Hide-And-Seek

YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

Spooked from his hiding spot behind a particularly large bush, Todd found himself face-to-face with the phantom he had been tracking around town for the last few days. The phantom towered over him, and he noticed that their unblinking, metallic-gold eyes had no pupils. As formidable as their black-shroud figure was, Todd did not feel that the phantom was angry. They seemed curious about his presence, although still somewhat annoyed with it too.

Slowly, Todd backed up, forcing an uneasy smile. “Ah, you’re right...” he laughed nervously. “Need to get back to the newspaper office...”

The phantom cocked its head and frowned.

YOU MISUNDERSTAND. YOU ARE NOT IN MY DREAM. YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE.

As the phantom’s pale hand reached toward him, Todd recalled that morning how the convenience store clerk had vanished into thin air at the phantom’s touch. He quickly twisted out of reach and dashed away as fast as his middle-aged legs could take him.

In his mad dash towards safety, he did not see amusement spark in Trouble’s eye. He did not know that they now looked forward to their first game of hide-and-seek in millenia.