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Chapter 7

Author: Perfect Timing
Dad finished his account calmly, then followed the officers to where my body was.

My father, who was always composed and in control, seemed to come apart at that moment. His feet stopped at the doorway and wouldn't move. He had to take two deep breaths before he could make himself step forward.

And then, he finally saw me.

It had only been a day, and I was already a lifeless corpse. The surface of my body was badly charred across large sections, and parts of my hands and feet were missing ent
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  • The Final Hide-and-Seek   Chapter 9

    My mother wasn't always like this.In my memories, she was a warm, brilliant professor, every bit as impressive as my lawyer father. She used to read me history stories and teach me what it meant to grow up into a good person. Whenever Ellie and I got into arguments, she'd sit us down and set us straight without ever taking sides.But because of me, she became volatile, irrational, and even cruel, like right now.Without any warning, she lunged forward and grabbed the mouse from the officer's hand, then started cycling through the surveillance footage herself.When someone moved to stop her, the senior officer waved them off. So, everyone just stood there and watched as she clicked through date after date.The footage showed the same thing over and over. Mom was completely unhinged, and Dad was exhausted, trying to calm her down.And then there was me, in every frame, quietly appearing at Mom's side.I always showed up when her emotions weren't running as high. I'd wait until sh

  • The Final Hide-and-Seek   Chapter 8

    Mom and Dad were both held at the police station.If it hadn't been for Mom's hysterical outburst, Dad probably could have handled everything on his own. He was a brilliant lawyer, after all, with no shortage of lawyer friends. This was just an accident, and with the right words, it could have stayed that way.But the officers brought in a lot of people for questioning, including Mrs. Gallagher, the orphanage director, my teacher, and some of the neighbors."The parents were always telling him to go play hide-and-seek, and Landon would just climb right into the closet or the suitcase without a word. Then, they'd say not to bother with him, just let him stay hidden. The whole thing was odd.""But they really didn't pay much attention to the kid in general. They wouldn't even call him for meals.""That family didn't like their older boy. Anyone could see it.""His wife was always wandering around the neighborhood talking to herself. She seemed normal enough at first, said she only

  • The Final Hide-and-Seek   Chapter 7

    Dad finished his account calmly, then followed the officers to where my body was.My father, who was always composed and in control, seemed to come apart at that moment. His feet stopped at the doorway and wouldn't move. He had to take two deep breaths before he could make himself step forward.And then, he finally saw me.It had only been a day, and I was already a lifeless corpse. The surface of my body was badly charred across large sections, and parts of my hands and feet were missing entirely. But the worst of it was my curled-up torso and my twisted face, so warped that no expression could be made out anymore."This is Landon?" His voice came out rough, like he couldn't believe it was me.The officer didn't answer. Dad's gaze drifted to the corner, where the blackened remains of the suitcase sat, unmistakably the same one he'd carried out that morning.The room went dead silent. Then, a shrill, piercing voice cut through it."Where's Landon? Tell him to get out here! Is he

  • The Final Hide-and-Seek   Chapter 6

    A deathly silence spread through the car.The veins stood out on Dad's hands as he gripped the steering wheel. His gaze darted toward Mom, watching her reaction with painstaking care.A flicker of confusion crossed Mom's face, like she was still processing what she'd just heard. But the moment my name came up, her brain seemed to default to the same place it always did, the place where I was permanently tied to hatred. She frowned again, and that familiar fury settled back in."Landon? I almost forgot that little wretch existed! What kind of stunt is he pulling now? He can't stand that his sister's finally at peace, huh? He just has to make our lives miserable?"And now he's got the nerve to team up with someone and fake his own death? If he wanted to die so badly, he should've died years ago. The earthquake should've crushed him!"The curses came one after another, vicious and relentless.But I let out a long breath of relief. Thank God. Mom didn't realize I was actually dead.

  • The Final Hide-and-Seek   Chapter 5

    Dad collapsed to the floor and sat there, blank, for a full minute. There was a daze in his eyes I'd never seen before, something lost and unmoored. Then, he braced himself and got to his feet, swaying.As if nothing had happened, he gathered every one of Ellie's belongings from the suitcase, stuffed them into a garbage bag, and hid it away.He left the house and took Mom to the doctor first. Along the way, the "medium" sent her a message."I've divined that your daughter's spirit has let go of her attachments and moved on to her next life. Before she left, she asked me to pass along a message.""Really? What did Ellie say? She's going to be happy this time around, right?" Mom's eyes lit up instantly, and the tears spilled over."She said not to worry about her. She wants you to look toward the future."By the time Mom finished reading, tears were streaming down her face. But by the time they arrived at the therapist's office, she'd calmed down considerably.The doctor did a qui

  • The Final Hide-and-Seek   Chapter 4

    Dad froze. He hadn't processed what was happening yet.But I recognized one of the women, the one with glasses. She was the director of the orphanage I'd visited recently.At the time, she'd crouched down and asked me gently why I wanted to come to an orphanage. I'd stammered, eyes on the floor, fidgeting, "M-My mom and dad aren't happy when I'm around."She paused, startled, and tried to ask more about my home life, but I clamped my mouth shut and ran. I never expected her to actually track down where I lived.Another woman stepped forward and pulled an ID badge from her pocket. "Hello, I'm with child protective services. We'd like to ask you a few questions about your son, Landon Corwin.""What about Landon?"Mom heard my name and detonated. She glared at the visitors with venom and let out a mocking laugh. "Child services? Landon's really got some nerve, getting other people to fight his battles for him. What, did he go around telling people we abuse him?"The look on her

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