by Daka Hermon
“I think we found the evidence we need.” I slowly spin around.
Another wall is a creepy art gallery of drawings, with squiggly lines and large splats of paint. It reminds me of the artwork in Zee’s room—only bigger, messier, and scarier. There are images of hands clawing at headstones, a twisted tree with faces carved in the bark, a skeletal figure crouched down ready to pounce, and a dragon-like creature hovering in the air.
“Hey, does this mean Hyde’s the kidnapper and monster? ’Cause I’m totally thinking this means he’s our kidnapper and monster,” Lyric says. “And we’re in his house!”
It doesn’t make sense. Was Zee warning us about Hyde? Why would he go after Carla and Shae? Why is he marking kids? How is he marking us?
Nia holds up several sheets of paper. Hyde has printed old missing-person articles. “There are pictures of other missing kids,” Nia says. “Check out the dates. They disappeared over twenty years ago. Some have been gone even longer.”
Lyric shoves his hands through his hair. “Do you think he’s been kidnapping kids all that time? Wait, he couldn’t have. They went missing before he was even born.”
Quincy mutters to himself, rubbing his hands down his arms like he’s cold. “This is a bad place. We shouldn’t be here.”
“What the—” Lyric holds up a yellow-stained sheet of paper.
“What is it?” Nia asks. We peer over his shoulder.
The ink is smudged, but I can still make out the headline on the article.
“Hyde Miller, age ten, disappears without a trace,” reads Lyric.
“Like Shae and Carla,” I say, my voice hushed.
“What else?” Nia asks.
Lyric scans the page. “He was found seven years later wandering near a lake. He was badly scarred and had amnesia. He couldn’t tell anyone what happened.”
My heart kicks my chest. This sounds eerily like what happened to Zee.
“Hyde disappeared and now he keeps track of missing kids,” I say shakily. “Zee went missing. Shae is gone. Carla, too. Now Quincy is marked.”
Nia grabs my arm. “What does this mean?”
“That you’re all next,” a raspy voice says.
Lyric jerks, sending the paper flying up in the air.
I whip around so fast my spine cracks. “Who said that?”
The image on the wall shifts, paint swirling and melting down the wall. Red eyes appear and glow.
“I’ll see you all. Soon,” the voice says.
Nia screams. Or maybe that was me. We scramble over each other and race toward the door.
“Go, go, go!” I say. We spill into the living room.
Lyric shoves the door closed and backs away. “What was that?!”
“Was that Hyde? Where is he?” cries Quincy.
“Can’t breathe.” I lean forward, resting my hands on my knees. My heart is racing.
Nia tugs at my arm. “Justin. Was that the monster? It said it would see us soon.”
My heart is pounding. I’m cold and hot and the combination makes me nauseous.
Lyric runs toward the front door and skids to a stop. He peeks out the window. “He’s coming! Hyde’s coming!”
“Oomph!” Lyric scurries back and slams into Nia.
Hyde is walking toward the house with the dog running by his legs. As Hyde grows closer, I hear his off-key whistling.
This is bad. Very, very bad.
He suddenly jerks to a stop and glances around. He’s talking, but I’m not sure what he’s saying. He looks annoyed.
“We have to go! Now!” Lyric says.
“Something’s happening,” cries Quincy, clutching his head. “I don’t feel good.”
We need another way out. I spin around, searching for a way to escape. I race into the adjacent kitchen, past a small dining area and into the laundry room. Over the washing machine there’s a window facing the backyard. I unlock it and tug it open. “Hey, this way!”
The others hurry into the room as I peek outside and look around. Coast is clear.
“Nia.” I help her climb out the window. She lands safely on the back porch. Quincy is next. Then Lyric.
The loud creak of the front door opening chills my blood. The dog barks and I hear its paws pounding in my direction.
“What is it, Butch?” Hyde asks.
I dive out the window, hit the porch with a thud.
The air crackles around me and my skin tingles. We leap off the steps and zip across the backyard. If we can make it to the street without being seen, we should be safe.
Our feet kick up dirt as we sprint around an obstacle course of rusty appliances.
