Hide and Seek

It was a cold day in winter as the children played down by the railroad tracks near their house. As the evening approached the sky grew dark and it became harder to see through the whirling snow. The perfect weather for a game of winter hide and seek. A brother and sister, with two of their friends, played in an area they knew well and had played in many times before. The nearby river added an extra cold mist-like atmosphere to the air. The children had scattered and, hiding behind a leafless bush, was one of the friends. As he waited a strange feeling came over him as though something was watching him. The voices of his playmates could be heard in the distance but they, themselves, were hidden by the snow. The feeling grew and he knew that there was something behind him and he turned.

The brother and sister's mother was standing outside her house listening to the children playing is the distance. All of a sudden she heard a shout and saw one of the friends running towards her, his eyes wide with terror. The other children came running after him to see what was the matter. The boy could hardly speak but, when finally calmed down said this. While hiding he turned around and there, behind him, were two glowing red eyes and in terror he ran towards the house. The imagination of a young boy deceived by the wintry weather? Perhaps, but that does not explain one final thing. For on one of his cheeks were three long marks. Not the scratches as a branch would make but rather the marks as if a claw of some type had reached out to grasp him only to miss as he ran.