the rain creates a certain ambience
brings a sense of peace.
but too much rain is never good for you;
what happens if you start drowning?
a small dip in the ground; the rain starts to accumulate
turning into a puddle, a pond, eventually a lake.
afte...
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march 21st, 1960.
the sun beat down on the dusty streets of tulsa as the gang, all between the ages of 8 and 12, gathered for a game of hide-and-seek. ellie, a quiet but observant girl of 9, watched the others with her curious eyes. she had always preferred to stay in the background, but today, she was ready to join in on the games.
sodapop, a lively 10-year-old with a head of greased hair and a heart full of mischief, volunteered to be the seeker. "alright, y'all, i'm gonna count to fifty, and then i'm gonna find every last one of ya!" he declared, grinning from ear to ear.
the gang scattered in all directions, looking for the perfect hiding spots. ellie, unnoticed by the others, slipped behind a stack of crates near the curtis house. she knew she needed a good spot if she was going to avoid being found.
as sodapop began counting, ellie's heart raced. she peeked out from her hiding place and watched her friends disappear into the nooks and crannies of the neighborhood. her small frame squeezed into a tight space between the crates, and she held her breath, waiting for the game to begin.
sodapop's voice rang out, "ready or not, here i come!" with that, he started his search, charging down the street, checking behind bushes and under porches. the gang members laughed as they evaded him, but ellie remained silent.
she stared at the sky, the way the white clouds floated past the sun; the latter slowly moving across the blue sky. she could stay here all day, as time waited impatiently,
time passed, and soda's enthusiasm began to wane. he searched high and low, but ellie's spot was just too good. it seemed like he might never find her.
as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the neighborhood, sodapop started to worry. ellie had always been quiet, but she was never this good at hide-and-seek. He called out for her, "lizzie! c'mon, we've been playing for hours! where are ya?"
sodapop's concern grew, and he decided to enlist the help of the gang. they fanned out, combing every inch of their hiding spots to find ellie.
by this point, ellie was in her own world, forgetting her surroundings and that she was even involved in a game in the first place.
sodapop noticed he hadn't checked anywhere near his house and looked behind the crates. upon seeing ellie, he let out a sigh of relief.
"there you are, honey, i was gettin' worried. why didn't you come out from your hidin' spot when we started callin' your name?"
ellie merely shrugged, and sodapop grabbed her hand to help her up. "you okay, lizzie?"
"yeah, i think i might've dozed off or somethin'. with the weather bein' so nice and all..."
soda laughed and put an arm around her. "i can't say i'm surprised. but hey, at least you won. i've never had a round of hide and seek last that long."
