Black Moss

"Little Lost Lilly,
whom we miss and pity,
do you wish to play a game?
We'll hide, we'll seek,
till we find all who sneak,
and repeat it all the same.
So go hold your breath,
be as silent as Death,
until we call your name!"

As the chant of ten children ends, nine rush in different directions and one remains at the empty grave of Lilly herself, counting down from thirty. Beth watches them with a hearty smile from outside the graveyard. It was commonly where local children would play such games. Beth watches as several take their places behind tombstones, trees, and bushes. One decides to lay flat against the ground, covered only by the shadows of the night.

The seeker calls out "Lilly!" each time a hidden child is found and then continues to search for others. Beth continues to smile until she notices that one child is being left out. She had watched the girl hide in the beginning, but never saw her leave her spot. The other children didn't seem to notice. As the others get ready for another round, Beth walks into the graveyard, heading straight over to the girl.

"Hey, everything alright?" The girl nods and peeks around a shrub towards the others. "Are you sure?" She nods again.

"I'm waiting to be found."

"Well, I'll hide with you then." Beth crouches alongside the dark haired girl and watches the others, as they dash about when the new round begins. Looking back at the child, Beth notices she isn't wearing anything more than a white nightgown. "Aren't you cold?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"The ground keeps me warm." The girl stands and stomps against the earth. "See? It's soft, too." She then moves away from Beth, who watches her calmly walk further into the bushes.

"Where are you going?" Beth follows, passing under low branches and getting further from the open area. She hears a small voice call out to another.

"Lilly!"

She smiles briefly whilst looking over her shoulder, but stops again when she spots the girl sitting beneath a small tree.

"I grew this." The girl touches the bark as she speaks.

"You planted it?"

"No. Just grew it."

"Oh, it's a pretty tree."

"It's a sad tree."

"Sad how?" The girl shrugs and runs her fingers up the trunk. Beth sits too, noticing a single patch of dark, stringy moss beneath the plant.

"You know, the earth is much softer with things like this on it." She places her hand on the moss and becomes instantly pale. Lifting a shaking hand to her face, she sees many strands of black hair. A strange realization sets in. "L-Lilly?" Beth looks up, but the girl is gone.

"You found me." Speaks a deathly whisper from behind. Beth tries to scream, but is cutoff by a fistful of grass and dirt.

Once the children conclude their game they search for Beth, but never find her or the growing garden of black moss.