Origins of Olympus S2 One-Shots

Hide-n-Seekah

(this got so long at 2,518 words, I am so sorry)

Two small children ran in endless circles around a weeds-laden clearing surrounded by an overgrown forest. A thin river streamed along one side, separating them from the road to a village bustling with people. Seek, in the lead of a nonexistent race, hit an invisible wall and flopped back into the grass. "We should play a game."

Susie stopped her pointless pursuit and did the exact same, eating grass as her face collided with the ground. She scrunched up her nose and spit it out, making sure Seek didn't see. "We are playing a game though."

"A different game." He furrowed his eyebrows, concentrating much harder than a ten year old should. His face lit up and he bolted up. "We're going to play my special game!"

Susie gasped. "Special game?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! It's called Hide-n-Seekah! You hide somewhere and I'll find you."

"Oh, but," she hesitated, "where can I hide?"

"In the forest!"

Susie bit her lip and stared into the forest. The trees weren't as creepy as she thought when she was younger, neither was the once scary raging river, but she'd never seen the other side of the dense, dark forest. It was so big and wide, neverending.

"What if I get lost? Or you don't find me?"

Seek grinned and patted her on the head. "I'll always find you! No leaving without finding the hider, that's a rule!"

Susie thought it over. She wanted to play the special game and she trusted her friend. The forest could be scary another day. "Promise?"

"Pinky promise." He held out his pinky and she linked it with hers. They bounced their hands up and down, laughing. He flopped back and rolled over onto his stomach. "I'll count and you hide!"

Susie didn't point out that he didn't know how to count like the good friend she was and jumped to her feet, taking off into the forest with rejuvenated faith in the beckoning leaves. They waved to her as she ran past, almost guiding her in a certain direction.

She followed obediently, Seek told her she could always trust the trees, until she found a tree much larger than the rest. Roots were poking through the dirt in random but straight lines, similar to Colin when he was swimming as a dolphin: jumping in and out of the water for lapses of air.

Susie ducked under the low branches and crawled through the fallen leaves that crunched under her knees. The ground dipped into a small ditch and she burrowed herself down into the dirt. Behind her, she could hear Seek counting down the wrong numbers and she giggled. He'd never find her here!

"Found you!" A vine shot out between the branches above her and curled around her arm.

She yelped, tugged on the vine, and laughed. She let it pull her through and swung herself up and over the branches. Seek sat on top, grinning at her. She crossed her arms and tried to mimic the stern look her mother gave her when she was mad. "No fair! No powers allowed!"

"Not in Hide-n-Seekah! Everything's allowed."

"But I don't have powers..." Susie pouted and plopped down on the ground. Seek frowned and joined her, cupping a pile of leaves and tossing them into her lap.

"Do you want my powers?" he asked.

"What? No Seek," she protested with shriek. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Those are your makuakāne's powers!"