Hide & Seek

Chapter 1 - "Mysterious House"

''I told you it's a bad idea,'' Kathy gasped and tried to hide from all the raindrops, that were currently stuffing all of them.

"Come on! It's fun!" Henk with a bright smile said.

"Fun?! I'd rather kick your head off right now!" Kathy was angry. It was the middle of summer, and right before the heavy rain, Henk decided to take some rest in the meadow. Of course, Kathy, as the oldest sister, had to go with him, also taking Nicolass and Viola with her. 

It was a horrible storm outside. The harsh and cold wind was blowing right in the face, and Kathy couldn't stop cursing her brother. They found some big tree, the rain couldn't get through it's huge branches. Time by time some of the raindrops got through them and after few seconds it didn't really matter, where exactly they were standing - under the tree or in the middle of plain field.

"There's still a long way to go till home. We won't make it before the thunderstorm starts," James concluded and gave his jacket to Kathy, so she could at least a bit hide from the rain.

"So we have to find a place where we can hide, till the storm stops," Nicolass toughtfully said. He always was taciturn and balanced. In the middle of unknown people it was impossible to make him talk.

"Remember that building that we saw right when we were going to the meadow? It was large enough and didn't look really inhabited. We could stay there till the storm stops," Henk said with a real delight in his eyes. Kathy hardly gasped again. That house looked quite scary for her. People said that strange things are happening there, but was it truth or not - no one knew.

 There was no other way out, so they all were going to the old house. James, closely holding, carried little Viola and tried to hide her from the rain. Nicolass leisurely walked after everyone and it seemed like he doesn't worry about the tought when they'll get home, they will be permanently drenched, sick and they mum will probably kill them all. But Henk took all of this as game and was already in the excitement. It seemed like his only aim was the old house and everything else didn't really matter. He was always irreverent, strangely optimistic in every way, loved to play a prank on somebody, loved to scare someone and annoy someone.

When they reached the house, it seemed like it's already a late evening, the sky was as dark as the hell, and the thunder reminded of television commercials - loud and endless.

The house was obviously abandoned one many centuries old. The door looked so brittle and outdated, that it seemed - even the smallest breeze of wind could tear them down in dusts. The windows were overgrown with moss and other herbs, but the house itself looked so unstable and unsafe, that you should just cross the threshold and it would crash you like a hopeless bug.

James gave Viola to Kathy and went to open the door. For him this house didn't seem quite attractive. When his hand touched the door and he was using all his strenght to open them the horibble sound of cracks and creaks. In the house there was a mysterious darkness. It felt like time by time there's a human silhouette fading, but it was only an eye illusion. All as one were hesitate to take the first step, except Henk - he almost danced in the abandoned house. Seeing how easily Henk enters the house, Nicolass followed his lead and blankly entered the house. After that Kathy and Viola followed them, and the last one who joined them was James, who tried to close the door. Their delicate look didn't really math their weight and at the times it almost felt like someone's trying to pull them other way, it felt like there's someone who doesn't want them to enter the building.

In the house there was even more horrible darkness than outside. It was impossible to see your fingers out at least the closest items. James pulled out of his pocket a pack of matches, somehow they were perfectly dry. He lit a match and started to walk over the house. Time by time he tripped over different items which were lying on the floor. James was trying to find some place where they could sit down and rest, but instead of it, he found candles. He lit them and gave everyone one candle, except Viola. She's only three years old and there was no way James would give one to her. 

The building was really wide and filled with different items and tools, and doors. The ceiling was unbelievably high and stable. Kathy hoped for some broken board or a hole, where the rain could flows trough or at least a small window, which could bring a bit of daylight, but there was nothing at all. Under their feet was a strong, stable wooden floor, the corners and doors were covered with dusts and spider webs. The items that were lying all over the place were much more cleaner, fresher.

"Well, let's check this place out!" Henk exclaimed with a suspicious, cheeky smile on his face and then he was gone somewhere in this strange darkness. Kathy looked at James a bit worried.

"Are you okay?" James anxiously asked.

"Yes, I'm just freezing," she replied. That was half true. She really was freezing, but she was also worried. 

"Want to come with me?" James looked at her with a big question in his eyes. 

"Viola and I are planning to check out that room over there, deeper in the right corner," she replied with a smile, while pointing at the door, which seemed to be miles away. James nodded, smiled and then he was gone. Kathy watched how the room wraps his silhouette, till all that was left was only a pale light from his candle.

Viola, disturbed by no one, was playing with Kathy's ice cold fingers, trying to cross them, wrap them and then release them.

"Are you coming with us, Nicolass?" Kathy asked with a light smile, but Nicolass dissenting nodded his blonde head and left. Kathy was left alone with Viola. Now, when everyone was gone it felt like they're far away and will never come back, Kathy felt so uncomfortable that her skin was covered with goosebumps. And they there was steps...

I foot touches the boards and they loudly cracked.

Another step.

And again.

Kathy slowly turned around, trying to keep her mind still, so she won't scare Viola. Kathy's curious look slowly overlooked the place, while Viola was quietly standing behind her back. There was no sign of life. Kathy tried to convince herself that it's probably James or Henk, even though she didn't believe herself.

"Come on, let's go," she quietly said, holding Viola's hand a little bit stronger than usualy, and tried to forget all those silly thoughts that filled her head.