow. If you are hungry, I have some maple candy that I bought at the farmhouse. I also have some hot mulled cider, though it is cold by now. I do not have any water.

It is true that this corn maze is beautiful. Just look at the cornstalks bending in the wind. Their lengthening shadows shift on the soil like thousands of long fingers beckoning us down an infinite path. I would love to stay here and delight in this perfect fall evening, but it would be nice to get home in time to tuck my son into bed.

The sun is slipping down between the cornstalks, so I will just use this little flashlight on my keychain for light. I have a sense that we have already walked down this path but it is hard to tell. Earlier today, the maze was filled with happy children and families. Now, it is quiet save for our footsteps and the gentle murmur of vast miles of corn.

I have a feeling that we are at the heart of the maze, as there is no light filtering down the path anymore. The cornstalks soar into a perfectly cloudless night sky like silhouetted shrouds that stretch in ceaseless multitudes toward an unknown end. The air is fragrant and immeasurably dark. I do not know what lies ahead, yet there is nowhere to go except forward. I’m sure we can’t be too far from the exit now.

–LT ’19