It's my turn to hide and Sophie's turn to seek.
I giggled quietly as I climbed the tree as silently as I could to avoid Sophie, my favorite cousin/bestie (just don't tell Brandon and Rosy), hearing me from her counting place a few feet away.
I'm a whole 4 months older than Sophie and an entire 3 inches taller, so there's no way my mear 7 and a quarter year old bestie can compete with my 7 and a half year old tree climbing skills. She won't even think to look up here for me.
She was almost done counting to 25 when I heard some rustling in the opposite direction.
I looked to see what animal it was, because something smelled a little funny, but she finished counting and all my attention went back to her.
She walked right past me and I covered my mouth to hide my giggles.
She kept looking. Picking things up and checking under them, and around bushes.
When she looked utterly confused, I laughed and called down to her, "Do you give up?!"
She turned to me startled, then a smile grew on her face, "There you are!"
I laughed loudly as I clumsily climbed down the tree. "I win!"
"Yeah, yeah," She waved me off, "but I'm about to find the best hiding spot ever. You'll never find me." She grinned cockily.
I smiled back and covered my eyes. "One!"
I heard her run off.
Twenty four seconds passed. . .
"Twenty five!" I finished counting. "Ready or not! Here I come!"
A few minutes passed.
"Wow!" I yelled to her in no particular direction, "this really is a good hiding spot," I laughed.
A few more passed.
"Can I have a hint?" I asked her.
I got nothing in return.
"Alright" I giggled, "that's just gonna make it even cooler when I find you."
A lot more passed.
I started getting uneasy but pushed it away. She did say she came up with the best hiding spot.
. . . But how did she make it so I couldn't smell her. . ?
An hour passed.
Wow! She's so good at this! It's only taken this long for one of us to find each other once, and it was when I kept switching hiding spots to get away from her.
That must be what she's doing.
An hour and a half. . .
"Okay Sophie," I laughed.
I can't believe she hid this good.
"I give up, you win."
Nothing.
but was still smiling, "C'mon
Even more
heart picked up
She's just messing with you,
But
be mad if we don't go inside." I tried
out laughing at me because I
And I'm starting to
Sophie! I'll call my mom if you don't
Still nothing.
"I'll call Aunty Brie!" I threatened her with her own
Silence.
the tears prick
"I'm serious Sophie, you're scaring
It's like her to play a little trick on me, but she would never take
"I'm going to get our parents," I
I ran to Aunt
"This is all your fault!"
What?
wasn't for you! My little girl would still be
My chest started hurting where
What?
for you! They were after
managed to give me a
"It should have been you! It was supposed to be you! She didn't deserve
reached out to her with tears running down
what you've done!" She pulled Sophie's detached head out from behind her back. "Look
I screamed at the
Everything about those few weeks came crashing back
"Maria! Wake up!" Someone yelled, lightly covering my mouth,
I punched whoever was holding me in the face and shot upright
"Ouch," Wolfie
in my surroundings while
Then finally processed what I'd just
I turned to him and cringed. "I'm so
"Just go back to sleep. Luckily you
"I didn't?" I asked while
hand in the way," he
Hm.
another one and wake everyone up this time. I'll just take the next shift," I said, sitting back
Maria," his grip tightened
to stop me, but I still halted my movements to hear what he
the d@mn mate
taking the next watch. I had to leave you to take the last
I looked to Zach and he waved
to rest
gotten the most rest out of all of us, Wolfie," he flinched a little at the nickname, but
or I," he told me. "Now don't worry about it and just go to sleep," he hugged my waist tighter and laid down
drawn to my mark on
But there was also shameful joy
I can't control that nature and the moon goddess want us
"Maria," he mumbled with his
"Hm?"
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