Dark Room

enough writing about writing. It's about time I started writing stories again. Must warn you, though - I haven't written a story in months, so don't expect much. I only hope I'll improve with each episode.

In the darkness, from under the bed, Kavya could only see the silhouette of Aman's feet as he walked about the room, hands on his hips. He took slow, threatening steps, eyes peeled for a hint of the slightest movement, ears cocked for the faintest sigh. Aman walked around the bed, and in the light that filtered through the curtains, he would rotate his wrist to see the light. From under the dressing table, behind the stool, Suraj saw light glinting off Aman's glasses as he turned abruptly to face him. For a moment there, Suraj felt trapped, the light shining straight off Aman's glasses, into his eyes. He gulped, fearing that he would be next. Then, just as suddenly, Aman turned away, now facing little Alka with the curtains around her. Why is he taking so long? Kavya wondered from under the bed.

Aman walked towards the dressing table and stopped. He turned and bent down, looking Kavya right in the eye. Can he see her? thought Suraj, holding his breath, from behind Aman. I couldn't.

Someone moved. There was a sound from under the desk, a yawn that momentarily escaped Rahul before he quickly cupped his mouth. Aman pushed himself off the floor and stood erect. We walked slowly towards the bed and lay down on it.

"Who will be the first?" he asked loudly.
"Kavya? Rahul? Do you want to go next?"

Alka seemed to be the only one in a position to stop him now, but he was facing her. There seemed little chance, because he had his back only to the wall, and it would be too noisy, and perhaps take too much time for Kavya to sneak out from under the bed and touch Aman on the back and scream dhappa.

What could they do?

Aman's eyes had adjusted to the light moments after he had entered the room. He noticed that stool in front of the dressing table had moved. A small figure was hidden behind the curtain, and that was surely Alka. The only other places worth hiding were under the bed, under the desk and behind the TV trolley. From outside, he had heard something heavy being moved. The Almirah didn't look as if it had been moved, but there wasn't enough space left between it and the wall for anyone to fit in. He leaned back on the bed and pushed himself off the floor and sat against the back rest.

He adjusted his watch again, to the light.

"I've still got 8 minutes. That means I can just sit and wait for you to get tired." He laughed like a villian.

Behind the curtain, Alka's feet were tiring. Suraj felt his back ache against the hollow of the dressing table. He pushed up a little, and the table shifted slightly.

"Someone's under the dressing table, kya? That's where I hid last time, and I got caught first. Do you want to be first this time?" He laughed again.

"Or does Suraj wan't to be caught under the bed? Or Karan, under the dressing table?"

There was someone missing. If Alka was behind the curtain, Suraj under the bed and Karan under the dressing table - where was Kavya? Also under the bed?

"Hi Kavya. Where are you?"

As expected, there was no answer. Someone under the dressing table fidgeted again. Aman began feeling bored of the whole thing. There was more fun in hiding than seeking. And this was the last for the day, and he would have to go home for dinner soon. Might as well finish it off. He stretched his arms and yawned. Quietly, he got up and walked up to the curtain near the door leading to the next room.

"I spy Alka," he said as he pulled the curtain aside, hoping, for a second, that he hadn't got it wrong.

...to be continued. It know it's just narration, but feedback would be appreciated. Or just say H'lo.

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