Day 3: The Overlook Maze by Lilibet

*Author’s note at end.

Starsky watched as Hutch sat down heavily at his desk chair tugging at the tight collar of his dress blue uniform and mumbling something about hives. Throwing his jacket onto the desk, he was shocked to see how red Hutch’s face was. Could he really have hives from that suit? I don’t remember him being allergic to wool. But then it dawned on him. They’d spent the last three mornings on traffic duty and walking a beat, in uniform no less, before logging in for their normal 12-hour shifts. The morning sun had clearly had an effect on his Nordic partner’s skin. Add to that, this afternoon’s assignment as ushers at the Academy graduation. Starsky couldn’t remember the last time either of them had to don their dress blues—nor why they never thought to have them altered in the nearly 10 years since their own graduation.

The traffic duty and usher stints had all come courtesy of Dobey, his punishment when he finally caught them red handed pinning the latest calling cards on the bulletin board. The irony that people would be calling his extension to order donuts was not lost on Dobey, and his tirade could be heard throughout the floor at Metro. The Captain’s star detective team was still laughing about his outburst the first morning of traffic duty, but now they were re-thinking their next practical joke. And the dressing down they’d received from the Commissioner (something about long hair and being a disgrace to the department) in front of the new rookies had soured their moods completely.

Starsky knew he had to act fast if he was going to salvage their next three days off. Ignoring Hutch’s fidgeting he asked, “So what are we doing tomorrow?”

“Are you serious? We’ve spent over 80 hours at work this week—together!”

“Yeah, so?”

“Soooo, WE aren’t doing anything.” Hutch waved a hand around the squad room while he continued. “I need some time away from all of this. Away from YOU. I’M having a relaxing day at home. By. My. Self.”

“Aw, come on Hutch. It’s the beginning of Fall. It’s going to be a beautiful day. We need to get out and enjoy the changing of the seasons and see the fall colors. Like you said, get away from all of this.”

“Starsk, have you forgotten? We live in Southern California, not New England. There’s only one season and there are no fall colors.”

Starsky was not swayed by the exaggeration. “But I read about this place where we can pick our own pumpkins and go through a corn maze.”

Staring up at his partner, Hutch asked, “Corn maize? What the hell’s a corn maize? Aren’t corn and maize the same thing?”

“MAZE not MAIZE, Old McDonald. You know, like a puzzle. What kind of farm did your grandfather have if you don’t even know what a corn maze is.”

Hutch knew an insult when he heard it. “My grandfather grew corn for people to eat, not traipse through,” he replied haughtily.

Starsky gave the line a final tug. “It’s on the way to Topanga State Park. I bet we can get a cabin and spend the next couple of days doing some hiking and fishing!”

“Topanga?”

Gotcha, Nature Boy! Starsky knew Hutch would not be able to turn down a few days out in the woods and fresh air. And although he’d never admit it, he could really use some time away from the city, too. As long as he could get a few pumpkins to carve into jack-o’-lanterns and have a little fun in the corn maze he figured he could put up with a few days outside, especially if it would cure Hutch’s ire and return his partner’s mood to an even keel.

“Then it’s settled,” Starsky said, heading towards the squad room door. “I think Collins in Narco has a cabin up that way. I’ll track him down while you finish up those reports Dobey said had to be on his desk before we left today.”

Starsky looked back through the window as he walked down the hall. He had to choke back laughter seeing Hutch staring at the empty space in front of him, probably wondering how he got stuck finishing the reports and where his quiet days off alone had gone. I still got it! Can talk you into anything and you still never see it coming!

Having found Collins and secured their accommodations for the next three days, Starsky spent a little more time wandering around Metro in order to give Hutch some extra time to finish up the reports. Having sufficiently flirted with any females on his rounds, he returned to the squad room just as Hutch was pulling the final report out of the typewriter.

“Oh man, did you finish already? It took me longer to find Collins than I thought. But I got it all arranged and he was happy for us to use his place.”

“Uh-huh. I bet.” Hutch glared across the desk, knowing full well his partner had timed his return precisely.

“Let’s stop by Huggy’s for dinner and then we can go shopping for food and supplies. It will save us some time in the morning.”

“NO!” Hutch shouted.

“Whadda you mean, no?”

“I mean NO! I am not going to dinner with you and I am not going shopping with you. You’ve already conned me into spending the next three days with you. I am not spending tonight with you, too. I am going home, right now, ALONE! I’ll see you tomorrow.” Hutch slammed his chair under the table headed towards the door.

