Inky's Collection of Shorts

Cops and Robbers - Rematch

Blinky tapped at the glass of the watch that encircled his wrist, watching as the hand that counted seconds steadily ticked by. He could hear its mechanical voice as he listened closely, like a miniature metronome strapped to his body. It didn't seem like much now, but soon, he knew, every second his watch sang would count.

"Blinky," a voice prompted, and the sounds of the forest came rushing back in, pushing the quiet declarations of the watch away.

"Is it time already?" Blinky asked, rubbing his eyes. He blinked, taking in his surroundings blearily as his vision tried to adjust back after staring so close up for so long.

Clyde frowned, clearly unimpressed. "You tell me. You've been staring at your watch for so long, you'll probably be able to see it in your sleep."

Despite himself, Blinky smiled. He leaned back against one of the trees that sprouted up around their wooden platform and watched as Clyde crossed his arms, his brow furrowed in thought. Probably considering the game to come, if he was as pumped by adrenaline as Blinky was.

It had been a while since their last game. It probably would've made more sense to play a smaller round, or maybe even do some laps around the property, to get back into the groove of things. Instead, they'd decided to up the stakes.

One of their other friends had suggested it after hearing a telling of their first game. It'll be better, he'd said, a wicked grin gracing his face. An extra layer to your game. Before, the robbers would have less of a chance. If they're caught, they're done. Now, they have more of a chance.

Why do they need more of a chance? Clyde had protested, his expression pained. They're already so good.

But the suggestion had been put into effect. Instead of the robbers simply being tagged out after being caught, the cops would have to guard them. If another robber could successfully free their teammate, then they were back in the game.

That only added another difficulty for the cops. They'd already been so close to losing last time. Yet Blinky couldn't help but grin at the thought of the game.

"Blinky," Clyde said again, tapping Blinky's shoulder with a finger. His frown had evolved into a scowl, but Blinky didn't miss the way he shifted from side to side anxiously. He checked his watch. The nerves were really beginning to set in.

"We're clear about the plan, right?" Blinky asked.

Clyde nodded, running a hand through his orange locks. "Out of the two of them, Inky will be easier to catch. Pinky would be more meticulous, so traps won't work on her." He winced. "Both would be a pain to handle after having caught them, though."

"But that's another reason why it would be better to catch Inky first," Blinky pressed on. "Pinky is confident in herself. She won't try to help Inky unless she thinks she needs another person's help."

"That means if there's only one or two apples left, she won't bother with him," Clyde said thoughtfully. "We can work with that."

A shiver ran down Blinky's spine as his adrenaline surged through him. It wasn't exactly a plan, per se, but it was something. He checked his watch again. Two more minutes.

Five golden apples. Two people on each side. This was their rematch.

His watch chimed. In the next instance, they were off, racing through the forest with the branches reaching for them. Blinky followed Clyde as he leapt over a fallen tree trunk, glancing all around him for a familiar mop of pink or blue hair amidst the green foliage, but there was nothing.

He looked over at Clyde, the younger boy meeting his gaze. He nodded, and they split off, heading in separate directions. That had been something that had treated them well last game, but it had been much better when they'd known --- or at least, had an idea of --- where the robbers were.