"Okay, okay, I'm almost ready to go; I'll be down in five, alright? The shuttle doesn't leave for another ten minutes." You shake your head with a grin as you hear a rushed confirmation on the other end of the line before hanging up. You quickly check yourself over in the mirror and grab your jacket before slipping out the door and heading downstairs to join you friends.
It's early autumn, and the weather's finally begun to cool. The crispness in the air that only a change in seasons can bring had inspired you to look into fall festivals in the area. To your surprise and amazement, there was one just outside the city at a small locally owned farm, and you'd immediately made plans to go. When you'd told your friends about the idea, they'd wanted to tag along, and today was finally the day.
"I wonder what it'll be like?" Your friend Charlotte asks as the three of you hang by the festival's shuttle stop. "Is it going to be like in those romance movies we always see this time of year?"
"Or is it going to be like, a complete bummer and nothing like that," Francis adds, drawing a groan from Charlotte. He blinks. "What?"
"Oh come on, guys; I'm sure it's going to be fun, no matter what it looks like," you say, pulling up the list of activities available on your phone. You keep talking as you climb onto the old, beat-up shuttle and find seats. "There's so much to do there, I'll be super surprised if you get bored even slightly. I mean, look at this..."
You spend the next while talking about the various things at the festival, listing off games and booths as the bus rumbles along the road. Both Charlotte and Francis seem excited by the time the bus arrives outside the farm's gates.
"Oh wow," you whisper as you look out the windows. Off in the distance, visible over the tops of the cornfields, was a little Ferris wheel, along with some colorful balloons. As you watched, a hot air balloon lifted off the ground, coming up to hover a few hundred feet above the ground. You tear your gaze off the sight and look over at Charlotte and Francis, to see them both just as awestruck as you felt.
"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Charlotte squeals, and Francis laughs.
"I think you might actually be right for once," he says, and yelps as Charlotte smacks his arm.
After disembarking, the three of you head toward the festival proper, following the small crowd that had gotten off the shuttle with you. You notice a handful of non-humans mixed into the crowd, which was an uncommon occurrence for you. They weren't exactly plentiful where you lived, but you'd always thought them amazing. As you near the main grounds, your stomach starts doing flips as your attention turns back to the festival ahead; it looks so fantastic!
Colorful tents were set up in a sort of winding arrangement that lead you on a wandering path through the area. There was a large red barn in the distance, where the Ferris wheel and hot air balloon were set up off to either side. Strings of bright lights criss-crossed the space above your heads between booths, lending an almost magical feel to the atmosphere. The smell of funnel cakes and various deep-fried foods wafted on the breeze, along with other, sweeter smells of apples and spices. And surrounding the whole area was an immense cornfield that made it seem like this was a little world all its own.
"This... is amazing!" You snap a couple pictures of the place before putting your phone back away, determined not to see it all through a screen. "Look at it all!"
"There's so much more than I'd expected," Francis says, eyes wide. "I'd never have thought it would look like this."
"I really can't figure out where I want to go first," Charlotte says with a grin. "Do I eat something yummy and unhealthy, or play some of the games? Oh, oh, or go in the corn maze? It looks impressive as heck!" She points to a sign nearby that indicated the exit from the maze.
"Now that you mention it, there really is just so much to do," you say thoughtfully. The three of you meet eyes, and smile.
"Catch you later?" Francis asks.
"Yup! Keep in touch!" Charlotte says with a wink.
"Let's meet at the barn when it gets dark," you add, and they both nod before splitting off, waving over their shoulders.
"Now..." you say to yourself. "Where to start?"
You end up deciding to grab a caramel apple before wandering the stalls, munching on the sweet treat happily as you go along. This was such an amazing place; it was just like how you'd always imagined a fall festival would be when you were a kid, but better somehow.
