Hide and Seek

Just Get Home

10 o'clock. That's when the little hand is on the 10, and the big hand is reaching for the sky. I let out a sigh and turned my attention back to our teacher, Miss Elwood. Math, adding numbers together, that's what was on the agenda today. I never liked math, it was boring and pointless. Daddy said I had to learn it though, because he wants me to grow up to be big and smart, like my sisters, Beth and Maggie. I tried focusing back in on what the teacher was saying, but she was interrupted by a knock on our door. 'Children, I'll be back in a minute, try to finish a couple problems without me' she stepped out of the room and we could hear the teachers whispering in the hallway of our tiny school. My friend, Emma,  walked over to my desk. 'My grandma and grandpa came to our house early this morning, I heard mama talking to them in the kitchen, they said people are sick and goin crazy'. I looked back towards the door and Miss Elwood walked in, she was pale and shaking. 'Children, I need you all to pack up your backpacks, school is letting out early today, don't bother taking your school work, we can finish it next week, and you are to head straight home if your parent doesn't pick you up, no stopping for anything, STRAIGHT HOME'. We packed up and headed out the door. I said goodbye to Emma as she got into her dads truck. I took off walking thru town. I always walked home, our little town was one big family, we didn't worry about the bad things that happened in the big cities, plus, I enjoyed the walk. I started skipping and came to a halt in from of our little general store, I heard crying coming from inside, I know I'm supposed to go straight home, but I like the Nelsons, they always give me candy when  we go into town to shop. I slowly approached the front door, it was cracked open. 'Mrs.Nelson? Mr.Nelson?' No reply. I opened the door the rest of the way and stepped in, I walked to the cash register and some of the displays were knocked over, and there was some red stuff on the counter and floor, I looked closer and my eyes got big, 'blood, that's blood' I was about ready to walk towards the back when I hand landed on my shoulder causing me jump. I turned around and it was Mrs. Nelson, she was crying, I looked at her arm and she had a rag wrapped around it and it was red with blood. 'Mrs.Nelson, are you okay?' I asked. 'Macy! What are you doin here, go home!' She drug me out of the store 'JUST GET HOME' she yelled. Just then the front door flew open, and out came Mr.Nelson, at least I thought it was him, but it didn't look like him, his eyes were funny, and he was dirty and bloody. 'Macy get back now!' I was too shocked to back up, too move. He slowly inched closer, and than I heard a shot, and he stopped and fell, I looked over and saw Mrs.Nelson holding a hand gun and crying. I looked back down and his blood was running on the ground, around my boots. I felt myself lifted off the ground, I tried to fight, but they were strong. 'Mace, hey Mace it's okay sweets, calm, calm down, it's just me, look at me, nowhere else. Maggie, it was Maggie. I looked at her with big eyes, brimming with tears and broke down, she held me close as I cried. 'Get her home, and keep her there'. The shaky voice of Mrs.Nelson said. Maggie walked us over to the truck, she didn't bother with my booster, she kept me on her lap. As we drove away I heard another shot and jumped. 'It's okay, I'm here'. Maggie soothed. We drove the winding dirt roads home. I watched the dust fly up behind the truck as the sun got higher in the sky and the Georgia heat got hotter. My eyes got heavy as I fell into a deep sleep, safe with my big sister and heading to the comfort of home. I tried to ignore the eyes of Mr.Nelson engrained in my memory.