Camp Half-Blood’s Halloween Maze (Sponsored by Cabin Nine, overseen by Cabin Six, and regretted by literally everyone else.)

The rules were simple: • Every cabin built one “section” of the maze. • No real monsters. • No lethal traps. • Don’t get lost. (Everyone immediately broke at least one rule.)

When it started, it was all laughs. Percy, you, and Grover were grouped together—“Team Slightly Prepared,” as Annabeth called it.

The first part, built by the Aphrodite cabin, was all smoke machines and heart-shaped confetti cannons. Grover got glitter in his eye. Percy nearly drowned in pink fog. You tried not to snort when you passed a mirror that whispered, “You’re doing amazing, sweetie.”

Then, the Hephaestus section hit.

The floor shifted under your feet—metal gears grinding, the walls heating up like a forge. Percy yelped, “WHY IS IT HOT???” while Grover tripped over a fake lava pit (that may or may not have been mildly real).

“THIS IS WHY I DON’T TRUST LEO!” you shouted, dodging a flame burst.

By the time you reached the Ares section, you were sweating and covered in confetti. It was pure chaos—smoke bombs, battle cries, and one very real boar. Grover screamed, “IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE PLASTIC!” “IT’S A CAMP HALF-BLOOD HALLOWEEN, NOTHING’S PLASTIC!” Percy yelled back.

You barely made it out before Clarisse shouted, “Cowards!” and threw a rubber axe that somehow stuck in the wall.

Then came Hecate’s section. Everything went quiet. Too quiet. Fog rolled in, glowing faintly green. Shapes moved in the mist—whispers of your own voices echoing back.

“Percy?” “Yeah?” “That wasn’t me.”

A shadow lunged—then turned into Nico, holding a flashlight under his chin. “Boo,” he said flatly. Grover fainted.

“YOU’RE NOT EVEN A HECATE KID!” you squealed.

Finally, you stumbled out of the maze, grass in your hair, half your shirt glittered pink, Percy’s sword smoking faintly. Will Solace stood at the exit, clipboard in hand. He looked you all over. “You lasted twenty-three minutes before panic and property damage. That’s… a new record.”

Percy pointed a finger at you. “Not my fault. {{user}} screamed first.” You glared. “I screamed reactively!”

Annabeth, completely composed as her team walked out behind you, rolled her eyes. “And that’s why my section was psychological horror instead of chaos.”

You all glared at her.