Not the least bit offended, Starsky replied, “OK. Pick me up at 10 in the morning. You can drive.”

Hutch stopped in his tracks at the door. He slowly turned around with a look of horror on his face. “Oh my god, Starsk! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you sick? Do you have a fever? Are you dying?”

“What the hell are YOU talking about, Hutch?”

“It’s just… it’s just first you offer to go camping, you know out in the trees and all. And… and now you’re willing to ride in my car? You must be about to die and have no other way to tell me!” Hutch’s voice, nearing panic stage, had increased in volume and pitch. The few other detectives in the squad room, normally able to ignore the dynamic duo, couldn’t help but look up and see what all the commotion was about.

“Aw, Hutch, it’s nothing like that. It’s just I gotta take the Torino to Merle’s for a tune up and oil change while we’re gone. You don’t seriously think I’d spend my dying days among the trees and riding around in your piece of junk, do ya?” Starsky was laughing so hard he almost fell off his chair.

The words coming from Hutch’s mouth as he stormed out the door would have made a sailor blush.

At 10:00 a.m. on the nose Hutch rolled up outside of Starsky’s apartment and immediately began rolling his eyes. Clearly Starsky had already gone shopping. How can one person need so much stuff just to go camping for a few days? Especially since I have all the gear? His thought was quickly replaced with a chortle as Starsky turned at the sound of Hutch’s car, holding a root beer in one hand and a Twinkie in the other.

Hutch parked in front of Starsky and tried to rein in his exasperation as he got out of the car. “I see you’re starting the morning off with the breakfast of champions.”

“Mornin’!” Starsky replied, ignoring him.

“Are you sure you’re not sick? You’ve never been ready when I pick you up? And what hell is all this stuff? Aren’t we only going away for three days?”

“GOOD MORNING!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hutch mumbled as he began rearranging things to make room in the trunk.

“And to answer your questions, no I’m not sick. I’m always ready on time, you’re just always early; and most of this is snacks for the car.”

“Starsky, Topanga’s less than 30 minutes away. How many snacks can you possibly eat in between here and there?”

“In a normal person’s car it’s 30 minutes. In this heap we’ll be lucky to get there by lunch.” And with that they both loaded the boxes and settled themselves back in the car.

“OK, where to?” Hutch asked.

“Head up towards Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Mister Jack’s Pumpkin Patch is up near Summit Valley. Afterwards we’ll need to double back to Old Topanga Canyon Road to find Collins’ place.”

“Mr. Jack’s Pumpkin Patch?” Hutch inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Just the name of it made Starsky smile like an 8-year-old. “Yeah, i’n’t it t’riffic! It rhymes and everything!”

It was the smile that did it. One glance over at his partner and the tension of the last week simply melted from Hutch’s body. As he headed up the Pacific Coast Highway, he berated himself for being so short with his best friend. Starsky always knew when he needed to get away and would put Hutch’s needs before his own. As they drove the next little while in what had become a very companionable silence, Hutch vowed to not lose his temper with Starsky for the next few days—no matter how many pumpkins the idiot wanted to buy.

Mister Jack’s Pumpkin Patch sat in a valley with a vast field of pumpkins on one side and rows upon rows of tall corn growing up a hill on the other, a small creek separating the two. As they pulled into the parking area off the dirt road, Starsky could not contain his excitement. He wiggled in the passenger seat and had the door open before the car came to a stop. Hutch just shook his head and smiled—he hadn’t seen Starsky this excited since last Christmas.

As they walked towards the small shed between the corn and pumpkins, presumably where they would pay for the pumpkins, Hutch took several deep breaths of the smog-free air as he looked around.

“Starsk, this place is fantastic! I figured you’d found some podunk farm stand with a few pitiful pumpkins but this is an honest-to-god pumpkin patch. I mean, the pumpkins are still on the vines. Look at all the colors! There are so many varieties. What kind are we getting?”

“A pumpkin, Hutch. We’re gettin’ a pumpkin. We get it. We carve it. We put a candle in it on Halloween. Now will you grab a wagon and come on?”

“A wagon? What the hell do we need a wagon for?”

“Because I’m carving the biggest pumpkin I can find. I might even get two. And unless you want to carry them back to the shed, you’re gonna need a wagon.”

Remembering his vow of patience, Hutch swallowed the “TWO?” on his lips, grabbed a nearby wagon and followed Starsky who was already well into the patch. He briefly noticed the red metal with the white “RADIO FLYER” lettering; a little too much like the Striped Tomato. He hoped it was not an omen of things to come.