“Quincy, hurry,” Nia cries.
I spin around. Quincy struggles to keep up. With bulging eyes, he pumps his arms faster, but doesn’t seem to pick up any speed. In fact, it looks like he’s slowing down. He stumbles forward, falling to his knees. “Don’t leave me!”
I start back toward him, but skid to a halt. “What—?”
An ink stain of darkness spreads across the sky. The turbulent breeze whips my clothes against my body.
A funnel cloud of dust spirals up out of the ground and attacks Quincy. “Ahhhhhh,” he cries, caged within a dirt tornado.
I shield my face as swirling dirt stings my eyes.
Lyric staggers back from the force of the wind. “What’s happening?”
A thunderous boom rips through the air. Lightning zigzags down from the sky, striking a pile of wood near Hyde’s house. Flames shoot up into the sky. Another bolt hits an overturned refrigerator. It explodes. Sparks fly.
The hair on my arms stands up and my body buzzes with energy.
“Stay away from all the metal!” Nia says. “It can act as a conductor.”
“We’re in a junkyard. There’s metal everywhere,” Lyric cries over the roaring wind.
“Justin!” The ground splits and a gaping hole forms around Quincy. He sinks, his legs disappearing into the earth. “Help!”
I dive for him and grab his wrists. He’s waist-deep now and stares at me with wide, terrified eyes. “Hold on.” He slides lower, pulling me forward on my stomach. The mark swirls and glows on his arm.
Suddenly, I’m jerked back. I look over my shoulder to see Nia holding my legs. Lyric clutches her ankles. We’re a human chain.
Quincy’s short nails claw down my arms until damp palms clamp my wrists. My limbs feel as if they’re being torn out of their sockets. “Quincy, don’t let go!”
Tears streak down his dirty face. “Justin.” His clammy fingers slip through mine.
“No!” I scream, lunging for him. My fingers grab the fabric of his backpack. I rip off a pocket. He disappears, swallowed up as the ground closes over his head.
With a loud snap, the darkness recedes, creeping back until the sky is cloudless blue again. No more thunder and lightning. The brutal wind settles, replaced by a teasing, soft breeze.
I scramble back, slamming into Nia and Lyric. “What just happened? What just happened?”
Nia’s arms wrap around me so tight it hurts. “It took him! Quincy is gone!”
Lyric jumps to his feet and clutches his head. “How is this possible? What are we gonna do?”
I push Nia’s arms away and struggle to my feet. My legs give out and I fall to my knees doubled over. Need air. Sweat pours down my face, blinding me. My eyes sting as I shove my hand in my pocket and clutch the puzzle piece. I squeeze it until it folds. Breathe. Breathe. Sharp, hot pains shoot through my chest.
Nia lets out a painful cry. I turn to her as she extends her dirty arm. The swirl pattern appears on her wrist. Her skin blisters, forming the raised mark. I crawl closer. Lyric drops to his knees beside us.
“No,” I whisper. My hand shakes as I reach for her. “No.”
“One by one you’ll disappear,” Lyric whispers. Wide-eyed, he looks from me to Nia.
“It steals your soul,” a deep voice says.
Ice forms in my veins. Booted feet step into my line of
sight. My gaze travels up, past worn jeans and a black turtleneck. Hyde’s scar ripples across his check.
“And eats your fear,” he says with a wicked smile.
I scramble to my feet and jump in front of Lyric and Nia. “Stay away from us!”
The pit bull growls and crouches down as if it’s ready to attack.
“Easy, Butch.” Hyde tugs on its leash. “They’ve had a scare. They’re emotional.”
Lyric springs up, hands curled into fists at his sides. “Emotional! Emotional! Our friend just got swallowed up in the ground and you’re … you’re …”
Hyde crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side. “I’m what?”
Lyric falls silent and looks desperately at me. I reach behind me and help Nia to her feet. “We’re leaving. Don’t try to stop us.”
“You’re on private property. I can do whatever I want.” Hyde scratches the side of his head as if he’s thinking. “Like make you disappear, but I’ll leave that to the Seeker. It has dibs.” Hyde walks toward his house with a bounce in his step. Butch trots along beside him.