You pass by an enormous dragonman, a huge, pink stuffed bear in his mighty arms. His scaly cheeks darken as hands it to a much smaller guy beside him, who laughs and pulls the larger man down into a kiss. At another booth nearby, a woman groans in frustration as she misses her throw at the milk bottles, but as she digs for more change in her bag, the lionman stall attendant swipes them all down with his tail, shouting about a big winner. Before the confused woman can respond, he pushes a huge stuffed lion into her arms with a grin, and her face lights up in joy.
All over the place, happy moments like this were happening, and you realized that this was the absolute ideal. Everybody was having fun, everybody was helping one another without a care in the world, and everybody was happy. You found yourself smiling so much your cheeks began to hurt.
Your wandering ended up bringing you to the entrance of the corn maze near the barn. You grin as you remember how much you'd wanted to explore one of these things as a kid, even though your sense of direction had been so terrible. You'd actually gotten lost multiple times in grocery stores. Surely it was better now that you were grown up, right?
You approach the maze attendant, a massively built bull-headed man at least head and shoulders taller than you guarding the entrance. A minotaur. His russet-colored fur coordinated well with the dusty copper plaid he was wearing, and his faded, well-fitting jeans looked as though they'd maybe seen a few harvests too many.
You found yourself getting nervous the closer you got; he was remarkably intimidating. And handsome. His spice-colored eyes glitter as you approach, and he uncrosses his enormous arms and sits on a nearby tree stump, bringing him somewhat closer to your height. A dark grin crosses his face as he leans toward you.
"Well, well, another sacrifice for the maze," he says in a playful, but menacing, tone. "You sure you're going to be able to make your way through? We've had a couple folks mysteriously disappear after going in. I'd hate for you to be one of them."
You stare at him a long moment before glancing at the shadowy entrance of the maze. You feel your smile slip away; suddenly it didn't seem like such fun.
"Hey, whoa," he says, his expression changing abruptly. "It's just a bit script, alright? For the folks who want more of a thrill. I'd never let anybody stay lost out there. No way in heck. 'Specially not you." He smiles, much more friendly this time, and offers his massive hand. "Name's Griffin, though you can call me Griff."
You take his hand and feel your heart flutter as his fingers close, completely engulfing your own. In doing so, you can feel the rough calluses of a man who works with his hands a lot. It was indescribably magnetic. After a moment of awkwardly just... holding his hand, you actually remember to introduce yourself and let go.
"So, there's not really anything to worry about?" you ask to cover your embarrassment, and he shakes his head.
"Nah, nothing at all so long as you stay on the paths. I know them like the back of my hand. If you're in there too long, I'll come find you. Though the festival doesn't close down for the night until late, so you got plenty of time to just explore." He smiles, and your heart dances again. "Oh, but hang on a sec," Griffin turns and reaches behind the stump he's sitting on, and retrieves a small flashlight with a dramatic flourish. "Take this with you. It's gonna be getting dark before you know it, and you gotta be able to see in there." His fingers brush yours as he hands it to you, and you giggle nervously.
"Thank-thank you," you stutter, and he winks.
"Just don't get too lost; I'd hate to have to come in after you and drag your pretty self out of there."
You stammer for words, cheeks ablaze, as he grins enormously. Rather than continuing to make a fool of yourself, you duck your head and point toward the entrance, walking past Griffin into the cool shadows of the corn maze. A quick glance back has you meeting his eyes as he watches you walk away, and you face forward, face burning, as he winks again.
Your heart hammers as you start out, Griffin's warm smile still playing in your mind's eye. As you head further in, however, the excitement of the maze starts to take over, and you get really into trying to find your way. You make what seems like decent headway at first, traveling along the paths a fair distance without encountering any dead ends, when suddenly, you can't seem to find a path that doesn't just... stop. You backtrack multiple times, and try what you're certain is different routes, but they all end the same way.
The light was failing at this point, so you turn on the flashlight, casting the beam over the tall cornstalks around you. Was it just your imagination, or was something moving just past the dry, yellow leaves? You hurry in the opposite direction, growing more nervous with every passing moment.
