Hide and Seek

HALLOWEEN SHORT FICTION by Asher Miller, MS

My name is Thomas. This story took place when I was a child. This happened on a Saturday night. My parents were actors and producers of many hit movies so with the money they made we lived in a larger house. I was informed that we would be moving to a bigger house earlier this month. I was eager to see what the new house looked like. When my parents and I pulled into the driveway the house looked old and broken down. This house seemed off to me. My dad told me to get out of the car and choose my room to stay in.

I walked to the front door and it was tall and the paint on it was almost completely gone. There were only little spots of paint left on the door. I opened the door slowly and walked into the house. As I was walking inside, the floorboards creaked every step I took. My mom and dad walked inside behind me. My mom said she wanted to talk to me. I walked over to her and she told me Andrew was coming over tomorrow night. Andrew was my best friend. I was so happy that he was coming.

I ran upstairs to go find my room. I walked into one of the rooms and looked around to see what it was like and it was big. A big window was on the wall across from the door. Some old ripped up curtains were hanging on the windows. I looked in my closet and saw a dead rat in a old mouse trap. It looked like it had been there a while. The closet wreaked of something like old cheese. Presumably from the rat.

I went to bed that night eager to wake up in the morning to see Andrew. I woke up and waited downstairs for Andrew to get here. An hour later I hear a knock on the door. I ran and opened it to see Andrew and his parents. I welcomed them in and took Andrew upstairs to show him my room. We just talked for a while then my mom called us both downstairs. She told us Andrew’s parents and my parents were going out for dinner. Me and Andrews faces both lit up with joy. She said they would be back by 10:00 p.m. Me and Andrew both told our parents goodbye and then they were gone.

Me and Andrew talked some more and then the sun set. We were both bored and we needed to do something. Andrew had the idea to play hide and seek. I wanted to play in the backyard but Andrew said we should play in the woods. I hated the woods. Any type of woods I hated. I was nervous to play. Andrew said I had to be it first. I had to count to 30 while Andrew went to hide.

After I was done counting I went to go find Andrew. After about 15 minutes I couldn’t find him. I was going to give up but then I saw someone peeking out from a tree.

I yelled, “Haha found you!”

Andrew said from behind me, “What? How did you not find me?”

At that moment my heart dropped. An older man with greasy, black, long, hair, and wrinkled up old skin came out from behind the tree with a rusty, blood stained machete in hand. Andrew and I stood there frightened, not moving at all.The man started running at us, waving his machete. We ran away as fast as we could. The man close behind us waving his machete while laughing hysterically.

We ran inside, called the police, and locked ourselves in my bathroom upstairs.

We waited in silence.

While waiting, we heard glass shatter downstairs. “He got in!” I thought to myself.

Andrew looked at me frightened. We heard the sound of the creaky wooden stairs slowly getting louder and closer to the bathroom. We then felt relieved as we heard police sirens outside. We stood up and walked out carefully. We looked down the stairs and saw the man running out of the house back into the woods. The police found him and arrested him immediately.

The following morning Andrew and my parents came home scared and frightened. We ran downstairs and told them what happened. They were in shock and glad we were okay. We got a call from the police later that evening that the man who tried to kill us had abducted and killed 4 children and buried them in the forest. I was frightened when I heard that. I was glad that Andrew and I did not end up like those children.

Till this day both Andrew and I still remember exactly what happened.