Starsky was just putting his last pumpkin in the wagon when Hutch whistled and waved him over. He’d found two huge jack-o’-lantern suitable pumpkins, both with gnarly stems, and several smaller ones that he was planning on putting on his deck, but not carving. He carefully made his way over to Hutch, who was on his knees cutting a pumpkin from a vine.

“Can you believe this? Look at this beauty. It’s a Jarrahdale and I think it’s originally from Australia. Here, put this in the wagon, will ya?”

“Hutch, I am not putting that in the wagon. How is it even a pumpkin? It’s not even orange.”

With a barely contained eye roll, Hutch stood up, and in an almost single motion, closed his pocket knife against his thigh, slipped it into his jeans pocket, wiped the dirt from his hands on his pants, then finally put the pumpkin in the wagon himself. “Pumpkins do not have to be orange, Cinderella. And since these are kinda flat they’ll look nice stacked on top of each other.” While he talked, he arranged several of the blue tinted pumpkins in the wagon. As he leaned down to pick up a bumpy green one, Starsky reached out a hand and stopped him.

“No way, Hutch! You are not putting that diseased thing next to my pristine jack-o’-lanterns! It’ll contaminate the whole wagon!”

No longer able to contain the eye roll, Hutch sighed before continuing with his horticulture lesson. “Don’t be ridiculous, Starsk, it’s not diseased. This one’s a Marina di Chioggia and it’s supposed to be bumpy. It’s sometimes called a sea pumpkin, and it comes from a town just south of Venice.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that in El Segundo.”

“Venice, Italy, not Venice, California, moron. Now will you just grab the wagon and follow me. I saw some really neat ones over there.”

“Just how many pumpkins are we getting, Mr. 4-H? This wagon’s almost full.” Right on cue Hutch’s bumpy pumpkin fell off and split open. Starsky looked up slowly, dreading the lecture he was sure to receive, but Hutch’s long stride had already carried him away. Starsky quickly found a suitable replacement, reluctantly picked it up, and after balancing it carefully atop the other pumpkins, caught up with Hutch, who already had three small pumpkins lined up on the ground and was thumping them.

“Now these here are Sugar pumpkins. They’ll make delicious pies.”

Knowing he would regret asking, Starsky asked anyway. “Why are you beating them like bongos?”

Hutch went down the line of Sugars tapping and listening. “To check for ripeness, of course. You need to listen for just the right echoing hollow sound. Ah, hear this?”

THUD, THUD, THUD

“It’s dull so it’s way too ripe.”

“Of course. How silly of me not to have known that!” Starsky was beginning to wonder what he’d been thinking bringing his green-thumbed partner to acres and acres of land containing living plants. If he didn’t take back control of things soon they would be here all day and not get to the corn maze.

“Hutch, I think we got enough. Pick up your sugar plum and let’s go. But you’ll have to carry it. There’s no more room in the wagon.”

Hutch picked up a small, round orange pumpkin in each hand, then wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. Waving vaguely with his other arm he emphatically stated, “We can’t go yet! There’s a whole other section over there we haven’t even gotten to.”

As Hutch tried to start stacking his latest finds on top of the others, one of the blue pumpkins started sliding off. Starsky bent down quickly and caught it before it, too, split open.

“See Hutch, that’s a sign. We can’t fit any more into the wagon so it’s time to go. The corn maze is waiting.”

“The corn’s not going anywhere. Just go get another wagon and meet me over there,” Hutch said, pointing to an area near the creek. Before Starsky could respond, he’d turned and walked away. Starsky could have sworn he saw Hutch skipping along in merriment. Feeling a little like Sally stuck in Linus’s pumpkin patch, Starsky started pulling the wagon, now quite heavy, back to the shed.

Starsky hoped if he took his time returning with an empty wagon Hutch would have tired of the whole pumpkin picking endeavor. No such luck. He finally found Hutch, sitting in the dirt surrounded by many small white pumpkins, with at least 10 lined up neatly in a row. Starsky was trying not to lose his patience; after all, this had been his idea.

Hutch looked up just as Starsky arrived. “Oh good, you’re back! Start putting all these in there.”

“Um, Hutch?”

“Hmmm?”

Pointing at the line of pumpkins and speaking very gently, fearing that his friend had lost his mind in the morning sun, Starsky asked, “What are these? And do you really need all of them?”

Starsky could almost see the wheels turning as Hutch tried to come up with an explanation.

