6. Corn Maze

Tallulah didn't have long,as the men continued their countdown behind her. Her heart beat the rhythm of every second that passed. She took a few precious seconds to look in both directions to find an avenue to run.

To the right was a game alley. Many of the stalls had fallen over. Red and white stripes were dull and gray with time and rot. It didn't look like she would be able to find an effective hiding spot with six pursuers.

To her left was a tall corn maze. The stalks were dry and withered and didn't look inviting. But the footpath was only wide enough to accommodate two walking shoulder-to-shoulder.

She decided to take her chances in the corn maze. The maze was dark, lacking the floodlights that lit up the grounds around the carousel.

Fond memories from childhood experiences gave way to adrenaline-fueled terror. She pushed herself as fast as her shaky legs and burning muscles could carry her. Occasionally, she glanced over her shoulder to ensure she was staying ahead of her hunters.

It proved to be a mistake as she missed a fallen stalk. Tallulah's foot caught, and she tumbled head over heels on the packed dirt.

"Fuck!" she cried, too loudly.

Realizing her mistake, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Her bare foot was scratched, and her ankle throbbed. She pushed herself backward off the path in an attempt to squeeze her lithe body between the proud corn stalks.

She willed her heart to quiet its relentless quivering. Though scared, Tallulah couldn't deny the thrill of being chased. A stark realization fell over her. She had again played right into the hands of those men. She was a willing mouse.

Stupid mouse,she chastised herself. Heavy footfalls plodded down the path, approaching her hiding spot. She closed her eyes, allowing her sense of hearing to sharpen in the darkness. She only heard one set of steps. When they paused in front of her hiding spot, Tallulah's eyes went wide.

The feet were encased in large tan work boots. Their owner grunted. "I know you're here, little slut," he called. "I can smell your fear."

He inhaled deeply and chuckled. "And I can smell your arousal."

His large hands split the stalks above her, and she screamed.

"Found you."

She hit as hard as she could, aiming right between the ape-masked man's legs. "Oof. You bitch!" She scrambled back through the corn wall and pulled herself to her feet.

"You can run, but you can't hide! When I find you, I'm going to drag you out of here by your neck."

Tallulah couldn't run with her twisted ankle but hobbled as quickly as possible. His heavy steps followed at a steady pace behind her. She hurried along until she came to a dead end.

With nowhere to go, Tallulah was determined not to surrender easily.

"Go through the wall to your right," the disembodied voice sounded in her ear again.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Ignoring her question, he replied, "Quickly!"

The large leaves tickled Tallulah's bare skin as she squeezed through the stalks. "Why do you keep helping me?" she asked.

"What makes you think I'm helping you? Maybe I'm leading you to me. Maybe I want to keep you for myself."

"Do you?" she asked.

"Maybe…" he replied. "Turn left."

He continued to guide her through the maze until she was on the other side.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Don't thank me, Tallulah. You still have a lot of time left."

She hadn't thought about the time remaining. "I won't quit."

"Good girl. Now, quickly. He's closing in on you. Find someplace downwind to confuse his olfactory receptors."

Tallulah found herself in the food truck alley. She took a moment to catch her breath and observe her surroundings. There must've been a reason she was led here. The first stall she approached was a popcorn stand with moldy and stale food in the grimy window. A funnel cake cart with fryers full of old, dirty oil was right next to it.

A little further down, she came across a modern cooler with Tallulah written on it. She cautiously opened it and found a bottle of water. Her excitement at the find was short-lived as she recalled being drugged by the nurse.

"I promise it's safe to drink," Lucien assured her.

Tallulah twisted off the cap with joy and took a large gulp. The cold, refreshing liquid soothed the ache in her throat. She splashed a little of the cold water on her dirty hands. There was no way for her to carry the bottle, so she chugged the rest of it before moving on.

Thinking about her mysterious savior's words, she thought this might be a good place to rest for a moment. Tallulah hid inside one of the broken-down trucks with a lock inside. She grabbed a metal ladle and leaned her head against the wall.

At some point, she had dozed off. But the slightest sound had her twitching. She tightened her grip around the handle of the ladle until her knuckles became white.