✷
Maggie said we could hide anywhere, but we all knew there was one house that was off-limits. No one ever explained to me why we couldn’t nestle ourselves within the darkness of the large trees that stood in front of the house next door to mine, but the overgrown grass and chipped paint were usually enough to steer me into picking a different spot. Still, I had never won a game of hide and seek in the dark, and I knew the flashlights would never reveal my position if I hid in front of the empty house.
“Ready for another game?” Maggie asked.
“Yeah!” Rachel said. “One more, then I have to go home.”
“You always have to go home first,” Maggie said.
“It’s not my fault.” Rachel scrunched her eyebrows, wrinkling her forehead.
“Whatever,” Maggie grumbled. “But the game’s not over until everyone’s found.”
“Fine. I’m the best seeker anyway.” Rachel looked up, fluttering her eyelashes, and touched her chin to her shoulder.
Maggie rolled her eyes and said, “Ready? Go!”
Maggie and Ben, my younger brother, ran down the street toward the cul-de-sac. I ran in the opposite direction toward my house. The downstairs lights were on, but I didn’t see either my mom or dad inside. One of the two rooms above the garage was bright, reminding me of a pirate with an eyepatch.
I held my breath and took my first step onto the empty house’s yard. I didn’t want to step on the cracked driveway because I thought it looked too much like an extended tongue. I imagined the garage door opening and the house swallowing me whole.
Most of the house was hiding behind the tall trees like someone shielding their eyes with their hands. The dead leaves and sweet gum balls knocked against my shoes as I searched for a place to hide as close to the road as possible. I stood behind the massive trunk of one of the trees and looked out at my street. Further down, I could see the glow of a flashlight. As I sank my nails into the bark, I heard a noise behind me. It was the creak and snap of a screen door shutting. I turned around quickly but only saw the door lightly hitting the frame as it settled and sat quietly. My legs felt heavy, and my feet were glued to the ground.
“Hello, little one,” said a scratchy voice.
“Hello?” I asked, searching for the voice’s location.
A short and wide woman in raggedy clothes emerged from the shadows. Her skin was bumpy, and she walked with a limp, as if one leg was shorter than the other.
“I know you. You’re one of the Richardson boys. I want to thank you for burying all your pets under the same honeysuckle bush in your backyard,” she said. I could see her mouth stretch into a wide smile as the light from the lampposts reflected off teeth that were a little too big.
“Although,” she paused. “I wish you’d had more of those toads. Two just wasn’t enough!” She began to laugh. It was a horrible coughing and snorting cackle that made me shiver. I pictured her insides completely dry and filled with dust.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Me? I don’t remember my name, that is, if I ever had one. I’ve been here for a long time. I saw your parents move in. I know you stay up too late and that your mom and dad sleep in different rooms. I know your brother, Ben, takes your clothes and wears them when you’re not home.” She took a step forward, and her eyes reflected the moonlight, making them look hollow and animalistic.
“I know you want to be a chef more than anything else in the world,” she said.
I swallowed dryly and said, “So?”
“I can help you. I’ve been cooking for many years. In fact, I’m finishing up a recipe right now. I just need your help with the final ingredient. Will you come inside with me?”
I took a cautious and numb step forward. A bright light blinded me from the right side. I put my hands up to cover my eyes.
“Found you! Told you I’m the best,” Rachel said.
I looked back toward the house. The yard was empty and quiet except for the faint tapping of the screen door.
✷
"Hide and Seek" previously appeared in Haunted Words Press and Sirens Call Publications.
Keller Agre (he/him) is a horror fiction writer originally from Overland Park, Kansas whose work has appeared in Haunted Words Press and Sirens Call Publications. He is a member of the Atlanta Writers Club. When not writing, he enjoys hiking and playing folk music on his guitar. Twitter/X: @KellerAgre
