Hide and Seek(Claire Mason) Maddie could see the welcoming doorway ahead. Its dark corners invited her seductively and she pushed her waning legs even harder. The small rucksack on her back thudded against her with every step, the tin box inside painfully jabbing into her shoulder. The bag was wet, and heavy, but very necessary. Behind her, she could hear Billy puffing frantically. He seemed further away than ever now. The pouring rain had slowed their progress but somehow it also offered them protection, like a shroud covering their elusive movements.

Reaching the archway, Maddie fell against the door. Struggling for breath, she wiped away the rain from her face and smoothed her hair back. The solace of the dark but dry archway did nothing to ease her angst though. She turned and beckoned Billy frantically. ‘Come on’ she groaned. Watching his little legs turning like a hamster in a wheel, she mocked at the spectacle before her. If it wasn’t for HIM, this would be funny.

With boots weighed down by mud, Billy ignored the pain in his legs and trudged on. Mum would kill me if she could see my legs! Oh, how she hated dirty children. He could see his sister ahead and longed to be near her again. At 7, Billy was tall for his age, but his face hid his age well. He had a baby face and was often teased at school. His big sister looked after him. She always knew what to do. She didn’t let them get away with it. And once again, he was running to her.
‘Gosh, that was tough’ he croaked as he fell against the door.
‘Come on. We have to hide. In here.’
‘Err, in the church? Billy whimpered.
‘Unless you want to wait here to be found’ she quipped abruptly and pushed the door with all she had. Shaking his head, he followed her obediently, knowing that was not an option.

Inside the vastness of the church surrounded them. Feeling very small, they purposefully made their way to the back, scanning the pews anxiously.
‘He won’t find us here will he?’
Maddie looked down at her enquiring brother. He looked tired. Grabbing his hand protectively, she pulled him along quickly. ‘No, he won’t find us in here’.

Billy allowed himself to be led. They had played this game before but never ended up in the church. He didn’t like churches. They seemed so cold and quiet. But right now, this was a good place to be. Away from HIM.
At the back of the church, to the right of the altar, stood a tall thin door. Checking that no-one was following them, Maddie tried the handle. It was locked.

Outside in the distance, she could hear a booming voice. It carried across the wind like a vulture seeking its prey.
‘Maddieeeeeee’ Billeeeeeeeee’
Billy squeezed her hand even tighter. ‘He’s coming Mad’s’.
She tried the door again. They had to find somewhere to hide. And quick. Rattling the handle with increasing agitation, it suddenly creaked and sprang open.

Inside the room was dusty and bleak. The solitary window dared to illuminate the shadows, but didn’t. Instead it fleetingly highlighted the contents of the room, teasing them with hiding places. Hiding places that were too small, too exposed, too obvious. Maddie scrunched her eyes to focus. The furniture was not enough. They had to be cleverer than that. HE was far too good at this game.

Closing the door behind her gently, Maddie shuffled around the scattered obstacles, searching for the far corner of the room. It was darkest here. As she moved to the side to avoid a pile of books, her foot bumped something hard and wooden. The sound reverberated around the room, and they stood deadly still. Had he heard?

The wind outside had strengthened as it battered the windows and roof of the church, almost as though the wind too was playing their game. Its whistling unnerved them and they instinctively huddled closer.

Suddenly from nowhere, a loud bang and intensified whistling shattered the silence as the main door swung open, revealing the church to the elements. Slow but deliberate footsteps pierced the air, getting closer and closer.
‘Get in here.’ Maddie whispered. Billy’s face dropped.
‘Come on’ she pleaded. ‘We have no choice. He’ll find us’.
Maddie helped Billy in. Shuffling him over, she climbed in beside him. It was cramped and cold, but so close together they could warm each other.

The footsteps neared.

Looking around for something to cover them, Maddie noticed a plank above their heads. She pulled it deliberately but carefully, ensuring no noise could alert their whereabouts. The plank folded down over their heads and seemed to rest with a soft clunk. Relieved but exhausted, Maddie congratulated herself on her resourcefulness. He won’t find us this time, she smirked.

Maddie listened to the footsteps in the main church moving around more aggressively now. Every so often, she heard the sound of curtains being ruffled from their sleep and chairs being scrap ed across the stone floor. Muffled noises became incoherent blasts of expletives, rising to loud audible threats. Maddie wondered what mum would say if she could hear him now. In a church! Gran would raise her eyes to the heavens if she wasn’t already turning in her grave right now.