“Uh, right. Uh, yeah. Umm, these are Caspers!”

“Like the ghost?”

“Exactly! They make a great soup! And best of all, if I’m really careful getting the flesh out, I’ll be able to reuse the pumpkins as bowls and serve the soup in them!”

Starsky feigned being shocked. “Hutch! That’s kinda cannibalistic, isn’t it?”

Realizing he was being mocked, Hutch laughed. “Maybe, but it will make a great presentation.”

“But why do you need so many?”

Still thinking on his feet, Hutch stammered, “Uh… ’cause we’ll have that many people at our Halloween party!”

A huge grin slowly came over Starsky’s face and he quickly started arranging the small balls in the wagon. “Well, why didn’t you say so! You know I love a good Halloween party!”

As they were finally walking back towards the shed to pay, Starsky spied what looked like a white pumpkin with orange squiggly lines drawn over it. His curiosity got the better of him.

“OK, Mr. Know-it-All, what’s that one called and where does it come from?”

“Well, I don’t know where it comes from…”

“Ha! Something the great Hutchinson doesn’t know!” Starsky interrupted him.

“…But it’s called a One Too Many,” Hutch finished.

“One too many?”

“Yeah, looks like blood shot eyes after you’ve had one too many the night before.”

Now it was Starsky’s turn to roll his eyes. “You’re making that up. There’s no way that is true.”

“Wanna bet? We’ll ask at the shed. Loser buys the pumpkins?”

“You’re on, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater.”

While Starsky finished paying for the pumpkins, and bought their tickets for the corn maze, Hutch rearranged things in the car to make space for everything. Not wanting to admit to Starsky that he’d gone a little overboard, he managed to throw a few things from the back seat in a nearby trash can so there was room for all the pumpkins. He then grabbed the lunch Starsky had brought, and met him at a picnic table near the creek.

As Hutch sat down, he handed one of the wax-paper-wrapped sandwiches to Starsky, who reached for the one in Hutch’s other hand.

“Nope, that one’s yours, this one’s mine.”

“What’s the difference? And how can you tell?”

“Mine is salami and cheese on white. Yours is thicker because of that stuff with all the seeds you call bread. And it’s turkey, cucumbers, sprouts and hummus.”

After savoring the first bite, then taking another, with his mouth still full, Hutch looked across the table. He thought, not for the first time today, about his partner and best friend, and wondered what he could ever say to let him know how much he had needed this day. In the end, he went with what had always worked for the two of them. “Starsk? Thanks.”

“Don’t go getting all soapy on me, Hutchinson. We still got the real work ahead of us. Now we gotta make a plan if we’re going to get through the maze.”

Knowing he’d said it perfectly, Hutch replied in a much more expected way. “Are you kidding me? We have to plan to go in a corn maze? Can’t we just walk in and walk back out?”

“Hutch, Hutch, Hutch. Did you ever have any fun as a kid? Everyone knows the only way to conquer a corn maze is to keep to the outside as much as you can. It’s a good thing we’re friends. I honestly don’t know how you’d make it through life without me.”

Hutch just smiled and finished his sandwich. Me either, buddy. Me either.

As they walked towards the start of the corn maze, Starsky, getting more and more excited, became very animated, and made a big production of pulling his sleeve up his arm to expose his wristwatch.

“Hutch, as soon as we cross over into the maze, I’m settin’ the stopwatch. I bet we’re out of this thing in 20 minutes, tops. Just follow me. And no arguing, you hear me?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Hutch stopped just short of the path and looked around. “But who are we competing with? I don’t even see anyone else here.”

“The maze, Hutch, we’re competing against the maze.”

Hutch laughed. “You say it like it’s alive.”

Starsky quickly put a hand over Hutch’s mouth to silence him. “Shhhh! The corn will hear you! Listen, you can hear it talking.”

They both leaned in towards the corn and listened carefully for several long seconds. Hutch, fighting back more laughter, pushed Starsky’s arm away from him and whispered loudly, “I think we call that the wind, Starsky. It’s just the wind rustling the corn leaves.” He started into the maze and looked back over his shoulder. “Now can we get going so we can get out of this thing? I don’t want you getting us lost in the middle and being stuck out here all night.”

“Bite your tongue, Hutch. You gotta have respect for the corn!” Starsky followed Hutch into the maze, and jogged a little bit to get ahead of his partner so he could lead the way.

