Almost Dead. Блейк Пирс

she managed to grab a final tattered thread of self-control.

      “OK,” she said, injecting as much faux cheerfulness into her voice as she could muster. “You’re not allowed to play with those toys, but would you like to play a game anyway?”

      “Yes.” Nina nodded, showing some enthusiasm for the first time, and Venetia jumped up and down, beaming with excitement.

      Cassie was relieved she hadn’t snapped. Most probably they didn’t have anything against her personally, but were just shy, and extremely aware of their house rules.

      “Are there other toys anywhere? Or else we could play a game without toys.”

      “Let’s play without toys,” Nina said.

      Cassie racked her brain for the best idea as they trooped downstairs. What would be most fun, and bring her and the children together?

      “How about a game of tag?”

      Cassie decided to keep it simple, as the clouds were looming, and she didn’t think they would have very long outside before it started to rain.

      “What is tag?” Nina asked curiously.

      Cassie had no idea of the Italian word, so she decided a quick explanation would work best.

      “We can run anywhere in this garden. As far as the wall on that side and the flower bed all the way over there. I’ll start by being ‘it’ and will give you the count of five to get away.”

      The children nodded. Venetia was looking excited, while Nina appeared puzzled but intrigued.

      “OK, let’s go.” Cassie turned away from them and counted down dramatically.

      “One, two, three, four, five!”

      She spun round and gave chase.

      Nina sprinted off, but Venetia was slower, seeming not to understand the game. As Cassie ran toward her she appeared to realize she was in trouble and backed away.

      Cassie just had time to realize that she looked genuinely scared, before she lunged at her.

      “Tag! Got you!”

      Instead of the screams and laughter she had expected, Venetia flinched back and Cassie saw she was fighting tears.

      She stopped, dismayed by the child’s unexpected reaction. None of her ideas seemed to be working out.

      “Are you upset? Everyone gets to be ‘it.’ You just have to tag someone else now.”

      When Venetia clamped her lips together and shook her head, Cassie had another thought.

      “Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry. I think I tagged you harder than I meant to. Can I see?”

      As she grasped Venetia’s hand, she noticed that the young girl’s nails were bitten down to the quick. She was wearing a pink, long-sleeved velveteen top, and Cassie pushed the soft fabric up her arm.

      “I can see a mark. It looks as if it’s bruising already. I’m really sorry.”

      Staring down at the faint purple-red welt on Venetia’s arm, Cassie felt filled with horror that the first thing she’d done was to cause injury.

      “It’s starting to rain,” Nina said, as the misty drizzle turned into a chilly shower.

      “Let’s go in and play another game,” Cassie said, desperate to make amends for her clumsiness. She hadn’t tagged Venetia that hard, but again, she had been expecting her to run and not just cringe fearfully away.

      She was starting to think that under her well-schooled exterior, Venetia was a sensitive child, both physically and mentally.

      “Have you played hide-and-seek before?” she asked the children when they were safely in the hallway, with the front door closed.

      They both shook their heads, but they looked eager, rather than doubtful.

      “Let me explain. You can hide anywhere in the house. Anywhere at all. I’m going to close my eyes and give you the count of fifty to find a hiding place and then I’m going to shout, ‘Coming, ready or not!’ When I find someone, it means the game is over and then that person gets to do the finding in the next game. Do you understand?”

      Nina nodded. Venetia seemed to have recovered from her earlier trauma, and smiled excitedly.

      “All right, I’m closing my eyes.” Cassie placed a hand over her eyes to show they were really closed. “And now I’m counting down.”

      She finished her count and shouted, “Coming, ready or not!”

      Pacing through the tiled house, Cassie said aloud, “I wonder where these girls are hiding. My goodness, they have hidden well. I can’t find them anywhere. Perhaps they’ve managed to make themselves invisible. I really thought I would have found Nina by now, after all, she’s taller.”

      She checked under the dining room table and walked into the lounge. Her eye was immediately drawn to the large velvet ottoman at the far end. It was a brilliant hiding place and she was sure she’d find one of the children there.

      Cassie paced toward it, drawing out the tension of the moment.

      “I think I’m about to give up. These clever girls have hidden so well. But wait, there’s one last place I think I might look!”

      She grasped the ottoman’s lid and opened it.

      Inside, curled into the tiniest of balls, was Nina.

      She uncurled herself, squealing with excitement, as Venetia jumped out from behind one of the elegant dark blue curtains.