The Solstice Maze: Into the Parallel

View Part 1: The Solstice Maze

The sun was low, casting the camp in a golden hue, when suddenly, the quiet of the early morning was broken by a sharp cry. A bird, its feathers a shimmering shade of blue, seemed to be trapped within a thorny shrub.

Lena, a curious, bespectacled girl, approached the trapped bird. With gentle hands, she untangled the creature, only to find a tiny rolled-up parchment tied to its leg.

“What have you got there, Lena?” Alex asked, emerging from his tent, compass in hand.

“Some kind of message,” Lena replied, unraveling the note. The group gathered, watching as Lena read aloud: "Follow the path less treaded, where daylight meets the night. When stars shimmer above and below, you'll know you've taken flight."

Alex frowned. “This sounds like a riddle.” His mind immediately flitted to Rosie, who had been missing since their last adventure in the maze. "Why didn't she show up when she said she would?" he thought to himself. "Could this be a clue to her whereabouts?"

“I think it’s time to go back in,” Alex announced, determination shining in his eyes. “I have to find Rosie.”

"I'm going with you," Lena replied.

Amidst the soft rustling of leaves and the distant call of birds, the two entered the maze, the riddle guiding their steps. The hedges cast distorted shadows, hinting at a world beyond what the eyes could perceive.

“Look!” Lena pointed to a section of the maze they had never ventured into. “The path there is covered with fireflies—it's shimmering like the stars!”

Alex nodded and set down the path. As they walked, the world around them shifted subtly. The usual sounds of the camp grew distant, replaced by an eerie silence. They soon reached a clearing where the ground mirrored the star-studded sky above.

Lena gasped. “The stars are shimmering above and below! Just like the riddle said!”

As they stood in awe, a figure approached from the opposite end of the clearing. It was Rosie, but not quite as they remembered her. Her clothes were different, her expression one of surprise.

“Alex? Lena? What are you doing here?” Rosie exclaimed.

Alex rushed forward. “We were looking for you! Are you alright?”

Rosie hesitated. “I'm okay. But I have something to show you.”

“The maze,” Rosie began, her voice filled with wonder, “is a portal. I didn’t mean to get trapped here, but when I realized where I was, I tried to find a way back. That’s when I found this bird.” She pointed to the blue-feathered creature perched on a nearby branch.

“There’s more to this world than meets the eye. The answer lies deep within the maze.”

Alex and Lena followed Rosie, left—right—right—left, twisting and turning through the paths, deep into the unfamiliar maze. There was a strange glint in Rosie's eye that Alex didn’t recognize. “This maze is... different,” Rosie said cryptically.

As they journeyed further, the surroundings transformed. The air thickening with an unfamiliar scent—a blend of jasmine and burnt wood.

Lena leaned close to Alex. “This place feels strange. And Rosie... she seems... odd."

"I've noticed," Alex murmured, "let's stay alert."

As they walked, Rosie led them to a dense section of the maze. “To find your way, you must solve the maze’s greatest puzzle,” she smirked, pulling a lever concealed by overgrown vines.

The ground trembled, revealing a vast board game. Each square bore symbols like those in their world's maze, but eerily altered.

“Play the game. But remember, every move has consequences,” Rosie said with a chilling laugh.

"What about you?" Alex questioned.

"I'm your opponent. It's what the maze requires." Rosie responded.

The board before them seemed familiar, yet its pieces and paths glimmered with an otherworldly glow. Alex moved his piece, and suddenly, the ground beneath Lena gave way, causing her to fall into a sand pit that quickly began filling. He reached out, pulling her up just in time.

"Every move, every choice," Rosie's voice echoed ominously, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

Lena, undeterred, shifted her piece to a new square, and instantly, walls of the maze around them grew taller, closing them in and narrowing their escape route.

Alex's heart raced. He eyed the board critically, then cautiously moved his piece to a safe-looking square. But in response, the air turned icy cold, their breaths visible, and they began shivering uncontrollably.

Rosie smiled, delight evident on her face. "Your turn," she whispered to Lena. Realization hit Alex. "This isn't just a game; it's controlling the maze itself!"

Lena nodded. "And all the moves are designed to corner us."

It became painfully clear: this was not their Rosie. This was something else, something sinister. They needed to outsmart her, and fast.

Lena's eyes widened in realization, “What if we choose not to play?”

But as the words left Lena's mouth, Rosie's laughter rang out, dark and cold. “Did you truly think it would be that easy? You think you can escape your fate? Game or not, this is the end of the maze for you.”

A gust of wind tore through, and Rosie began to transform. Her limbs elongated, her eyes glowed a fierce red, and her stature grew until she towered over them, her form now a gargantuan creature, an eerie fusion of tree, bird, and shadow.

"We've got to get out of here!" Alex exclaimed.

Turning to run, Lena called to Alex, “The Summer Triangle! It could be our way out!” Three stars glowed overhead: Deneb, Vega, Altair.

The beast, with its ominous form and glowing red eyes, inched closer. Every step it took shook the ground beneath their feet. Alex and Lena darted from one path to the other, hearing the creature's heavy breath all around them, as if it was everywhere all at once. The labyrinth seemed to be turning against them, pathways shifting and walls closing in, guided by the creature's intent. Hope seemed to wane.

Suddenly, the real Rosie burst forth from a hidden passage, her face determined. “This way!” she shouted, drawing a gleaming pendant from her neck, which radiated a bright, blinding light. The creature, turning the corner to face them, recoiled, shielding its eyes from the piercing glare.

"How did you find the pendant!" it screeched.

Rosie grabbed their arms, pulling them through the maze, its traps and shifting walls becoming less menacing under her lead. Rosie’s pendant shining like a beacon.

The unfamiliar scent drifted away and the sounds of the creature faded into the background. Slowly the maze began to feel familiar again as they approached the familiar firefly-lit path.

"I got trapped," Rosie explained, catching her breath. "I used the pendant's light to keep the creature at bay, and when I heard your voices, I knew I had to help."

Lena hugged her friend tightly. "That thing... it wasn't you, was it?"

Rosie shook her head. "No, but I discovered something worse." She hesitated, "The kids from the mural, I think some of them are alive, trapped in that parallel world."

Alex looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"In that world, I found traces of them – belongings, notes. They've been trying to escape. They're waiting for someone to rescue them."

Finally, the entrance of the maze appeared, a welcome sight. They stumbled out, breathless but alive.

"We can't just leave them there." said Alex.

"I know," replied Rosie, "But we're going to need help. Lucky for us, I know where to find it." She said, pulling a mysterious letter from her pocket.

"It seems," she continued, "one of our counselors was trapped down there himself."