☯︎☀︎☽ Lupa ☾☀︎☯︎

Just as the seasons change, so can a person’s life. You think you have everything together, that it all finally makes sense, that every piece of the puzzle is there. And then it all drastically changes. Life turns upside down and every bit of normal goes out the window. Almost like entering a whole new world. Most stories take place in an enchanted forest, or a fairytale castle of some sorts. And, technically, this one does. Somewhat. But first this story begins in a different place, a little bit more absurd of a starting spot for a story. A corn maze.

Of all the volunteers, it had to be me who was put on lost kid duty. Almost every year, some kid gets lost in the annual Fall Fest corn maze. And honestly, I wouldn’t blame them. Every year, it feels like the corn maze just gets bigger and bigger. I take a deep breath and step into the maze. Tall stalks of corn surround my every side. The further I walk, the deeper I go. The deeper I go, the darker it gets. Twists and turns, lefts and rights, dead ends and narrow paths make this place into a labyrinth. I’m lost. It’s ironic, really. 

High corn stalks change to wood and bark. Ears of corn change to colorful autumn leaves. A soft, cool breeze ruffles my hair… Wait—what? A forest? How did I get here? I was just in the corn maze moments ago… I wander through these woods, feeling more led astray than I ever was. I get an eerie feeling here. I look behind me. Nothing but trees. In front of me. More trees. To both sides. Still trees. All sense of direction has left me. I keep trudging forward. 

Something comes into view on the horizon. I can’t make it out just yet. But it’s huge. As I walk closer, I can finally make out details.. It's the ruins of a building of some sort. No, not a building exactly. A castle. It looks ancient, the way its crumbling stone bricks are weathered by the elements, and the way ivy grasps at the walls. I can tell no one has been here for decades, maybe even centuries. I run my fingers across the decaying structure. I wonder what stories lie behind each stone. I walk around its perimeter.

One of the sides is different from the rest, with a large arch carved into the wall. This must be the entrance. Before my foot can even cross the threshold, a large crow swoops down at me, causing me to stumble backwards a bit. The crow hops towards the doorway, and the most impossible and unexpected thing happens: The crow talks. “Whoa, whoa! Step away from my castle, human!” I am utterly speechless. The bird can talk!