Madeleine Grows a Pair

18 - Parallels

"We should play hide 'n seek!" squeaked out the childish voice of young Madeleine. He had a hiding spot buzzing in his head since he'd last explored his home. Now that his friends were over, he could use it and win. They would give up long before they found him, for sure.

He bounced up and down on his heels excitedly, waiting for an answer.

One of the other children hesitated, "I don't feel like-"

"Please!" Madeleine interrupted, "I have a good spot! It'll be fun!"

After a bit of reluctant agreement, mostly from Madeleine repeatedly insisting on playing the game, the group picked a seeker and the others went to hide. Seconds started to be counted down loudly starting from 30.

While the numbers echoed in the air, Madeleine raced to his spot: a small gap between a kitchen counter and the wall. It was a place where brooms and other cleaning tools were stored, but there weren't any rules stating that he couldn't move them.

25. 24. 23.

Madeleine grabbed a heap of cleaning tools and moved them aside, wedging himself inside the gap. He giggled to himself all the while, feeling his breathing get louder in the enclosed space.

19. 18. 17.

With the time to spare, he scooted back further, reaching out his short arms to grab at some of the tools he moved aside. It was part of his game-winning plan. He pulled the various brooms and brushes in again, hiding himself behind them. It took him quite a while to settle back down.

5. 4. 3.

In the last few seconds he had left, Madeleine tried to still his breathing and looked down. His legs were drawn up and his hands rested on them. The gentle pressure of the walls squeezed his shoulders.

When the timer ticked zero, he joined his hands together, letting a wide grin settle on his face.

There was a soft rumble as the seeker raced across the ground and checked the cupboards– which were all full of pots, pans, measuring cups, and the like– then ran past Madeleine's hiding place.

His face creased as he stifled another giggle. There's no way anyone would find his hiding spot.

And so he waited with soft excited breaths that only he could hear. He waited as footsteps passed by, growing in number every time someone else was found. He sat patiently until his body felt sore from the pressure between the walls, and then he stayed still for minutes beyond that.

The rapid stampede of paces slowed down, and Madeleine took a daring peak outwards to see if he finally got caught. His friends were huddled in a small group facing away from him. From what he could see, everyone was there except for him. That meant he won.

With an excited grin he started to stand up, ready to announce himself and his cool hiding spot. He opened his mouth, and-

"I'm bored. Let's go outside!" spoke out a voice.

Madeleine stopped in his tracks. Outside? Yeah, he could do that.

"Okay!" someone else loudly exclaimed.

Madeleine shuffled in his spot, trying to get out. He managed to get his head out of the crevice, knocking a broom to the floor in the process. It fell with a loud clap.

He found himself at the center of attention. All eyes were on him.

"Hello!" he chirped with a smile, "Do you like my hiding spot?"