Seeker?
“What’s he doing?” Nia asks. “He’s just gonna let us leave?”
“Zee mentioned a Seeker,” I say faintly. “In one of his creepy rhymes.”
I stare into Nia’s dazed eyes, then glance at her wrist. She’s tagged now. I can’t let her get taken. I have to save her.
“Wait!” I yell to Hyde.
He stops and peeks over his shoulder.
“Wh-what’s a Seeker? Is that the monster?” I ask.
“Are you the monster?” Lyric asks, his jaw clenched tight. “Did you take our friends?”
I take a tentative step toward Hyde. “We came here for answers.” My voice cracks. I tighten my grip on Nia’s hand.
Hyde turns around and walks way. “Go away. Stop haunting me.”
Confused, I glance at Lyric. He shrugs.
I trail Hyde across the backyard, ignoring the warning growls from Butch. Lyric and Nia are with me every step of the way. I need them close.
Hyde shakes his head and turns toward us. “You’re wasting your time. I can’t help you.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Nia asks.
Hyde shrugs. “Both.”
The glee in his voice makes me grind my teeth. Hyde climbs up his front porch steps.
Lyric shoves past me. “Hey! You think this is funny?! What’s wrong with you?”
I try to hold him back. “Lyric …” He’s shaking with rage. He jerks away from me.
Hyde spins on his heels to look down at us. “What’s wrong with me?” He points to the scar on his face, then yanks off his leather glove.
Nia gasps and covers her mouth.
The skin on Hyde’s hand is burned and mangled, with deep crisscross scars up to his arm. On his wrist, there’s a swirl mark. I gasp. He’s tagged, too.
“Do I care what’s happening to you? No, because it won’t fix this. Or make her go away,” Hyde says.
Her? Who, Nia? It’s like he’s talking about someone not even here.
His wild, cold eyes scan our faces. This is what someone without a soul looks like.
“You can leave now. And don’t come back.” He shoves his glove back on.
No way! I run up the stairs, dodging the pit bull, and plant myself in front of the door.
“We’re not going anywhere. Not until we get answers.”
Hyde takes a threatening step toward me. The pit bull lunges. I sidestep it and narrowly avoid getting bit. Hyde tugs on the leash to hold it back.
“Hey!” Nia pulls out her phone. “Smile.” She clicks a picture and types something quickly. “I’m recording. Make another move and I’m gonna put you on blast all over the internet. This will be viral in seconds.” Her hand shakes. “This is Hyde Miller, y’all. If anything happens to us, he lives at—”
“Put that away!” Hyde yells and steps toward her.
Lyric slides in front of Nia with his fists raised. “Back up and call off your demon dog.”
Hyde’s jaw clenches. “Butch, sit.”
With a growly whimper, the pit bull plops down, resting its large head on his paws.
Now what? It’s a stare off. I have so many questions, I don’t even know where to begin, so I spew everything in my head. “What’s the Seeker? Is it a monster? What just happened to Quincy? Where is he? And Carla and Shae? Why do you have a mark? Why did our friends get marked? What does this have to do with Zee? How are you involved? Why do you have that missing wall? Why were you missing for seven years? How do we save Nia? Are we all going to disappear? How will the monster take us?”
Panting, I fall silent. We can start with those, but I have a ton more.
“Dude, you said all that without breathing,” Lyric mutters. “That was cool, teach me later.”
Hyde moves so quickly, I stumble back. Lyric catches me before I fall off the steps and hit the ground. With a smirk, Hyde sits on a porch chair.
“If you don’t start talking right now …” Lyric nods at Nia. She holds the phone higher.
“You’re being hunted,” he says.
I gulp. Yeah, we kinda figured that, but to have it confirmed out loud is way different.
“By who?” My voice shakes.
“You?” Nia asks Hyde as she lowers her phone. On the screen I can see that she’s still recording. Good.
Hyde hesitates, then says, “The Seeker. It’s part of every game of Hide and Seek. If you disrespect its game in any way, it comes for you,” Hyde says. “It owns you.”
