Big Bad Wolfie novel Chapter 55

It's my turn to hide and Sophie's turn to seek.

I giggled quietly as I climbed the tree as silently as I could to avoid Sophie, my favorite cousin/bestie (just don't tell Brandon and Rosy), hearing me from her counting place a few feet away.

I'm a whole 4 months older than Sophie and an entire 3 inches taller, so there's no way my mear 7 and a quarter year old bestie can compete with my 7 and a half year old tree climbing skills. She won't even think to look up here for me.

She was almost done counting to 25 when I heard some rustling in the opposite direction.

I looked to see what animal it was, because something smelled a little funny, but she finished counting and all my attention went back to her.

She walked right past me and I covered my mouth to hide my giggles.

She kept looking. Picking things up and checking under them, and around bushes.

When she looked utterly confused, I laughed and called down to her, "Do you give up?!"

She turned to me startled, then a smile grew on her face, "There you are!"

I laughed loudly as I clumsily climbed down the tree. "I win!"

"Yeah, yeah," She waved me off, "but I'm about to find the best hiding spot ever. You'll never find me." She grinned cockily.

I smiled back and covered my eyes. "One!"

I heard her run off.

Twenty four seconds passed. . .

"Twenty five!" I finished counting. "Ready or not! Here I come!"

A few minutes passed.

"Wow!" I yelled to her in no particular direction, "this really is a good hiding spot," I laughed.

A few more passed.

"Can I have a hint?" I asked her.

I got nothing in return.

"Alright" I giggled, "that's just gonna make it even cooler when I find you."

A lot more passed.

I started getting uneasy but pushed it away. She did say she came up with the best hiding spot.

. . . But how did she make it so I couldn't smell her. . ?

An hour passed.

Wow! She's so good at this! It's only taken this long for one of us to find each other once, and it was when I kept switching hiding spots to get away from her.

That must be what she's doing.

An hour and a half. . .

"Okay Sophie," I laughed.

I can't believe she hid this good.

"I give up, you win."

Nothing.

I rolled my eyes but was still smiling, "C'mon Sophie, you already won I can't find you."

Even more nothing.

My heart picked up a bit.

Calm down Maria. She's just messing with you, I told myself.

But I'm still scared.

"Sophie, c'mon, it's almost dinner, our parents will be mad if we don't go inside." I tried to lure her out.

She still didn't come out laughing at me because I had lost.

And I'm starting to freak out.

"I'm serious Sophie! I'll call my mom if you don't come out."

Still nothing.

"I'll call Aunty Brie!" I threatened her with her own mother.

Silence.

I felt the tears prick at my eyes.

"I'm serious Sophie, you're scaring me."

It's like her to play a little trick on me, but she would never take it this far.

"I'm going to get our parents," I called.

When I got inside I ran to Aunt Brie. "Aunty! Sophie —"

"This is all your fault!" She screamed at me.

What? What's my fault?

"If it wasn't for you! My little girl would still be here!"

My chest started hurting where my heart is.

What?

"They were looking for you! They were after you!," she started crying. "Oh, my little girl," she weeped.

She still managed to give me a death glare.

"It should have been you! It was supposed to be you! She didn't deserve to be taken away!"

"Aunty —" I reached out to her with tears running down my cheeks.

"No!" She hollered. "Look what you've done!" She pulled Sophie's detached head out from behind her back. "Look what you've done!!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs.