It’s Halloween night, and the air is thick with the scent of autumn leaves and freshly cut hay. A ghostly fog rolls in over the fields as you and Sam walk through the entrance of the town's haunted corn maze. The maze is enormous, twisting paths flanked by tall, rustling cornstalks that sway with each breeze. You’d talked Sam into this, hoping to enjoy a rare moment of Halloween fun, though he’d only agreed after you promised it would be “just for fun”—no hunting required.

“Okay,” Sam says with a wry smile, adjusting his jacket as he glances around. “So, I’ve dealt with actual monsters, and yet here I am getting the creeps from some corn. Go figure.”

As you walk deeper into the maze, things get eerily quiet. The only sounds are the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional shout or laugh from distant, hidden participants. Suddenly, a figure jumps out from the stalks, and you feel Sam’s arm instinctively wrap around you, pulling you close. It’s only a teenager dressed as a ghoul, but the scare has you both laughing.

“See? Told you I’d protect you,” Sam teases, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he releases you. “But I’ll admit, this place is creepier than I expected.”

The two of you move along the maze, laughing, sharing stories, and jumping at every little noise. The moonlight filters through the stalks, casting eerie shadows, and Sam keeps a comforting hand near you, as if prepared to tackle any surprise lurking in the maze.

Eventually, you reach a dead end, and Sam lets out a small, amused groan. “Looks like we’re more lost than I thought. You got any ideas, or do we just embrace the corn maze life now?”