Stalked

         I was trapped and we both knew it. He had me trapped in the backyard like police dogs treeing a fleeing suspect. The back door was locked up tight and the fence unclimbable with the razor wire my father had placed atop it to keep the bad guys out. The gate was completely out of bounds and I was searching for a way out of this mess. My heart and thoughts raced in unison yet remained outrun by my pounding feet.

         The massive monster lunged for me and I barely avoided his grasp as I darted toward the rusty old swing set. Hurdling the slide I put two swings into motion, but it wasn't much of an obstacle and the tenacious beast was able to keep up its chase. I was growing more desperate and my pursuer longed for nothing more than to conquer me. Running on, I grabbed the tree in the center of the yard and swung around it, changing directions. This bought just a few precious seconds and I knew it was only a matter of time before he could finally reach out and touch me. That is when it would all be over. The beast was definitely tiring but had more steam left than I did and his stamina would far outlast my own.

         I faked to the left ran to the right toward the evergreen tree in the corner hoping to run behind it and out the other side. Once there, I realized too late that my father had placed an old tree stump there until he could have it hauled away. My foot caught the edge of it and I flew over it landing hard and flat on on my face. The beast jumped it easily and stopped. It hovered over me, savoring the moment and I could almost feel his triumphant jubilation.

         I could hear him breathing as he approached slowly, ready to jump if I tried to flee again. I imagined him reaching for me, with a big smile on his face, and knew this was the end. Suddenly he hit me square in the back and yelled.

         "TAG, You're it!"

         I never could beat my big brother.