Had you taken this turn before? Why was everything so pitch black out here? You try to find the Ferris wheel over the top of the corn, but can't see anything but the darkness hovering above the field like a vulture. Your mind starts to spin with the warning Griffin had given earlier; while he'd told you it was a bit script, you began to wonder if it was actually somehow true. Out here, alone in the dark, the corn whispering around you in every passing breeze... you felt less than safe.
You dig out your phone, intending to text your friends to come and get you out, but realize with dismay that you had no signal at all, and that your battery was actually near dying. You bite your lip in frustration and resist the urge to hurl it into the stratosphere, instead shoving it ruthlessly back into your pocket. You pick a direction and start jogging. After all, one way was as good as another at this point.
As time seems to drag on and on, panic begins to rise in your throat. How long had you been out here? It felt like days, though it was clearly still the same night. But still, no matter how close it felt like you were to finding an exit, you'd always run into a dead end.
You considered multiple times just wading into the stalks to try and find your way out, but as you didn't know how big the fields were, or which direction to go, you quickly shook the idea from your mind.
Griffin had said that he'd come find you if you were gone too long; how long would you have to be lost before that would happen? You hoped it was soon. You really wished you had just stayed talking with his handsome self instead of undergoing this idiotic adventure.
A heavy shadow, deeper than the others surrounding you, crosses your light just past the cornstalks, and you freeze. It was huge. As you watch, it turns toward you, eyes blazing red.
Nope.
You turn and flee, stumbling on the uneven dirt, hearing nothing but the blood rushing in your ears as you try to escape.
Why had you done this? You knew you'd get lost. Navigation was never your strongest point, and to go into a maze? In the dark? ALONE? What had you been thinking? And now there was some thing out there with you?
You skid around the corners of the paths, nearly losing your footing on the dry dusty earth, the narrow beam of light in your hand flitting wildly over the ground in front of you. You can hear the sounds of pursuit behind you, the heavy, pounding footsteps as they drew closer.
And then suddenly... they were gone. Silence.
You barely have a moment to register this when you run smack into something huge and heavy blocking the path. You let out a shriek as enormous, powerful arms wrap around you, holding your own at your sides as you try to strike at them. Tears stream down your face in terror as you struggle vainly to get free, when–
"HEY!"
A familiar voice booms out from above you, and you look up to see a pair of impressive horns silhouetted against the night sky. It takes you a long moment, but finally...
"Griff...in...?"
"Yeah; who else? Why did you run from me like that? What happened? Are you okay?" The minotaur's voice is thick with concern.
You relax all at once, collapsing into his arms as relief washes over you. You struggle to hold back tears as he supports you; the arms that had been restraining you, gently cradling you against him instead.
"I got so lost, and I was panicking, and I suddenly saw this huge shadow out of nowhere, and I got scared, and...and... oh, god, I'm just so happy to see you," you say, the words coming out in a torrent as you cling to his scratchy flannel shirt. You choke back a sob, and Griffin rubs your back.
"Wow, okay. Makes sense now," he says softly, and you look up to barely see him grinning in the dark. "I mean, I should have thought about that whole 'big scary beast' thing a bit earlier, but I gotta say I'm pretty okay with the way things turned out. How about you?" His huge hand slips to the small of your back, and you feel a flood of warmth wash over you as your heart flutters once again.
"Well, I mean, uh," you scramble for words, all of your emotions in turmoil after the rollercoaster they were on. They finally settle on one, and you stifle a nervous giggle. "I can't say I have any complaints..."
"That's good," Griffin says, his voice dropping slightly. He bends down, gently kisses the top of your head, then chuckles. "What say we get out of this labyrinth together and go have a candy apple or something?" You nod in response, and his arms slip away so you can walk.
However, your body apparently had other ideas.
"Whoa–" Griffin scoops you up as your legs suddenly fold beneath you, lifting you into his arms effortlessly. "I'd say all the excitement took it out of you, huh? Well, this isn't quite what I meant about getting out of here, but... if you're good with it, I totally am."
