Hide and Seek.

"They don't believe me," Tia spoke softly, barely above a whisper, as she huddled in the dark corner of her room. Her short hair covered her face, making it hard for the boy at the door to read her expression.

"No matter what I say," she continued, her voice tinged with frustration and despair, "no one listens. They think I'm crazy. Why? Why is this happening to me?"

The room was silent, and Tia let out a sigh before turning to her brother Lyle, his sharp hair standing out in the dim light.

"But you believe me, don't you?" she asked. With her pale face, she stared hopefully at her brother.

Lyle stood there, motionless, his gaze fixed on the wall covered in thirteen ominous, red numbers.

***

A few years ago, a group of three elementary school kids were playing around at the city park - two boys and one girl.

"Playing hide and seek?" scoffed Victor, a boy wearing glasses with a sharp nose. "That's a kid's game."

"We are kids, Vic," replied Kara with a wide grin as she ran, her long skirt fluttering in the wind. "Don't tell me you're saying that because you're losing? Come on, Lyle, or you'll get caught."

Kara and Lyle ran side by side, with Victor trailing behind them, looking unenthusiastic about the game.

They continued running down the dirt path until they reached a fork in the road, and Victor couldn't see them anymore. They slowed down and started walking. Kara smiled to herself, taking in her surroundings.

"Hey, hey, Lyle," Kara said, tugging on Lyle's shirt. "Look."

The little girl pointed to a tall bush not far ahead of them.

"Hiding there isn't a good idea," Lyle said.

"Don't be silly," replied Kara. "Vic won't know."

Although skeptical, Lyle didn't want to argue with Kara, so he went along with her plan, and they hid behind the bush. Victor passed by them, and Kara held her breath until his calm figure disappeared from sight. They remained silent for a few minutes, but there was no sign of Victor coming back.

"See?" said Kara with a hint of pride. "He didn't show up, right?"

Just as she said that, someone was watching them from behind.

"Found you," said Victor, emerging from behind the bushes.

"Ahh," Kara looked at her friend with disappointment.

"I told you so," Lyle said flatly.

Victor smiled. "Who should I catch first? Kara or Lyle?"

***

Two silhouettes moved quickly, following each other through the dark forest. Their figures flickered in and out of view as they ran along the muddy path, the crisp night air biting at their skin.

Kara, a long-haired brunette, was one of the silhouettes. As she ran, she glanced over her shoulder. Her big eyes scanned the dark path behind them, relieved not to see anything chasing them. Because of this, her steps slowing down.

"Keep running," urged Lyle, a sharp-haired boy.

Kara met Lyle's gaze briefly before nodding and pushing herself to run faster. She definitely could run despite the difficulties posed by her long school uniform skirt.

Now it was Lyle's turn to look back. Squinting his eyes, he searched the darkness, hoping not to see the figure who had hurt Kara's hand.

Lyle was surprised when the girl beside him stumbled and fell. She had tripped over a tree root. With his heart beating fast, Lyle stopped and immediately walked toward her.

"Are you okay?" Lyle asked, anxiously looking around. The place was dark, and they could be attacked from anywhere.

Kara bit her lip. "It hurts..."

Despite how dark this place was, Lyle could still see a wet liquid flowing from her leg - blood. The girl's leg was injured.

Lyle helped her stand up. "Hang in there," Lyle said. "You have been hurt worse than this before and still managed to smile."

"I know," Kara said. The girl bit her lip and forced her feet to stand. The pain flowed from her wound.

It was true that Kara had been hurt worse before and managed to smile, but the situation was different now. It wasn't just about the pain; they were being chased, and her carelessness might cost them their lives. These negative thoughts made it difficult for her to stand, and the pain in her leg felt more real.

"Kara," Lyle said as he still held onto her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kara said as she pulled herself out of Lyle's grip. "Come on!"

They both began running again, their pace slower than before. Kara limped slightly as she ran, but she tried her best to keep up with Lyle's pace.

"Don't force yourself," Lyle said, noticing the cold sweat on the girl's face.

Kara didn't listen. Instead, the girl quickened her pace. Lyle couldn't stop her when he saw the look of dissatisfaction on her face. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.

No doubt, the girl was angry. Very angry. she immediately thinking about her friend Gloria, who she had been friends with for three years in junior high school. Their friendship was supposed to be as solid as rock, but then she betrayed her. Yes, all because of her! All of this mess was because of...

Kara bit her lip. No, Kara know that this was her fault. All of this was her fault. It was only her. She was the one who decided not to listen to Lyle and continue going to raspbury high school. Gloria was just an excuse, the real decision was still made by her.

It's always like this, the girl thought as she bit her lip harder. Everything she did always ended up causing trouble. What's wrong with her? Why is she always like this?

Lyle looked back. He wasn't too sure, but he just felt like he saw a silhouette of someone flicker not far behind him. Just a moment, moving behind the trees.

Lyle wants to speed up his pace and get out of there as quickly as possible, but with Kara in her current condition, he knows it's not possible. Carrying her won't help either. His stamina is poor and it would just slow them down even more.

"Lyle," the girl whispers, catching Lyle's attention.

He looks ahead and sees an old, abandoned building standing there. Lyle nods, there is no other choice. Kara won't be able to run any longer with her injured leg. They head towards the almost crumbling building and take shelter inside.

Lyle watches outside, peeking through the cracks in the walls of the old building. They are still not safe. They are still far from it. He can still appear anytime.

Suddenly, Lyle winces in pain. He realizes that the cut wound on his hand is starting to hurt again.

"I'm sorry," the girl said softly, her voice breaking as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Again, I'm causing trouble. If only I had listened to you and stayed at your house..."

"Ssh, let's not worry about what has happened. The most important thing now is that we have to survive," Lyle tries to reassure her.

"But how...?" her tears keep falling. "Even if they all die, only one person can survive."

"It's okay. Don't think about it," Lyle said trying to calm her down.

"But..." the girl still worried and uncertain.

Lyle ignores her and pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. On the paper is written the number twelve in red blood. But now it is smudged and stained with his own blood and the number is blurred.

"Found you."

Like being struck by lightning, Lyle and Kara immediately looked back. A young man with oval glasses and a sharp nose was standing there.

He smiled sinisterly. His teeth seemed to shine in the darkness, but that's not what made them wary. His right hand--both Kara and Lyle looked at it without blinking, held a bloodstained knife.

"Who shall I kill first?" says Victor. "Number twelve or number thirteen?"

***