Victoria Johnson

Hide & Seek

The sunlight was persistent that day, warming the windows, the floors, the house. You could hear the flies buzzing to rejoin the outside world, little plinks against the glass. They never gave up, constantly tap, tap, tapping, not realizing the glass was a solid obstacle in their way. The fans also buzzed, but it was different, an electrical humming, yet they failed to cool down the breakfast nook just as the flies failed to escape. There were crayons all over the table, sticky handprints on the chairs. She sat at that rickety and well loved table, head in her hands, taking deep slow breaths. Sweat stuck her hair to her temple, beaded on her upper lip, ran down her damp back. She couldn’t see the end of the day just like this house couldn’t keep cool. Blowing a breath out, making a few loose tendrils of her hair move, she slowly brings her head up. Rolling her head side to side, relieving the tension slowly strangling her, she pushed herself into an upright position. She takes another steading breath, and scraps her chair back. The awful screech further amplifies the discomfort she felt, but she stands tall anyway. This is it, back to the hell hounds that locked her in this dreaded kitchenette. Determination finds its way into her eyes, and she swings open the door, letting out a little whistle that matches the silly little tune on repeat in her head. She let it guide her way through the too quiet house…

One, two, three, You better hide those feet, For if I hear your sound, You betcha you’ll be found

Four, five, six, Better move along quick, Cause I won’t miss you Like you want me to

Seven, eight, nine, Would you look at the time, If I find you somewhere ya shouldn’t have been… Hahaha, well guess what, TEN!

Spring

I walk until my heels bleed I see rest in every copse of trees there I will wait, curled in the grass, like a fawn for my mother & I will stop thinking about everything