You manage to mumble your consent as your heart tries to escape your rib cage, and with a nod, Griffin starts off down the path, cradling you securely to his broad chest. You're too embarrassed and flustered to speak, so you hold the flashlight to illuminate the path for him, even though you were pretty sure he didn't need it. He'd found you easily in the dark, after all. Griffin seemed more than happy to keep the silence, however, and strode easily through the maze, the only sounds those of his breathing and the rustling of his clothes.
Finally, the sky above the corn began to lighten. Before you were truly ready, Griffin turned the last corner and came out into the light of the festival. Scrunching your eyes up against the glare, you sink a bit into his embrace, and feel his arms tighten around you ever so slightly.
"Oh my god, there you are!"
"Jesus, you idiot, you had us worried!"
Charlotte and Francis rush over to Griffin, talking over one another in rapid fire, their distress clearly evident.
"We met back up at the barn at sunset like planned, but-"
"You never showed up! We tried to text you-"
"Then this big guy here asked us what was wrong, and we told him you were missing-"
"And when he said you'd gone into the maze-"
"You idiot! Like you could ever navigate anything more complicated than a hallway!"
You look at them with wide eyes, listening to them badger back and forth, and suddenly notice Griffin shaking with repressed laughter. You glance up to see him biting his lip trying to hold it in, and it suddenly makes you realize just how ridiculous the whole situation was. You immediately start to giggle, trying to cover the sound with your hands, which only makes Griffin laugh harder, and then the two of you suddenly explode, catching Charlotte and Francis off guard. Then they too start to laugh, and you have to cling to Griffin's shirt to keep yourself steady in his arms as he roars out above you. The four of you make such an incredible ruckus that people begin staring, and you all finally manage to calm down enough to actually speak after a moment.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, guys," you manage once you have breath. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Seriously," Francis says with a teasing scowl, "You should have known better."
"If it's any consolation," Charlotte says with a wicked grin, "as soon as we told the big bull here that you were more than a little terrible at navigating anything outside a breadbox, he leapt to his feet and pounded off into the maze without another word. Isn't that right, Francis?"
"Oh, totally. He had this super worried look on his face, too," Francis agrees.
You glance up to see Griffin looking everywhere but at you, and you could almost feel his body temperature rising. Under the fur on his face; was he blushing?
"And if you happen to care to notice," Francis adds dramatically, "He has yet to put you down after bringing you out of the maze."
Griffin jumps and immediately makes a move to set you on your feet, but you grip his shirt tightly in your hands, actually popping loose a few buttons and revealing his furry chest. Griffin's eyes lock with yours, and he freezes, still cradling you in his arms. Your friends take in a sharp collective breath, and then bundle each other off and away behind the stalls nearby.
"So..." Griffin prompts, not breaking eye contact.
"So..." you echo, looking deep into his cinnamon-colored eyes.
Griffin slowly stands back upright, lifting you back into position against his chest. Beneath your clenched hands, you can feel his heart pounding, powerful and steady. As you place your palm flat on the fur beneath his opened shirt, you can feel the tempo increase, and he sucks in a breath through his teeth.
"You too, huh," you say softly, and his eyes sparkle.
"Since the moment I saw you," he whispers, his arms flexing slightly. His eyes flick away for a moment before he takes a deep breath. "Can I, I mean... did you want to-"
"Yes, please," you say quickly, and a smile flashes across his face before abruptly his lips are on yours. Fireworks explode behind your eyelids as he pulls you tight against him, and you feel as if you might float away if he let go.
"Woo! Yes!"
The two of you break off the kiss to look toward the sound of hollering and see Francis fist-pumping the air, leaping about like an idiot as Charlotte tries to get him under control. Both you and Griffin laugh, and they come running over, chattering excitedly as your eyes meet Griffin's again and he winks.
Suddenly, in the darkened sky above, a fireworks display begins; the dazzling patterns lighting up the cornfields and festival grounds in flashing, sparkling colors. The four of you turn toward the display as Charlotte and Francis continue talking, and you lean your head on Griffin's shoulder with a sigh.
Over the din, but quiet enough that only you can hear it, Griffin whispers:
"Now didn't I promise you a candy apple?"