That’s not how hide and seek worked.
“Where do you think she went?” one man asked.
Hmm. That sounded like Jared.
She liked Jared. He wasn’t horrible like the monster. Maybe she should tell him where she was. He didn’t seem to be very good at hide and seek.
Although there had been a few times where he’d been a bit mean.
So maybe not.
“I think she’s close.” That was North.
Hmm. He’d been kind of mean too. After all, he’d kidnapped her. And then he’d locked her up in a windowless room.
Like the one you’re in now.
Yeah, but this wasn’t scary. It was cozy. And she had Wally and Lina.
Obviously, they would take care of her.
“Baby, why are you hiding under that blanket?” Jared asked.
“Maybe she’s playing a game,” North suggested.
Oh monkey-bum-faces. That’s why she was hiding. This wasn’t a game. They didn’t want her anymore.
And they’d come to find her so they could reject her.
That just sucked. Well, she wasn’t going to tell them where she was.
Then the blanket was ripped off her face and she let out a shocked cry. Jared stared at North and shook his head.
“I was trying to get her to come out on her own.”
“I know,” North said as he put the blanket down. “But I didn’t see the point when this would get things moving quicker.”
“Sometimes quicker isn’t always better.”
“Yes, I know,” North replied.
What were they talking about? Actually, it didn’t matter. She was activating her invisibility.
“Invisibility go!” she said quietly.
“Are you pretending you’re invisible?” North asked. “Why?”
That was kind of a dumb question. Wasn’t it obvious why she’d activated her invisibility shield?
“Can you see me?” she asked suspiciously.
“Of course we can see you,” North replied as Jared grabbed his arm, shaking his head.
Then Jared crouched and looked around the wardrobe. “I can’t see you. That’s a good invisibility shield.”
She knew that he was humoring her. She wasn’t stupid. And she hadn’t fully regressed to the point that she lost her adult side.
It was just easier to pretend sometimes.
