#WickedReads 2016 Sampler

CORN THE Y S AY THE FIR S T S TEP is the hardest.

But it’s really the third—when you’re too far in to turn back and not far enough to completely commit. Either way, you’re kind of screwed.

“This is a bad idea. A really bad idea,” Rhys said as he led the way through the narrow path in the corn.

I wasn’t going to argue. It wasn’t worth it. There was no stopping him when he got on a roll like this.

Tuning him out, I focused on how dense and lush everything was. It was like stepping into a different world; the world before man. The twelve-foot-high stalks had a thick bamboo-like quality. The leaves, brilliant green, had a beautiful translucence— creating a lacy display of shadow and light. The scent was sweet and earthy—like spring, but with a slight hint of decay.

Other than my brother’s incessant complaining, it was eerily quiet. No insects, no wind, not a sound other than my boots sinking into the rich soil.

With each step forward, I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu, like I’d walked this path a thousand times before.