Hide and Seek

The sound of earth and leaves crunch beneath my feet as laughter nips at my heels. My breath is hard and fast, yet I keep running. My heartbeat is so loud I feel it in my ears. My sister and I love playing Hide and Seek in the forest by our house! Mom and dad used to take us when we were little but, now that I am 12, mom said I can take us by myself. We have to get home before the sun sets, and we have to watch out for each other. Those are the rules. Easy peasy! I have done it like a million times at this point, and nothing has ever gone wrong! Until it did.

We got home from school and our parent’s cars were not in the driveway, so Sarah and I decided to go play Hide and Seek in our favorite place! I grabbed our backpacks, brought them inside, took our jackets off the hooks, locked the front door, and went out the back. The start of the woods are at the end of our road, so it’s not far for us to walk. Well, we actually skipped there to get there faster but also to save our energy for the game. Right before we start the game, we are supposed to go over the rules again. Our mom likes us to say them every time so we remember. “Rules Sarah! We cannot play until we say the rules!” I shout as my little sister runs ahead. “Come on Goodie Goodie we know the rules, let’s just play!”. She doesn’t turn around, she just keeps running, I have no choice but to follow. One of the rules is to watch out for each other so we don’t get separated or worse lost. Glancing over my shoulder, seeing our driveway is still empty, I follow Sarah into the woods.

Once I found her, I forgot about not going over the rules. We were running around playing for hours, constantly switching off who hides and who seeks! Laughter rang through the trees! I must have lost track of time and of how far we had gone into the woods because I didn’t recognize anything around me and the sun was already starting to set. It was then I realized I couldn’t hear or see Sarah. Crap! We had definitely broken the rules. Sarah and I had gone too far, too late and we lost each other. I stopped moving and called out for Sarah. Moments passed and nothing. I called again, louder, more desperate this time. My voice's echo was met with silence. I tried not to panic, and tried to make my way back the way I thought I had come. Just hoping and praying I was going the right way.

I don’t know how long I had walked for. I had been calling out my sister’s name every couple minutes. I never got a response. By this time the tears had been rolling for a while. There was no stopping them, I was just so scared. The wind across my face made the tear streaks as cold as ice. I had come to the realization I was lost and my sister was most likely lost as well. Wrapping my arms around my waist, I did my best to keep the wind out. Through the trees I saw a big rocky ledge. When I got to it I saw there was a cave with a sloped walkway just a little ways away. I could take shelter there for the night and try to find my way back home tomorrow. I made my way there and when the path came closer it was clear that it was just flat rocks but if I was careful I could make it to the cave. I very carefully walked along the rocks, leaning against the wall to keep my balance. This was going good until I was almost arms reach from the cave entrance, the rocks beneath my feet crumbled and I started falling. As I fell my jacket got caught on the corner of the rock that had crumbled out beneath my feet. I reached my arms up and grabbed onto the edge and fought to pull myself up. My hands hurt from the rock cutting in but I fought through the pain and got my legs up, closer to the entrance of the cave. When I pushed myself upright the piece of my jacket that got stuck ripped off and was wedged into the rock. I was upset because my mom will be so disappointed I ripped it. She had just given it to me for my birthday last month. I had asked mom for the bright purple jacket for months. I was sooo excited when the box opened and the jacket was right there! I wear it all the time, but the jacket saved my life so I am sure mom will understand.

The wind reminded me that I was now sitting in front of the cave entrance. “Hello?” I called into the cave with a shaky voice. Really hoping that nobody or anything would answer my call. I called again “hello?!”, again met with nothing. Not even the echo of my voice. I walked in far enough that I was out of the wind but not so deep I couldn’t see the entrance, I was too scared to go any further. There I slunk against the wall and slid down it until I was sitting with my back on the cool rock. I tucked my knees into my chest, wrapped my arms around them, burrowed my face into my knees, and just cried. I missed my mom, my dad, and I hoped nothing bad had happened to my sister. I must have cried for a long time, because when I looked up, the sun was completely gone. Crawling towards the entrance, I got close enough that I could see the sky. Looking up at the twinkling stars, I searched for the brightest. When I found it, I closed my eyes and made a wish. “I wish that my little sister is safe and I wish that tomorrow I get to go home and see my mom and dad again.” Then I walked back to my spot inside the cave and after a while, fell asleep.