It felt an eternity before the tall door was finally opened. Maddie stiffened as she heard it creak, threatening to reveal their sanctuary. She held Billy tighter, for protection but also to keep him quiet. It was deathly silent and Billy had a habit of coughing or sneezing at just the wrong moment.

The footsteps patrolled the room with renewed vigour and Maddie could hear him talking to himself. He often did that. Maybe he missed mum. I do. Or maybe he really was mad. The kids at school seemed to think so. Maddie even felt sorry for him sometimes. How can anyone be liked if you are always that horrible to people. If I did those things, I would have no friends at all. Maybe he doesn’t and that’s why he talks to himself....A thud shattered her thoughts and she heard HIM yelp. Dragging his feet back down the room, she could hear him lifting stuff and pushing things aside with renewed aggravation.

‘When I get my hands on you two again, you’ll be more than sorry!....’

Oh, those words. How they had heard them so many times before. Billy whimpered. Maddie knew he was terrified. She on the other hand had learnt to ignore the threats. She used to tremble at the mere sound of them too. But she quickly learnt that there was no use worrying about what was about to happen because no amount of worrying or pleading would stop it. It was inevitable. And so, she held his hand even tighter and prayed he stayed silent and still. Maddie had spent her limited young life trying to protect Billy. She knew that one day she wouldn’t be there to do that. But for now, she was going to make damned sure she was.

A game of hide and seek, she had told Billy. That always cheered him up. But this time she thought, we won’t be found. She had planned their escape with precision. And soon they would be on the train to Kent, to see their other Grandma. She would protect them. They hadn’t seen her for years but that was HIS fault. Maddie had been saving her pocket money from Gramps for months. She knew HE had to go away for a few days yesterday and she couldn’t wait. She had secretly put a few choice items in a bag, discarding one thing for another as she considered their needs.
Sandwiches.
A flannel. Mum had taught them to be meticulously clean and she was not going to stop that now.
A small book of short stories. Mainly to amuse and comfort Billy as he could get very anxious at times. She needed him calm and collected today.

And finally, the tin. This carried the money. Unfortunately, Maddie hadn’t saved as much as she wanted and was cross with herself. Without money, they could go nowhere. Maddie had tossed and turned for days deciding how to get more. Each time she failed to come up with a solution and each time, she shuddered at the thought of remaining at home, with HIM. And so she made the dramatic decision to take from her father. It was the ultimate sin and she chastised herself at first for even thinking it. But as she mulled over the options, she concluded that it was the only option. If they had the money, then they would not need to be near HIM anymore. HE would pay for their escape. And that night, she had tiptoed past her father’s room, pausing to hear his rhythmic snoring, and downstairs with her heart in her mouth. She took 3 crisp notes from his pocket and returned upstairs, adding the final item to her rucksack, hidden deep at the back of her wardrobe. Of course, she had mentioned none of this to Billy as he would never have come along at all.

Maddie was suddenly aware of a deafening silence again. The wind had eased and the footsteps were gone. She listened intensely for a few moments, just to be sure. She hadn’t heard any doors close so she could not be certain he was gone. Maddie waited patiently, her body weary from all that running, still holding Billy’s hand tightly. She was proud of him. He had been impeccably quiet.

‘We win. We’ve done it!’ she whispered to her shivering brother cuddled up beside her. ‘I think he’s gone’.
‘Are you sure? What if he’s waiting for us outside?’

Maddie didn’t want to take any chances. They had got this far and she wasn’t going to fail now. They had too much to lose. HE would know the money was gone and she wasn’t prepared to face that as well. ‘Let's wait a while’.

