While the others checked the closet I went out into the hall, found
that the door was open, and walked outside.
They weren't far behind me, but there was a moment at least when I was
out there alone, breathing the tangy sea air, which was so good after
the closed-up, musty smell of the place. The view was really fine.
Only a couple of yards from where I stood the property ended in a
spectacular drop to the sea. Between the drop and the elevation of the
house, you got the feeling of immense height. Far below was the
moonlit sea, ashifting mask of darks and lights. There was no wind,
but there was still the impression of movement underfoot- the sea. You
felt as though you were standing aboard a huge tall raft, just drifting
there, alone.
'Pretty good.'
Steven moved through the door behind me. Kim and Casey were behind
him. There was something about it that made you want to whisper.
'Gee,' said Kim. 'I can see why they'd fight for the place.'
I shook my head. 'It wasn't this. It was the house, the land. Their
home. And they didn't fight, did they? They just resisted thinking
about it, probably, until they couldn't manage that anymore. Then they
left.
'I don't know. Can an idiot enjoy something like this? I'm not sure
they can.'
'Ask Casey,' said Steven. She ignored him. We stood silently for a
while, and the raft feeling continued for me. Stars and sea and drift.
I began to feel a little dizzy.
We walked back through the hall and she led the way downstairs. At the
foot of the stairs she stopped and turned and told us to have a seat.
Steve and Kim sat on the third step together with me perched two steps
above them. Casey turned off her flashlight and Steve and Kim followed
her lead. We sat in the dark.
For the first time the heavy silence of the house settled around us. In
the darkness you tended to forget how ordinary it was inside and how
empty. The dark had its own fullness. You started remembering all the
dumb stories again and seeing the place as you had coming through the
forest- not a very normal little house at all, but something grimmer,
fatal, with its cruel history.
'In my bag,' said Casey. '/ have lengths of nylon rope.'
We waited for her to continue. Her voice had a somber edge to it,
commanding and disquieting. I looked for Steve and Kim just two steps
away from me and couldn't make them out.
I sighed. The Spock show had begun.
'Hide and seek, that's the game. I've thought up some rules. See if
you agree.
'I've got four lengths of rope. One of them is short. We'lldraw, and
whoever gets the short one will be it.'
It. I've rarely heard a word sound so silly. Even Casey had to
'That's right, laugh. In this house that might not be as foolish as it
sounds. Am I right?'
We stopped laughing. One for Casey.
'Okay, then. Whoever's it will count to one hundred, then come after
us. The starting point might just as well be here. The idea is to
find us in the dark. No flashlights to be used at any time. All right
so far?
'Now. When we used to play this as kids, the first one to be found was
it again, and the whole thing started over. But that way it could go
on forever. I'm assuming we don't want to bother with that. Nobody
intends to spend the whole night here, right? On the other hand, with
a little good luck, one of us could get found in two minutes, which
doesn't make for much of a game. So I thought of a compromise.
'Whoever's it will take the ropes along. As soon as he or she finds
someone, he'll tie that person up as securely as possible and then come
looking for the others. When he or she finds the second person, same
thing. Bind 'em and then go looking for the third.
'So that the game only ends when everybody's found. That way there's
only one round. And two people have the good or bad luck depending on
your point of view- to be tied up hand and foot in an old dark house,
waiting for the game to end.
'How does that sound?'
Nobody responded for a minute or two. We just looked at her.
Steven looked astonished.
'Ropes? Why not chains, handcuffs? What is this, The Story of 0? Till
Eulenspiegel? I didn't know you were into kinky shit, Case. I thought
you were just nuts.'
'Can you think of a better way to make somebody stay put?'
'I can think of a better way to spend a Saturday night, if you really
want to know the truth.'
'The car's waiting.'
'Aw, Jesus, Case. Come on.'
Personally I had to give it to her. You know the saying about
somebody's walking over my grave? Well, I had whole troops marching
over mine, making the hackles rise. You could imagine it so easily,
that sense of helplessness in the dark. Waiting, while the old house
creaked and trembled. Still kids' stuff but with an added fillip of
tension. That extra risk she'd promised us.
'I like it,' said Kim.
'I think you're both very sick,' said Steve.
'You playing or aren't you?'
'Listen to yourself, Case! 'You playing or aren't you?' What are we,
twelve?'
'What's bothering you, Steven? Kink or dignity. Or maybe you're just
sea red.'
'Shit.' He thought about it, though. In a minute he started to smile.
