Josh stared at the towering, twisting maze before him, his eyes wide with excitement. His best friends, Phil, Beth, and Gianna, stood beside him, equally eager to explore the mysterious structure. The four fourth-graders had heard rumors of a fearsome monster lurking deep within the maze, and they couldn't wait to find out the truth.

"This is going to be so much fun!" exclaimed Beth, bouncing on her toes. "I bet we'll find all sorts of cool things inside."

Josh nodded, feeling a flutter of nerves in his stomach. "Yeah, but we have to be careful. Who knows what kind of monster is waiting for us?"