Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-4893169-20160228043611

“Fifty-two, fifty- three, fifty four, fifty-five…”

It was yet another housebound Humboldt County day with the rain drumming hard on the apartment roof, and gushing down the street in heavy, ankle-freezing torrents. It was on gray wet days, such as this one when there was nothing but reruns on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and all the board games and videos had already been played, hide-and-go-seek seemed like a worth-while idea.

“Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine…”

It was seven-year-old Olivia Satoui’s turn to be seeker, and she already had a good idea where her older sisters were. They were always hiding together and in the same spot. Being triplets, they seemed to like sticking together like glue.

“Sixty, sixty-one, sixty-two…”

Olivia got tired of counting and uncovered her eyes.

“Okay!” She hollered, getting up from the sofa. “Ready or not, here I come!”

Tiptoeing down the hall, she listened for the sound of stifled giggling and the rustling of clothes.

“Say, where’d you all go?” she said loudly. She peeked into their shared room scattered with toys and tween novels. “I will never find you and then I’ll be an only kid! Unless…!” she dropped to the floor and flipped back the covers of Kyoto’s bed.

“Oh, guess not…” she muttered upon seeing only monster movie magazines and horror and sci-fi paperbacks. “Well, how about…here!” she shouted, going to Izumi’s bed. Nothing was there but funky shoes, socks and a huge pile of trendy teenage magazines. A third inspection of Mizaki’s bed revealed only a neat stack of science books and magazines, and a box of Beanie Babies.

“Well, gee-whiz,” Olivia mumbled, brushing the dust from her denim overalls. “They must have gone somewhere else then…Unless.” Her eyes soon fixed on the closet door, and then walking stealthily over, she reached out to slowly turn the knob.

Then her smile faded as a warm breeze blew across the room. It brushed over her face and fluttered her short, bobbed hair. The smell of warm, green grass and moist earth filled the cramped space.

“What…?” Olivia’s eyes grew wide as the door swung slowly open.

She froze as she stared into the space beyond. Her brow wrinkled as she cocked her head, confused and bewildered.

There was no trace of clothes, shoes or sports gear. There was no trace of anything resembling the interior of a closet. It was now a hollow opening facing a lawn surrounded by dry fields and woods.

Olivia scrunched her nose and frowned. “Is this like Narnia?”

She blinked a few times and then pinched herself hard on the arm to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. It hurt and the summer landscape was still there so she knew she wasn’t dreaming. 