We gawk at him. Say what, now?
“Wait, wait, wait.” Lyric holds up his hands. “You lost me at the Seeker. What or who is that?”
“It’s …” Hyde runs a hand over his face. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Dude, figure it out,” says Lyric. “What you’re saying sounds not real, not possible. And if you’re foolin’ with us …” He gestures toward Nia’s phone again.
Hyde’s jaw clenches. The scar ripples down his cheek. “Look, I don’t know exactly where it came from or how long it’s been around, but it’s really, really old. And it’s connected to Hide and Seek.” Hyde presses the heel of his palm against his forehead. “The game and the Seeker are one.”
With a frustrated groan, I walk away a short distance. My linked hands rest on top of my head as I try to keep it from exploding. Hyde is lying. He has to be, but who would make up something like this?
I spin back around. “But what is it? What is the Seeker?!”
“I told you, I can’t describe it,” Hyde yells back. “A monster, an evil force … It doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that it’s coming for all of you!”
His words reverberate through my body. I draw in a loud breath as I stare at him. So many emotions flash across his face, but it’s his haunted eyes that make my legs shake.
Nia places her hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Breathe.”
I didn’t realize I wasn’t. I exhale and inhale several times.
“A monster,” Lyric mutters. That concept seems to be easier for him to handle. “And you’re saying this thing is after us because of a stupid game?”
“Yeah.” Hyde settles back in his chair. “You broke the rules.”
“We did break the rules …” Nia says, as if she’s talking to herself. Her eyes are distant. “No revealing the hiding place of a player. Carla did that with Shae. No hiding inside. That was Quincy.” Her nose scrunches up, then she gasps. Her hand flies up to cover her mouth. “I—I blocked Quincy’s path to the tree.”
Lyric groans. “I kinda roughed up Quincy.”
“And we never finished the game,” I say. “We all broke the rules.”
“One game. Five friends from the same neighborhood.” Hyde rubs his chin. “That’s never happened before.”
“I just realized something.” I glance at Nia and Lyric. “The marks are appearing in the order we broke the rules. Carla. Quincy. Nia …” My eyes widen.
Tears fill her eyes. She covers the mark on her arm.
No! I can’t let this thing take her. I spin around to face Hyde. “What can we do? We made a mistake. How can we fix this?”
Hyde flexes his gloved hand. “Ever think you were meant for more, deserved more?” The corners of his lips lift into a sad smile. He stares back across the porch. I follow his gaze. There’s nothing there.
“What is he talking about?” Nia asks.
He reminds me of Zee—lost and confused.
“Dude, what does this have to do with the Seeker and us?” Lyric asks.
Hyde blinks. His dark eyes clear. “In Nowhere—”
“What’s that?” I’m so confused. He’s talking in code like Zee.
“The place where the Seeker takes kids. The place where you’re going.” Hyde scoots back in the chair and folds one leg under the other. “The world … it’s a game, too. A dark, twisted game you can’t win. It’s you against fear—yours and others. You run and hide, and sometimes you think you’ve escaped, but they always find you. It’s the Seeker’s rules. And it changes them so you never feel safe. There’s only fear, fear, fear,” he says in a singsongy voice.
I slump against the porch railing. How can any of this be real?
Nia’s lips tremble. “How do we stop the Seeker?”
“You don’t. You can’t,” Hyde says.
She wipes away a tear with the back of her hand. “I don’t accept that. There has to be something we can do.”
“This thing kidnapped you,” I say. “How did you escape?”
Hyde touches his wrist, where his glove covers his mark. “I didn’t.”
Butch throws back his head and howls. I shudder.
“What do you mean?” I ask, unknowingly taking a step back.
Hyde leans forward. “The Seeker let me go so I could hunt kids, too.”
Lyric’s head jerks back. “You … you …”
“I made a deal to work for the Seeker.”
He says it calmly, like he hasn’t gut punched us.
“We should go.” Nia tugs me by the arm. “I want to go.”
We can’t. We need more answers. “What does that mean, you work for the Seeker?” I ask.
