Hide and Seek

Once we start, the woods and the lawn will be out of bounds,

She refused the beer Steve offered her. I took mine and popped the

tab. She was staring at me. I knew what she wanted. "Okay, okay," I

told her.

I reached into the bag.

The first tug told me it was too light. I pulled it out all the way.

About one foot long. I let it dangle. Casey reached for the last one.

Four feet, like the others.

"Dan's it."

I made myself look glum. "Sure. Screw the local kid."

"I'll take that beer now," said Casey.

Steve handed it to her and she shook it and then popped the tab. Suds

went flying all across the hall. Plenty of it landed on Kim's yellow

blouse just above the line of overalls.

"Shit! What do you want him to do, smell me out?"

"Sorry"

"Jeez Case!"

"You get good ideas, and you get bad ones. Sorry."

She wasn't really angry, though. We sat quietly sipping our drinks.

Kim finished hers quickly and went to the kitchen for another. She

returned and said, "Hey, lights out. Remember the rules, huh?"

Steven didn't like it. "We can't even finish our beers?"

"A little."

"One problem," I said. "You haven't given me the ropes yet."

"And I haven't finished my damn beer."

"Okay," said Casey. "Lights on again."

She set her flashlight down on the floor with the beam running across

it into the kitchen and dug into the book bag. She pulled out another

four-foot length of rope. Steve handed me his and Kim gave me hers. I

looped them all together and loosened my belt a couple of notches and

pushed them through the belt in front so they wouldn't get snagged in

the dark.

ACKKETCHUM