Hero

Chapter Twelve: Laughter

"I caught you! I caught you!" Günther shouted with a laughed that echoed through the house and brought it more life than before. Wilhelm started tickling Günther with the world's most mischievous look on his face. Günther fell to the side on the floor, his laugh getting louder and louder the more he laughed. Tears welled up in his eyes and he started to cry as he laughed. "It hurts! It hurts!" Günther cried in laughter taking deep breaths as Wilhelm backed off the tickling. Günther took deep breaths as he calmed down. Wilhelm sighed happily and sat there relaxing.

Günther jumped up and ran out of the room, shouting, "you're it! You're it!" He ran down the stairs and hide under the table. Wilhelm sighed as he walked down the stairs, he stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked around.

"How about we play hide and seek." Wilhelm said. Günther hopped up from under the table, a bright smile on his face.

"Okay, you're it." Günther smiled, "Now face the wall and count to ten." Günther beamed brightly, a very serious look on his face. Wilhelm nodded and faced the wall beginning to count. Günther rushed up the stair as face as he could and went into the guest bedroom. He walked over to the bed and climbed under it. Wilhelm counted up to ten and turned to the stairs.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Wilhelm yelled up the stairs and started up them. He looked in the hall closet, the bathroom, and in his room. He looked in the closet, under the bed and behind the dresser. Nothing. Wilhelm sighed and walked out into the hall, he looked around. Then he saw the guest bedroom door was open and smiled. He walked in and closed the door. He looked in the closet and behind the dresser. He didn't find Günther and realized he must be under the bed. Wilhelm walked over and quickly looked under the bed. Günther's eyes were clenched shut as he leaned against the wall under the bed. Wilhelm smiled and took Günther's hand.

"I found you." Wilhelm laughed. Günther grumbled in protest as he crawled from under the bed. His scowl faded fast as he raced down the stairs and faced the wall.

"My turn!" He cheered before starting to count. "One, two, three, f-four . . . five, seven I-I mean six, seven, nine I-I mean eight, nine, ten! Ready or not here I come!" Günther cheered as he climbed the stairs ready to look for Wilhelm. Günther walked to Wilhelm's room and looked all over the room. He fround when there was no sight of Wilhelm. Günther then searched the guest room, the bathroom and the hall closet. He walked down the stairs and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Come out. Come out. Wherever you are." Günther called out through the house. Wilhelm looked up as he heard Günther call out, he smiled, Günther doesn't know the downstairs as well as the upstairs. It will take him a while to find Wilhelm, this made him giggle to himself. He was in the coat closet at the end of the side hall that led to his parents bedroom and father's study.
Wilhelm crouched behind the coats waiting patiently for Günther to find him. Günther on the other hand was looking around the downstairs in a rush. He could find Wilhelm and was beginning to panic a little. He looked all over the kitchen, the living room and walked to the side hall. It seemed to have an unspoken rule not to enter but it was the only place Wilhelm could be. Günther took a deep breath and started down the hall. The first door he came to he instantly opened and looked inside. As he looked from top to bottom, he spotted legs at the bottom of the closet. He shoved the coat to the sides and smiled.

"I found you." Günther cheered smiling down at Wilhelm the recently discovered. Wilhelm felt proud of himself, it took Günther a while to find him. Meaning he had a really good hiding spot, this made him happy. He stood and looked at Günther with a smile.

"Good job, you found me." Günther hugged Wilhelm and then walked to the living room. He flopped over on the couch and sighed. Wilhelm walk in after him and sat at the end of the couch. "Do you want to keep playing?" Wilhelm asked looking in the direction of Günther. Said boy laid face down on the other end of the couch. He rolled over onto his back and sat up looking to Wilhelm.