The Odd Family's Book of Bedtime Stories

Hide and Seek

A pain raced across Tara's rib cage as she raced silently up the wooden staircase, as fast as she could go. Instead of slowing down, the young bride reached out and grabbed the railing, propelling herself further away from the would-be hunters below. She had been planning this for days and she intended to win. There was no room for mistakes. No one would find her this time. Pushing through the heavy door into the attic, Tara searched for a place to hide.

It couldn't be just any place. Tara knew she would be found if she attempted to stand behind the floor-length mirror in the corner. It wouldn't take long to locate her under the tatty old chaise and hiding behind the spider-infested dresser was out of the question. Then she spotted it. Against the furthest wall was a large wooden trunk. Grabbing her dress and gathering it around her, Tara hurried over to have a look. The lid was heavy, almost too heavy, but she could lift it. She counted her blessings when she found that it was empty.

The trunk was enormous enough to hide in and inconspicuous enough to be ignored by those pursuing her. Tara climbed inside and got as comfortable as she could before easing the lid down with a satisfying click above her. It didn't take long for Tara to catch her breath now that she wasn't running, and she quickly got herself under control. With any luck, they wouldn't even search the dusty attic, and she would be home free.

Her father had always said that there was no such thing as luck. He believed people had to make their own. Tara wondered if he was looking for her as well when she heard the first footsteps on the stairs. Someone was close by. Slowing her breathing, Tara covered her mouth with one gloved hand and held on to the lid with the other. The attic door creaked when they opened it and had a look around. Slowly, they crossed the room, pausing now and then to have another look at something else. They were searching for her.

By the time they neared the trunk, Tara was practically holding her breath. Her body ached with tension, but she didn't dare move. She had to win. She rolled her eyes upward to the lid of the trunk, wondering if she'd be caught. The footsteps got closer and closer. They were practically on top of her. She wondered if she could jump out and scream, maybe scare those hunting her badly enough that she could run by into another hiding spot.

Tara grinned mischievously, waiting for a familiar face to show as they checked the trunk, but it never came. Instead, the footsteps turned and faded away, heading down the stairs. She had won. Tara grinned in the darkness, waiting to see if anyone else would come. The game wasn't over yet. She loved hide and seek, and she was going to win. It was her wedding day after all; she deserved to win. Tara was extremely glad she had chosen this game for the wedding party.

"What about upstairs?" She heard someone else call out as they raced up the stairs. She quieted her giddy excitement and waited again. This persona wasn't as thorough as the last one, racing in and only having a quick look around before hurrying back out. Once she could no longer hear them and, knowing that sound did not carry down well from the attic, Tara burst out laughing. They probably wouldn't check again. All she had to do now was wait. When the last person was found, the game would be over and she would come down, victorious.

Tara waited patiently, the air soon growing stale in the trunk. Her back ached a bit, and she wanted to move around to relieve the stress on her legs. Reaching up, Tara pushed on the lid of the trunk. It did not move. Frowning, she reached up and pushed again, this time harder. The lid wouldn't budge. Worry bubbled up and, frightened, Tara pushed on the lid as hard as she could. When it didn't move, she fell back, panting. She was trapped. Tara tried to stretch out her cramping legs, but couldn't. The trunk was only just big enough for her to hide in.

Her breath coming out in short gasps, Tara tried desperately to see anything that could help her. She felt along the edges of the trunk, searching for a way the lid might be stuck or a way to release it.

There was nothing.

Finally, Tara fell back and waited, shaking. She called out for help, crying out to her new husband and father- to her sisters and family for help, any kind of help. No one came, and she knew they could not hear her. She yelled and screamed again and again until her voice was hoarse.

It appeared the wooden walls of her prison were closing in on her. Tara stretched and pushed against them, to no avail, tears streaming down her face. The trunk was well built and would not give way. Heart racing and legs cramping, she pushed her entire body against the lid as much as she could before falling back again. She shifted around, panting in the heat and panic caused by her attempts at escape. The air was hot and stale and she closed her eyes tightly, shuddering and sniffling. How long had she been there? Would they come back?

Screaming at the top of her lungs, Tara threw herself at the trunk's lid again, gasping for air and thrashing about wildly. She had to get out, had to escape. But no matter how hard she tried, the trunk would not budge. Tara's muscles ached and her fingers were throbbing. She knew they were bleeding and that she'd torn off fingernails. She knew she was trapped.

She was trapped, and no one was coming.

It would be two years before a maid would solve the mystery of Tara's disappearance. She was still curled up in the trunk, her dress pooled beautifully around her. Her fingernails hung off of the trunk's lid, permanently separated from the hands clawing at her face in horror.