Maddie rested her head and wriggled her legs, trying to shift the bag away a little for some room. The box was tight and although they nestled neatly into its length, the width was suffocating her a little. She reached up. The plank above their heads bore down like a heavy weight. It had been a good hiding place for sure. She had done well. Shuffling her body, she found a more comfortable position and eased Billy’s hand away. Wrapping her arms around herself, she settled down to wait. Billy’s breathing became heavy and he was falling asleep. She was comforted by this. They needed to rest. The walk to the station would take all their energy, but it would be worth it. She could see it now, her and Billy sitting on Grandmas huge sofa drinking iced tea and watching the wave’s crash against the stony beach. They had been there once with mum. She remembered mum trying to paddle into the water. It was so cold; she had shrieked and ran back to the harsh sharp comfort of the warmer stones. Herne was a lovely place. Quiet, unassuming, perfect for their new life. As she imagined the fun they would have with Grandma, her mind filled with warm images and her heart felt lighter. The weight of the last few weeks had played on her mind and finally she could feel it slipping away. Not long now, she thought....

Her dreams turned from Herne to her mum. She missed her so much. The last 3 years had been hell without her. HE had done that. Torn with grief and anger at their loss, he had taken it out on them. It wasn’t their fault. Maddie knew that. She tried to persuade Billy but he had become withdrawn and frightened of everything. Except when they were alone together. Maddie could always make him smile. Just as mum had done. She wasn’t sure mum would be proud of what they had done today, or for her stealing, but she was sure she would have understood. She had to....

In the distance, Maddie could hear music. At first she thought it was her dreams but suddenly it seemed louder, sharper. She felt hot and confused. She stretched her legs and pushed against the small bag at her feet, pressing against the edge. Wiggling her body she lay on her back and raised her arms above her head, her elbows hitting the plank. Aware of the confined dark space, she panicked but then remembered they had hidden in the box in the church. All part of the plan. They must have been asleep for hours. Maddie nudged Billy. He moaned and tried to roll over.
‘Another 5 minutes..'
‘Billy! Wake up! We need to get out of here. It’s time to go’.

Maddie coughed as the air seemed to feel thick like soup. They needed to get to the station. Her legs were cramped and her back ached. Pushing against the plank, her arms felt weak and wobbly. It wouldn’t budge. Keen to start the next part of their adventure, Maddie pushed harder. Nothing. There was little room to move but wedging her knees against her chest, she strained them upwards.
‘Billy. Help me. I can’t get the lid off!’
‘It's so warm. I feel sleepy. 5 more minutes...’
‘BILLY!!’
‘Where are we?’
‘The box, remember? We hid from HIM. Now he’s gone and we can go to Grandma’s.
The thought of Grandma’s delicious cakes roused Billy from his slumber. Coughing and choking, he felt around for the lid. He didn’t remember their hiding place being quite so small.
‘Push Billy Push’.
‘It's not moving! He must have trapped us. He knew where we were all along!’
‘No he didn’t. Don’t be stupid.’

Stuttering against the heavy air, Maddie concluded that this was not the case. HE was nasty but he wasn’t cruel. He would have got more satisfaction taking it out on us than locking us away. No. The lid was stuck, but not by HIM.

Maddie remained focused and continued to raise the lid. Shifting onto her knees, she used her back to lever the weight off them. Beside her, Billy was choking and starting to cry. He’s panicking, she thought. Not good. Reaching for the bag, her fingers teased the flap towards her. Ignoring the suffocating smoke, and its source, she fumbled around for the flannel. She shoved it into Billy’s hand and held it to his face.

In the darkness, she had missed and he winced as she smacked him full in the face. ‘Sorry, I thought you were further away’.
‘How can I be? It’s like a prison in here’ he cried. ‘I want to see Grandma’.
‘And we will, as soon as we get out of here.’

All of a sudden, the box jerked and they were being lowered down.
‘What’s going on?’ Billy screamed.
‘I don’t know’. Maddie was now spooked. She had not expected this and was frightened it was HIM outside taunting them. HE had found them. This thought petrified her and she screamed out loud. ‘I’m sorry. Please stop. I didn’t mean to run away. Or take the money. I’ll pay it all back’.
But there was no answer. Not from HIM anyway. Instead, Maddie heard a loud clatter of metal and then a soft rustling noise which seemed to completely surround them. The rustling got louder. And louder. And the heat. The heat was unbearable. The church organ was playing and they could hear the droning tones of voices singing. The box around them started crackling and wilting. The bubbling wood penetrated their skin. Billy screamed.

‘I’m burning!!’

And in that moment, Maddie knew.

They had played hide and seek, and finally escaped from HIM. But not to their Grandmas in Kent, with cakes and iced tea by the sea. They were being punished and sent straight to hell. They were being buried alive. Never to be seen again.

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