Silence
Silence, absolute, total, all-encompassing silence was all that was needed. Anything more and they would faint from fear. Anything less and they would be discovered. And everyone knew the terrible fate that awaited those who were found first. For a moment, no one breathed. It was as if they were neither willing nor able to stand before the thought of being exposed.
Fear of simply being seen was enough to drive each and every one into this complete silence, but it was not to last. For fear wears off, it always has, it always will. Soft breathing became unrestricted breathing, and the rising temperature of the reinforced room turned unrestricted breathing into heavy breathing.
Their hunter was in pursuit, they all knew it, yet nobody dared even mention his name. He was said to be the best of the best and that no prey ever escaped his search. But then again, if no prey ever escaped his search, then how did these terrible tales come into being? It was an interesting question, but no one risked asking it.
The heavy breathing was now accompanied with a sigh from the heat. After all, five of them in a room so small will eventually produce heat and heat produces weariness. This had to be a tactic of some kind. Waiting out long enough so that the prey reveals itself. They would surely become their own undoing; it was only a matter of time.
“Is he gone yet?” asked a girl huddled in the farthest corner back.
“He probably went after Lucy; he’s leaving us as survivors.” said a boy with glasses.
“No, he won’t give up. We must stay strong.” said a boy with a cap.
Aside from these three, there were two more in the shelter. There was a girl who was ordained with every style, manner, and fashion of glittery, plastic jewelry. And finally, there was a rather plump boy who was not faring well in the rising temperature. His sweaty stench would be the greatest trial these brave heroes would face.
“He’ll give up eventually,” said Sweaty, “everyone gives up eventually.”
“Not him,” said Caps.
“Do you think he’ll accept surrender?” asked Corner-Girl.
“No,” said Glasses, “he does not.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment. The ominous comment reinspired everyone to regress back to soft breathing.
“Maybe if we ask nicely, he’ll accept surrender?” suggested Corner-Girl.
“No,” said Caps, “this is a matter of life and death here. We have to stay strong.”
“I think you’re being a bit dramatic,” said Glitters.
On this, everyone sided against Glitters. There were many things that this whole situation was. A joke wasn’t one of them. Prior to this, all conversation had been in the faintest of whispers. But that was until Sweaty started speaking.
“Hey guys.” began Sweaty in a normal voice.
“SHH!” commanded everyone at once.
Everyone reduced themselves to silence as they listened for the slightest sense of footsteps nearing them. They waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing. They all breathed a sigh of relief as quietly as possible.
“What do you think happened to Lucy?” asked corner girl.
“He’s probably already found her,” said Glasses.
Everyone took time to reflect on the idea of their dear friend at this very moment facing such a horrible fate. She had told them that she would distract him so the rest could get away. They tried telling her otherwise, but she insisted they go. If they had waited any longer, he could have found them all.
And so there they were, all huddled together in their cavern of fear. Fear - as they were learning - brought heat with it. Like the heat a fire sends as a harbinger of a burn, so they were in their room. They needed no footsteps; they needed no voice to tell them their hunter was near. The rising tension danced with the rising temperatures.
But heat was nothing, everyone can bear heat. We humans live with ourselves at nearly a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, so this little trial by fire was nothing. But it wasn’t the heat that was the biggest of their problems, but the smell. You see, Sweaty is being called that name for a reason. The stench tickled their noses, prompting a gasp, a cough, or a sneeze. But our heroes held firm! They refused to yield themselves over to the jaws of defeat over a little smell.
“You don’t think he’ll use dogs to track us?” asked Corner-Girl.
“He may, why’d you ask?” asked Sweaty.
“Because it stinks in here,” said Caps, rather bluntly.
Sweaty was very embarrassed even though nobody was going to specifically call him out.
“It’s because of Sweaty here,” said Glitters.
Never mind.
“No offense,” said Glasses, “but you aren’t immune to the occasional odor either.”
“Hey!” protested Glitters.
“SHH!” commanded everyone at once.
A shock of silence stunned the room as no one so much as thought to utter a single syllable. Yet the heat rose and rose and rose and rose, and the stench, oh how it filled every nose. Coughs were becoming harder to suppress. What a cruel game this was, the hunter lets his prey fester in their own misery long enough so that their exposure is more a climax to an epic story than a swift dealing of defeat.
They all feared it was so from the beginning, but it was now that they agreed it was over. He had played them, played them rather well. He needed no assistance, no dogs, no devices to assist in the prowl. His absence was the calm before the storm. They were all trapped in this forsaken, dark room, and they all knew it.
Step, they stopped their worrying and paid attention. Step, they could tell it was a person coming. Step, each clamp to the floor rung louder. Step, their doom drew near. Step, it approached the door where they sought refuge. Step, he was there.
And yet, he did nothing. He just stood there, neither proceeding forward nor withdrawing back. If he had kicked the door down and sent in two lions inside, that would have been more bearable. But this, what wicked suspense this was. All our heroes could do was watch his shadow from under the door.
Lucy had surely been found, her fate would soon be theirs, and they all knew it. The heat was now that of a blazing furnace, so you can only imagine what horrid scents Sweaty was putting out. Now, Corner-Girl was always a mild-mannered young lady, but this was too much to bear. Personal space had been defeated, pleasant aromas had been eliminated, and the only way to win those things back was to lose this twisted game.
The doorknob slowly began to twist. The turn never sped up or slowed down, its speed was constant. The door began to creak eerily like a villainous clock ready to strike on the hour. There was no escape, and they all knew it. Corner-Girl could not handle any more of these wretched conditions.
“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” she exclaimed as she lunged for the door and finished the rotation for him.
The door flung open as light flooded the dark chamber, exposing the five first graders. The worst fate of fates had seized them, they had all been caught in hide-and-seek. Lucy’s dad was suddenly hit with the terrible stench and heatwave that called the closet home. He stepped back and wiped his eyes while fighting a gasp. After he had regained his composure, he looked down at the cramped children and said with the gentlest of smiles.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting you to all hide together. Looks like Lucy won!”
Everyone fumbled out of the closet and into the bedroom where the closet led. Lucy then sprang out of a pile of dirty clothes and gave a tremendous ‘BOOYAH’ which apparently was a celebration of sorts. And while the five friends faced the humiliation of all being found at once, they moved on from this.
“Alright,” said Lucy’s dad, “now it’s my turn to hide.”
Immediately, the sting of defeat was vanquished as all six children prepared themselves for the hunt. They began their count to fifty, eager to join forces against an adult. Unfortunately for them, Lucy’s dad understood the true meaning of silence.
The end…