“... twenny eigh’, twenny nye’, turtie! Ready or na’, here I come!” 3-year-old Sammy calls to his hidden sister Summer as he whirls around, pondering possible places she could be hiding. He slowly spins in place, creating a mental panorama. Everything is still. Time is frozen. Nothing can be heard, besides the occasional clickity-clack of their mother furiously typing away on her laptop, behind the closed door that leads to the master bedroom. Being the boisterous toddler he is, Sammy decides to stomp from room to room. He stomps into the family room, his footsteps echoing throughout the house, giving Summer an idea of where her brother is.
     Sammy checks under  the tables and behind the doors. Nothing. Sammy sees a body-shaped lump on a bed, underneath some blankets. Proud, Sammy strides over, confident Summer is hiding there. Once he pulls back the covers, revealing pillows, he pouts, and sulks away.
     Summer silently watches him as he walks right past her, and as his face lights up when he sees socks in the gap between the door and the floor. She chuckles, knowing that the small traps she placed all around the house were working. Being in the tight, dark space that she’s in, her legs begin to cramp. In her secret hiding spot, Summer listens as she hears the soft pitter-patter of her brother’s little feet become softer, and eventually fade away. Everything is still. Then, the footsteps become louder, and louder, until finally, the small hole that gives her light is covered. Summer sees her little brother, standing right in front of her, about to find her. She doesn’t dare breathe. But, he walks away. She quietly sighs with relief.
      Sammy checks all the rooms, then thinks about where she could be, and checks there. After becoming disappointed because he still didn’t find her, he shouts, “Okay, you come out now! I give up!” in his babyish voice. Everything is quiet.
     “Where are you?”
      He runs into the next room, leaving Summer amused in her clever hiding spot.
      “Summer! Where are you? Mommy said we have to go somewhere now,” he lies. He runs into the bedroom his parents are in.
      “Mommy? Do we have to go somewhere?”
      “No honey, why?”
       Summer panics when she hears this, and thinks, I hope she keeps her promise of not revealing where I am! Then she hears a very fake “I don’t know where she is” come from the next room. Sammy stomps out, then calls to his sister, “Summer? I scared. Peas come out!” Aww sweetie, Summer thinks, Should I come out? He sounds genuinely scared. But he may be just trying to trick me into coming out. I’ll just let him find me.
     What if I never see her again? What if my sister stays hidden forever! Oh no! I won’t have a sister! I won’t have anyone to play with! What if she really is lost? I need to find her! But what if I can’t! I love my sister! Sammy worries. He starts running. “Summer! SUMMER!! Come out! I miss you! Peas come out!” His voice breaks. “I don’t want to be alone! I love you! COME OUT!! Summer!!” He stands still. Then walks over to the couch and sits down.
     He sits down on the couch where Summer is hiding. The cushions can lift up, allowing one small, skinny person, like Summer, to fit there. Aww!! I can’t stand to see him like this! He’s so sad! She hears a few tears hit the couch. He starts crying. I need to be there for him! He probably thinks that I’ll be lost forever! I have to show him I’m there, thinks Summer. She slides a hand out and taps his shaking back.
   Tears hit the couch like raindrops to the ground. Horrifying thoughts fill Sammy’s head. I never gonna see my big sister anymore! Tears pour out of his eyes. She’s gone forever! He gasped. Wait - He lifts his head. What was that on my back? Could it be “SUMMER?!” Sammy spins around. As he looks down, he sees an arm coming out from inside the couch. The couch cushion rose, almost magically, and Sammy sees a head poke out. His sister’s head. Then out came the neck, the other arm, and the body. The frown on Sammy’s face is replaced by a rapidly growing smile. “SUMMER!!” He hugs her so tight that Summer thinks that he might squeeze her to death. She kneels down and squeezes him back.