After forty-five minutes Hutch lost patience with the maze and Starsky lost patience with Hutch. The last thing they agreed on was which way to go at a fork 30 minutes ago. Since then, it had been non-stop bickering, made all the worse by the rising temperature of the sunny day.

Starsky was just about to round a corner when two blondes in incredibly short shorts nearly ran into him from the other direction. He was just about to turn on the charm when they suddenly looked over his shoulder with huge eyes and looks of horror. They turned around screaming and ran back the other way. Not sure what to make of it, Starsky turned around to see what was behind him. He couldn’t believe it. Hutch stumbled towards him, red faced, hair plastered to his head, his t-shirt soaked with sweat and dragging his green, flannel shirt by his side in the dirt. But what clearly scared the ladies was Hutch’s now visible gun and holster.

“Hutch! You brought your gun to a corn maze? What’s wrong with you?”

“Come on, Starsk. How long have we known each other? Have you ever known me to go anywhere without my gun?”

“No, but for God’s sake put your shirt back on, will ya? You’re scaring all the damsels in distress away.”

Hutch, now caught up to Starsky, and used his shirt to wipe his face, grabbed Starsky by the shoulder with his free hand. “The damsels can find their own way out. It’s hot and I’m thirsty. I’m done with this Starsky and I’m gettin’ out. NOW!”

“But we haven’t found the finish yet. You can’t get out.”

“Oh yeah, watch me.” Hutch pointed with his shirt through the corn. “See, the creek is right there. I can see it. We can bust through and be done.”

Starsky was aghast. “But Hutch, that’s cheating.”

“I DON’T CARE!” Hutch drew his Python and began using it machete style to chop a path through the corn.

Starsky watched Hutch go as he mumbles to himself, “But that’s not the right way.”

Starsky had not missed his irritating partner when he first left. He’d spent the afternoon wandering aimlessly in the corn maze, enjoying the peacefulness, following one path to a dead end, then another. He’d passed a few people here and there, but sadly not the ladies Hutch had scared away. But now that the sun was threatening to dip below the canyon walls, he was regretting not trying harder to keep Hutch in the maze with him. He was also regretting watching the double creature feature the night before. He knew it was all in his head, but the spooky noises coming from the wind passing through the corn was really starting to unnerve him.

“OK, Dave, you can do this. You just gotta get serious and find your way outta here in the next 10 minutes before you start losing sunlight.” He choked back a chuckle. “That’s just t’riffic! Now I’m talking to myself. If Hutch hadn’t left, I could at least talk to him.” Starsky picked up the pace, looking through the corn trying to find an edge or the creek in the diminishing light. He tried equally hard to ignore the breeze that sounded eerily like voices coming out of the corn.

“Mister. Hey, Mister.”

Hutch, having fallen asleep in an Adirondack chair in the shade of the corn, slowly opened his eyes. A pimply-faced teenager looked down at him, hands on her hips and feet spread apart.

“Mister, it’s time for me to close. You’re going to have to leave so I can lock up.”

Wiping a hand down his face trying to regain his bearings, Hutch realized that the sun was already setting. “Did you see my friend come out of the maze?”

“Um, I’m not sure. Maybe he came out with some girls a little while ago. Come on, Mister, it’s time for me to go. You’re going to have to leave.”

Pulling out his badge and showing it to her, Hutch started explaining, “He wouldn’t have left me, so he must still be in there. Look, we’re both cops. You go ahead and leave. I’ll go back in and find him and we’ll lock the gate on our way out.”

“Um, I don’t know. I’m supposed to lock up and I don’t want to get in trouble. Mr. Jack can be pretty scary when you don’t follow his rules.”

Hutch empathized with her. “Yeah, I’ve got a boss who can be pretty scary, too, when you don’t follow the rules. Listen, it will be OK. If Jack comes by, I’ll explain everything to him. Otherwise, we’ll lock up and no one will ever know, OK?”

As she reluctantly agreed, Hutch already wondered how he’d find Starsky in a corn maze in the dark.

“HUUUUUUUUTCH!!!!”

Hutch had been running through the maze for over thirty minutes when he heard the familiar call. “Starsky? Keep talking so I know where you are?”

“HUUUUUUUUTCH!!!! They’re coming for me! You gotta hurry!”

Panting and nearly out of breath, Hutch could hear the panic in Starsky’s voice. “Starsk? Talk to me, buddy! We’re the only ones still here.”

“Hurry, Hutch. I can see their flashing lights!”

“That’s my flashlight, Starsk. If you can see it, I’m close. Just keep talking!”

