Hide & Seek

“I’m hiding, go away.”

”Who are you hiding from?”

”Don’t worry about it, just go away!”

”You’re not very good at hiding; this is a bad hiding spot.”

”It is not, what's wrong with this spot?”

”I found you…”

”Hmmm, I see your point. Where do you think I should hide?”

”Somewhere nobody can find you, isn’t that the point of hiding? Not being found?”

”Yeah, I guess it is…  But what happens then?”

”When?”

”When I can’t be found.”

”Well, then you win.”

”But how will anyone know I’ve won? How will I be able to tell them? Nobody knows where I am.”

”But you know where they are.”

”Do I?”

”Of course you do, they’re at home base.”

”Home base??”

”Yup, don’t you know about home base? Every game has a home base.”

”Oh, well what's the point of home base? What do people do there?”

”They wait”

”Wait for what? For who?”

”For the winner of course, they wait for someone to come announce that they’ve won.”

”So, I have to go to home base?”

”No, you have to hide.”

”But… you just said they’re waiting for me to announce my victory…”

”Have you won?”

”I think so, it seems like I’ve won”

”But I found you.”

”You’re not playing, you have to be playing to find me”

”Oh, that’s the rule is it? I’m not playing so I can’t find you?”

”Of course that’s the rule, otherwise anyone off the street could just come in and find people.”

”I see, I wish you’d have told me that before I found you.”

”Why?”

”Because now I have a lot of questions that can’t be answered.”

”Why can’t they be answered, just ask the questions.”

”Ask who?”

”Well I’m right here, ask me.”

”…But if I can’t find you, how can I ask you? It just won’t work.”

”Hmmm, but you found me before you knew the rule, so I guess its okay, you can’t follow the rules if you don’t know them.”

”Oh really? That sounds dangerous.”

”Dangerous? Now you’re just being silly, that rule isn’t dangerous.”

”No, not that rule, but what about the others?”

“What others? The other rules? You have to count to 50 before you can start looking for people… That doesn’t seem terribly dangerous either.”

”Not rules of the game.”

“Well what other rules are there?”

”The rules of society.”

”Whoa, I think that’s getting a bit carried away, we’re playing a game.”

”No, you’re playing a game, I’m not playing the game, remember?”

”Well, I guess that’s true, but so what?”

”So, the only rules I’m meant to be following are the rules of society.”

”I don’t understand how that matters…”

”Well, what if I’m not aware of all of society’s rules? Say, the one about murder, what if nobody told me that it’s against the rules to kill people? By your logic, it wouldn’t apply to me, I could kill you right now and it would be fine.”

”Well, I think that you know it’s against the rules to murder people, so your question is moot.”

”I do, yes, but what about that large fellow across the street? I’m not so sure about him.”

”What? Where?”

”Over there, the broad shouldered gentleman, he’s limping away, looks like he’s holding something...”

”Oh, him… Yeah, I can see him now. You don’t think he knows the rules? I think everyone knows the rules.”

”I didn’t, I found you.”

”Yeah but that’s a rule from the game.”

”Isn’t life a game?”

”What?! No, of course not!”

”No?”

”No, life is real, games are just for fun. Games help us escape from life.”

”I see, what if you escape and can’t get back?”

”I’m pretty sure you can always get back, it’s just a diversion, a distraction”

”It starts out that way, but what about all the people who don’t know the rules, things could go wrong, the game could get messed up…. You’ve got something on your shirt.”

”My shirt? Oh, yeah, you’re right. Looks like paint or something, must’ve brushed against one of the hydrants back there. They’re re-painting all the hydrants in town, shiny red.”

”Oh, I didn’t know that, that will look nice.”

”I think so.”

”Now about the game, about life, do you feel distracted?”

”I feel more distracted from the game than from life at the moment…”

”Why is that?”

”'Cause you’ve been talking to me. I’m supposed to be hiding here!”

”Yeah, but I told you, this is a very bad spot that you chose.”

”Yes, I remember, ‘cause you found me, but I told you that’s okay. You’re not playing, so I can still win.”

”What if someone else finds you? Another person like myself who is unaware of the rules.”

”That seems highly unlikely.”

“Does it now?”

”Yes, trust me, this is a very good spot, despite all your protests to the contrary.”

”How did you find it? How did you get here?”

”I can’t remember exactly, I must have walked. That’s how it works, you walk around and look for a good spot to hide.”

”What happens if you’re found?”

”By someone playing the game? Well you lose, you don’t win, you have to wait for a new game to try and win again. It’s game over.”

”I think the paint is spreading…”

”Oh wow, you’re right! How the heck?! That’s weird…”

”indeed.”

”That guy from before must’ve been painting some stuff around here, I saw him carrying something, it was dripping red paint. Probably his paint brush. Some people are so careless!”

”He must not have known the rules.”

”I guess not...”

*silence envelopes the two as each ponders what has been said*

”I think you’ve probably won by now.”

”You think so? How long has it been?”

”It’s been quite awhile. The paint on your shirt has stopped spreading; let’s go back to home base.”

”Yeah! Good idea, I have to tell them all that I’ve won! Let’s go!”

”Follow me, it’s over here.”

”Are you sure, this doesn’t look right…”

”Yup, trust me, this is the way.”

”Why is everything so bright? It was getting dark before.”

”That’s okay; it’s just one of many mysteries about home base.”

”Cool, everything’s bright white….. Hey guys!! Guys!! I won!!”