The concrete indents my sweaty palm,
Gripping the side of the house in hopes that I wont be found
Bushes as my only camouflage become uncomfortable
Urging me to reposition, but realizing that it could mean bad things
It’s an eerie night as the humid air shadows the full moon
Lighting up a good distance around
The golden lock of hair catches my eye as the figure searches for their prey
Their eyes dart from bush to bush when suddenly our eyes lock
Leaping for an outage, a twig digs into my skin and leaves traces of blood
On the now snapped branches
The figure lunges to accelerate their sprint as I think of an escape route
Leaves crunch underneath my quick feet as the figure dodges any obstacle
To reach me
My eyes frantically move from corner to corner searching for even the smallest
Of hiding places when… I see one
As I try to catch my breath at a safe stop hidden by trees
I realize that the figure had lost me
Steady becomes my breathing just as I feel a strong hand
Grip my shoulder giving me no leeway to escape
The hand squeezes harder as I feel their breath on my face
As they whispered in my ear, the two most feared words in my life
“You’re it”