Hutch came to a T intersection and shined his flashlight one way then the other, spotting Starsky sitting with his arms around his pulled-up knees about 20 yards away. As Hutch sprinted towards him calling his name, Starsky kept mumbling to himself, seemingly unaware of Hutch running to him.

“Starsk? Starsky. STARSKY!”

Hutch couldn’t seem to get through to him. With one last effort, Hutch grabbed Starsky’s shoulders with both hands, gave him a good shake and shouted, “DAVE!”

Starsky snapped out of the trance he’d been in. “Did you just call me Dave? When have you ever called me Dave? Is it that bad out here that you’re pulling a Dobey? Oh my God! It IS that bad! We’re never gonna get out of this thing and they’re gonna get us!”

Relieved to have finally found his friend, Hutch was now a little annoyed to find himself back in the maze, in the dark nonetheless. And Starsky’s incoherent ramblings were not helping the situation. Helping Starsky to his feet he noticed there are corn leaves stuck in his hair, and he’s covered in dirt. “What happened to you out here?”

Starsky, clearly still agitated, grabs the front of Hutch’s shirt, fear evident in his eyes from the glow of the flashlight. “Them, Hutch. They’re going to get us. We have to get out of here!”

“Who’s going to get us? Starsky, will you calm down? You’re acting like this is the Overlook Hotel and any minute now Jack Torrance is going to come around the corner with an ax.”

“That’s crazy, Hutch. This is nothing like the Overlook maze. That was a hedge maze. This is… this is… the Children of the Corn! And they’re coming for us. Can’t you hear them?”

Hutch couldn’t believe what he’s hearing. “Would you snap out of it? That’s just the wind blowing through the corn. For god’s sake, Starsky, stop reading so much Stephen King!” Not giving Starsky another chance to reply, Hutch grabbed his hand and pulled him through the corn, using his flashlight, much like he used his Python hours ago, to forge a path back to the car.

Hutch pulled into the first gas station he could find. Starsky, who was still shivering, from cold or fright Hutch wasn’t sure, spoke for the first time since leaving Mr. Jack’s.

“Why are we stopping here? Can’t we just go home? Please, Hutch. Don’t make me go camping.”

Hutch, not being totally heartless, had already decided they were going straight home. He stretched out a hand and gave Starsky’s knee a quick, reassuring squeeze. “Sure, buddy, we’re going home. But you need some coffee to warm up. Be right back.”

Hutch was only in the store a few minutes but when he came out there was smoke coming out the passenger window of his car. Dropping the two cups of steaming hot coffee, he runs over and yanks the door open, ready to pull Starsky out to safety. Instead, he finds Starsky smoking a cigarette. Trying to take a deep breath but failing, he slammed the door closed, stomped to the other side of the car, and got in, slamming his door closed even harder. With barely contained anger he turned towards Starsky, who had since flicked the cigarette out the window.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Aw come on, Hutch, lay off. I just needed something to take the edge off.”

Hutch was not letting it go. “But you don’t smoke anymore. You quit back in the academy when you couldn’t finish the obstacle course!”

Defensively, Starsky gave as good as he got. “Right, yet here we are sitting in YOUR car with me smoking one of YOUR cigarettes that I found buried in the back of YOUR glove compartment. I thought we BOTH quit when WE couldn’t finish the course!”

Hutch let out a long sigh, then looked up sheepishly. “Yeah, somedays I just need something to take the edge off.”

Leaning over the seat he dug around with one arm, finally pulling a long sleeve, plaid shirt from the back. “Here put this on, it’ll warm you up.”

Starsky put it on, wrapping it around him but not buttoning it. “Thanks, that does help.”

“I thought it would, it’s one of my favorites. Now let’s get home.”

Hutch pulled out of the parking lot.

After a few minutes Starsky broke the silence, “Hutch?”

“Hmm?”

“This is my shirt.”

“Oh, for the love of God!”

*Author’s Note: This is loosely based on true events. I go to a pumpkin patch like this every year. I always tell my family we’re not getting too many pumpkins, but then keep sending them back to get more wagons, then not having enough room in the car to take them all home. We always have a picnic lunch by the creek before tackling the maze. One year, after an hour, my mom and daughter cheated and broke through the corn; I finally found the actual finish about 30 minutes later. My husband sits in an Adirondack chair and sleeps while we go through the maze. A corn maze can be really creepy, even during the day, when you’re by yourself and the wind rustles the dry corn leaves. I do read a lot of Stephen King, but I haven’t read Children of the Corn. I’m not sure I want to.