The next morning, I got woken up to the birds chirping and the sun shining brightly. My body was so cold and tired from the adventures the day before. My hands were covered in cuts from almost falling. I got up and started slowly making my way to the opening of the cave, only stopping to allow myself to soak in the warm sun for a minute before continuing. Heading back out on the ledge didn’t seem as scary this time, until my eyes caught on the purple fabric still in the rock face. A flash of my fall went through my mind and I leaned into the wall behind me more and continued on. Once I got back in the forest, I just started walking and hoped I would recognize something.

After several hours of walking, I heard my voice being called! I knew it! I knew my family was coming for me! I called back “Here! I am right here!”. My moms voice followed shortly by my dads “Hannah!”. “I am right here!” my high pitch wail volleys back to them. Running in the direction of their voices with tears streaming down my face. This time it was tears of joy, they found me! I promise I will never play in the woods again, my inner voice shouted! Screaming their names I run as fast as I can. When I start getting closer I recognize the area. It is the area by the cave. Why am I back here? Did mom and Dad find the cave too? I keep running, I must keep running, I'm so close.

A piercing wail stops me at the edge of the forest. Mom’s on her knees, Dad’s holding something. The fabric to my purple jacket. Dad comes to moms side and wraps her tightly, they are both crying. “I am here! Mom? Dad? I am here, I am okay!” Why can't they hear me? Getting closer I hear dad. “It looks like she fell, I see her jacket on the rocks below. I… I didn’t see movement.” My dads voice is shaky and he can barely say it. What does he mean? I am right here! They just have to turn around! “I should have tried harder last night Matt! She died alone! I should have found her! My baby!” My moms screams ripple through my heart. My dad tightens his arms around her. They are both kneeling to the ground sobbing into each other’s arms. I am so confused I am right here. “Don’t look honey, we need to call the police. We have to get her”. Walking past my parents to the edge, I pause and look down. I collapse to my knees. It can’t be. On all fours I look over the edge, and everything hits me at once. I didn’t survive the fall.

Last night, when the rocks gave way, my jacket got stuck and I tried so hard to get a grip but I couldn’t. My hands kept sliding off the edge, rocks cutting into my palms. The blood, making it slippery and harder to grasp anything. The jacket ripped and I fell onto the rocks below. I raise my hands and look at the wounds from where I had tried to get a grip and failed. Slowly, I turn and stare at my parents. “I am sorry mommy. I am sorry Daddy. I was trying to come home, I promise. I love you.”

I died 3 years ago and I just wander the forest my sister and I used to play in. Somedays I am lucky and I get to see my Sarah walking in here. The first year she looked so sad and helpless. For a while she used to just stand at the edge of the trees, working up the courage to come in. Then one day she just did and there was no more hesitation. She used to walk around and just talk out loud to me. Sarah never knows I always walk right beside her. Sarah is now as old as I was when I died. Throughout the years she has gotten happier, on our walks she tells me about school, her friends and our parents. On our birthdays she brings a cupcake in here and eats it for the both of us. During the holidays she makes sure to leave a little toy doll every year. Sarah doesn’t play in here anymore, she doesn’t walk farther than she feels safe to do. I have tried to talk to her, tell her I love her, grab her hand, anything I can think of. Sometimes I think she can feel me there, but I don’t hold my breath. My parents haven’t been able to come back into these woods. Sarah tells me they go to my grave instead, everyday they go. My parents don’t know I am not there, I am trapped in these woods.

Tonight I watched Sarah leave after our walk. I can’t leave the forest, so I just have to stand at the edge and watch her walk away. She stops and turns around and says in a whisper only the wind and myself can hear, “I love you.” Tears that never fall well in my eyes and I tell the wind “I love you too”. With that she walks home, safe and sound.

THE END.