Where Are You?

“Ready, set, hide!” Maya giggled as the sun warmed the swings at Maple Park. The playground smelled like fresh grass and a little like popsicles. You could hear birds singing, and you could hear leaves whisper when the breeze passed. Maya held her hands over her eyes like a drumbeat, then let them peek out. Her friends were already racing to find places.

“Count to ten!” called one of Maya’s friends, and then their voice bounced away like a ball. One… two… three… Maya’s heart felt bouncy, and her shoes made soft taps on the path. The slide was cool and shiny, the sandbox was full of sand that looked like brown sugar, and the big tree near the fence had a thick, twisty trunk.

Maya thought, I can hide behind the slide - quick and easy. But when the counting reached six, she heard something else too. Footsteps. Not running, just steady steps, coming closer to the slide. The sound was right near her hiding idea, like the seeker was walking a straight line to her spot. Maya swallowed a little, her cheeks getting warm, and whispered, “Oops. Too easy to spot.”

“Seven!” the counting voice said. Maya leaned forward and looked around. The playground was busy, but there were still small places to tuck into. She could see the path, and she could see the open space. Then she noticed a low bench by the fence with a fluffy blanket folded on top. Under the bench, near the side, was a gap where fallen leaves gathered like little hiding pancakes.

“Eight!” Maya touched a leaf with one finger. It felt dry and papery. The gap smelled like earth and warm wood. It wasn’t scary. It was just… snug and quiet. Maya squeezed her knees in and slid her body sideways until her backpack bumped the bench leg with a tiny thump.

“Nine!” the seeker got closer. Maya pressed her hands to her ears for one second and then let the sounds come in. She heard the seeker’s shoes stop. A pause. Then a light “Hmm.”

Maya didn’t move. She listened hard, the way you listen for a whisper when you’re trying to hear a secret. The seeker’s voice sounded near the slide again, then drifted toward the fence. Maya’s eyes widened, and she breathed out slowly.

“Ten!” the seeker called. Then came soft rustling, like paper moving in a gentle pile. The seeker’s footsteps tapped once by the bench.

“Where are you?” the seeker asked, right close.

Maya used the quiet spot and stayed still. The next rustle was closer - so close she could feel cool air from under the bench. Maya looked for something helpful, not with her feet, but with her ears. She heard a little clink - like a tiny metal sound - coming from the fence side.

The sound made her think of the blanket folded on top. Maybe it had slipped a bit. Maya shifted her head just a tiny bit and spotted a corner of the blanket hanging lower than before. She remembered how it had been folded earlier, neat and square.

Her face warmed with a brave idea. She scooted the leaf pile a little with her fingertips, just enough to nudge the blanket corner so it fluttered softly. Not loud. Just a small little movement.

The seeker gasped, “Oh! I see something!”

Maya was found - almost right away - but the seeker had to look under the bench to finish the job. When the seeker leaned in, Maya popped up with a giggle, and the blanket corner fluttered like a flag.

“Good hiding!” the seeker said, smiling. Maya’s friends clapped, and the park sounds came back louder - birds, giggles, and the squeak of the slide chain.

You can feel brave in hide-and-seek when you choose a hiding place that fits the sounds around you. What kind of hiding spot would you pick at Maple Park - a slide, a tree, or a bench like Maya’s?