The Power Within

Hide and Seek

Within a silent forest of pine, tucked away under rolls of dense fog, a humble yellow house sat at the end of a long driveway, bathing in the light of the full moon. Though the house itself was shrouded in its own shadow, a little orange glow blinked out from behind two glass doors, illuminating the backyard with ragged strips of light.

The room from which the light came was plainly a study; a mahogany desk, lavishly finished, occupied the back of the room, while opposite, two soft chairs stared into a lit stone fireplace. Bookshelves lined the walls, broken only by a single doorway leading deeper into darkness. A Persian rug, colors washed out by the fire's amber glow, made up the floor, and in the middle of it sat a girl.

With pale skin, pink lips, and long caramel hair, she looked to be only twelve or thirteen. Sitting upon the carpet, she moaned and murmured with her eyes closed, hands clutching her skirt, fingers tapping an unsteady rhythm.

She carried on in this manner for several minutes. Eventually the girl seemed to come to some conclusion, and her eyes flicked open; she shut her mouth and rose from the floor without making another sound. Her palms were clenched now. She stalked out of the study, departing from the light. She didn't notice a hidden little figure, eyes ablaze with the fire's reflection, peek up behind the desk and watch her leave.

Out in the hallway, four dark doorways gaped open on all sides, each one lining an entrance to an unknown beyond. The girl passed slowly by three of the doorways; and, sensing nothing, she turned to the fourth—stopped, cocked her head—and listened intently through the gloom.

There was something breathing inside.

Its wheezes were drawn-out and muted as though bordering death; the huntress's eyes narrowed, and then she spied it: A lump, visible only by the haze of moonlight drifting through an overhead window, shifted beneath the covers of a bed.

The huntress stepped through the door.

As soon as she did so, a swish came from the hall behind her. Excited, letting out a quick, mirthful breath, thehuntress whipped around, thrusting her arms out of the doorway. They collided almost instantly with something warm and squirmy.

"Ow, Sophie," moaned the warm squirmy thing.

Sophie returned to the hallway, flipping a switch as she did so. Light flooded the scene, revealing the wiggly formto be a short girl with stringy blonde hair, red basketball shorts, and a stained blue shirt. The little girl rubbed her arm, which stung from where she'd been grabbed. "That hurt. And also, you cheated. You didn't count all the way."

Sophie didn't bother to defend herself. She was too pleased with her reaction time. "I can't believe I caught you! Ninety-eight rounds of hide and seek have actually paid off."

Lily snorted, repositioning her headband. "Only cause you cheated. Have you found Charlotte yet?"

"No, do you think I could've found her in that short amount of time?" Sophie glanced back into the bedroom. The bright light from the hallway made the lump on the bed even more conspicuous.

Lily heaved a giant sigh. "Hhhhhhhh."

"Now, go sit in the living room." Sophie pointed down the hall. "I can't have any help."

"I don't want to sit in there by myself!" Lily protested, but she skipped away anyway, turning the lights back off. Sophie cringed at the sudden sound of Lily crashing into the movie basket by the T.V. It was the second time she had done that in the same night: Lily was clumsy, and playing in the dark didn't help.

Another light switched on from down the hall, but Sophie turned away from the glare and entered the bedroom, pouncing onto the bed. She landed hard on the lump, and it shouted out in surprise.