You walk and walk, several side passages occasionally appearing as you explore and feel a surge of excitement as you wander in this long-lost series of trails. Getting tired never really occurs to you, as you find yourself invigorated by the sense of discovery.
But, turn after turn, makes it harder and harder to feel like you're really getting anywhere. In fact, after a while, you start to feel a sense of wonder at how big this maze must be...
It's got to be impossibly huge in order for you to have walked so far and never once either crossed your own path or one of the more visited paths that lead to the outside.
However, just about as you're ready to see if you can't find a way between the hedges, again, and make your way back to a more sunlit way, the path ahead of you opens out onto a sheltered grove.
You look out into the clearing and breathe out a low, steady whistle of amazement.
Here, in what looks like the center of the labyrinth, is a grove about forty feet across.
The grassy floor is still scattered with old, fallen leaves from many years past, and six arches lead from surrounding paths into the clearing. In the center, surrounded by four, low, black wrought-iron benches, is a massive willow tree, it's branches arching high overhead and spanning the entire grove. Around the benches and base of the tree, is a circling, stagnant stream; tiny bridges at each compass point, providing access from the leaf-strewn grasses to the center of the grove.
Also, here and there on the unkempt lawn, you see statuary; human sized statues of various men, women, and animals ... about a dozen in all.
Nearest to you, and facing you, is a massive being, about nine feet tall, carved in dark marble. It has arms and legs like any man, but has been carved to look like a humanoid bull. The creature has hooves for feet and digitigrade legs. It has a bull's tail, massive horns, and looks menacingly towards you.
Minotaur, your memory prods you to recall. From Greek mythology...
You slowly look around the shadowy grove, examining the statues, curiously.
There are several other examples of Grecian artwork, including two centaurs (one male and one female) and a satyr, but also images of men, women, and humanoid animals in a more Egyptian motif.
"Amazing..." you say, quietly, your voice low despite the fact that no one is around to hear you interrupt the silence.
A slight, soft catches your attention, and you turn around.
At first you don't see anything, but -then- you notice something at the base of the tree, next to one of the benches. Walking forward, you cross one of the bridges over the still waters, approach the small object, and bend down to pick it up.
In your hand, you hold a fully ripe, yellow pear.
Blinking, you look up into the branches of the willow tree, but -of course- see no fruit.
Glancing about, you also see no signs of an actual pear tree, only the hedge walls and grass, all around.
"Hello?" you call out, your voice swallowed up by the closeness of the flora. "Is someone there?"
No response comes to your call.
You sit down, contemplating the fruit, and considering your next move as the daylight gets darker and the afternoon passes into evening.