This is the first of my 'spinoffs'. I'd love it if you review.
The Day Rose Got Lost At The Park
Emily Prentiss and Mick Rawson decided to take their daughter Rose to the park. Emily had the day off and Rose kept going on about the park anyway.
Rose loved the slides and the roundabout but her favourite was the swings. Daddy could get her to go so high, she felt like she was flying. And sometimes Mommy sat on the swing and held her in her lap while they rocked back and forth gently while Daddy went swinging like a maniac on the swing next to them. They would always laugh at him as he went so high and jumped off at the top, landing on the ground with a crash, often hurting himself. That's what he got for showing off.
Daddy also got the roundabout to go really fast. It made her feel dizzy but it was too much fun for her to care. He made it go so fast Mommy had to get on with her so she wouldn't fall off, even though Mommy often fell off. She would then chase after Daddy, who was faster because Momy would be dizzy. Sometimes she caught him, and hit him playfully, making sure not to be too violent in front of Rose.
She also loved the sandbox. She loved the feel of the sand as it fell through her fingers, even though Mommy told her not to get too dirty. She also loved the little helicopter you could sit in to and it rocked back and forth like you were actually flying. Daddy sometimes sat in the aeroplane next to her but he could barely fit in and looked really funny. Mommy had said Rose was more mature than Daddy. And she was only four.
When Mommy and Aunty JJ took her to the park they would bring her up to the grass at the top of the park and play hide and seek with her. Aunty JJ was awful at hide and seek. She hid behind trash cans and trees but Mommy was good. She hid in hard to find places like in the bushes and by the little pond. But Rose was brilliant at hide and seek and always found her.
Aunty JJ also played hopscotch with her. Uncle Spencer taught her to play dominoes and they played that on one of the tables the park provided. He said he would teach her how to play draughts too, and when she was older chess. There was a chess square pattern on a few of the tables and if you brought your own places you could play.
Uncle Derek bought her a watergun and they had water fights. She always won and he would lie down on the ground pretending to be dead but she would always come over and squirt him in the face. Aunty Penny let her go on the big slide and sometimes came down with her if she got scared. She was scared most of the times but she had inherited her mother's stubbornness and said nothing.
Mommy always held her when she went on the junglygym in case she fell. She asked to go on her own once and Mommy reluctantly let her. When she was halfway across she fell and Mommy never let her do it alone since.
That day they brought her to the park she ran to the swings first. Mommy and Daddy followed her. She jumped on her favourite one, the red one, and asked Daddy to push her. He got her really high and she loved the feel of the wind against her face as she got higher and higher. Mommy sat on the swing next to her and watched as she got so high she nearly went over the bar. She glared at Mick when she got really high, he could get a bit carried away and she wanted her daughter to be safe.
When she was finished with the swings she moved to the roundabout where she met her friend Heather. Mick spun Rose and Heather round while Emily talked to Heather's mom.
Then was the slide. She went on the slide six times and after the fourth Heather had to go home.
After the slide, the junglegyms and the helicopter she wanted to play hide and seek. ''Daddy can we play hide and seek?'' she asked.
''I don't know honey, Daddy is tired..'' It was true. Whenever they went to the park he was the one who did all the hard work while Emily either stood watching or went down the slide with her. He never got to go on the slide.
''Please Daddy. Mommy and Aunty JJ let me.''
''Oh you have to do it now if you want to stay ahead of Aunty JJ,'' Emily smiled.
''Fine but you're seeking and I'm hiding,'' he said as he ran off. Emily covered Rose's eyes so she wouldn't see where he was going. Rose began counting to ten and when she reached it she took Mommy's hand and went running after him.
They checked by the trees and by the little hut where they sold coffee and ice cream but couldn't find him. He was hiding over by a trashcan at the other side of the hut. He was crouched down and couldn't be seen unless you went right over to the trashcan. A man came to throw something away when he saw Mick. ''What are you doing?''
''Oh, I'm playing hide and seek with my daughter.''
''Right,'' he said before looking at him strangely and turning away. Rose and Emily found him soon after. Then it was Emily's turn to hide. Mick watched her as she ran away and they found her quickly. ''Ha ha I'm better at hide and seek than you,'' he jeered playfully.
''Only because you cheated,'' she retorted hitting him playfully. She walked over to Rose while Mick rubbed his sore arm. She was strong.
''Ok sweetie it's your turn to hide now,'' Emily said softly to Rose.
''Ok, but no cheating Daddy!'' she said as she ran off, turning round a few times to make sure they weren't looking.
''Why would she say that?'' asked Mick as Emily made him turn around.
''Cause you cheat,'' Emily answered. She counted to ten and they both set off in search of Rose. They went together at first, Mick defending himself against the accusations that he was a cheater while Emily attacked him. They searched her usual hiding spots, the ones Emily sometimes used and the obvious ones JJ used. But she was nowhere to be found.
They searched over where Mick hid but still no sign. They started getting panicked as they checked each place again. She was tricky, one time she played it with Emily she followed them, always moving and staying behind them. But they made sure to check for that and they still couldn't find her. ''Em what do we do?'' asked Mick as they searched by the pond for the third time.
''Spilt up. We've a better chance of finding her that way.'' They spilt up and Emily took the left side while Mick took the right. They called her name but there was no answer. They asked people at the park if they had seen her but they hadn't.
After ten minutes they re-grouped in front of the swings. ''Any sign?'' Mick asked breathlessly.
''Nothing. You?'' Emily replied, scanning the park again.
''Not one bit. Em, where could she be?''
''If I knew that I wouldn't be here. I'd be with her.''
''Em that's no-''
''I know, sorry. I'm just worried. What if she wandered off? What if she left the park and went out to the road? What if she got kidnapped?''
''Sssh Em, don't think that. She's smart enough to know not to go out on the road. Only think happy thoughts ok?'' he said as he pulled her into his chest.
''I'll try. Come on let's keep searching. Someone here has surely seen her.'' They went around again and asked nearly every person in the park if they had seen her. Mick pulled up a picture of her from his phone but nobody recognised her. Emily searched the park again while Mick checked some of the area surrounding it, just in case she had wandered off, but to no avail.
Emily was nearly crying she was so worried. How could she be so stupid? She should never let her off by herself. She had searched every inch of the park five times and was going insane with worry. Mick was the same, he just didn't show it as much.
They regrouped again when they saw each other in front of the dumpster. ''Still nothing?'' Emily inquired.
''Nothing. Should we call the police?''
''Not yet. She's here somwhere, I just know it. I can feel it.'' They went around one last time, checking the trees, the hut, the pond, nothing. They stood in the middle, contemplating what to do next. ''Ok, I'm calling the police,'' Mick stated as he pulled out his phone.
''Ok,'' Emily breathed. She was at the end of her tether. There was nothing more they could do for her. They'd have to leave it for the police. Suddenly she felt a tug on her shirt. She spun round to face Rose who was looking upset. Emily sighed in relief and lifted her up into her arms, hugging her tightly. ''Mommy I hid. Why didn't you seek?'' she asked, looking up at her mother who had began crying in relief.
''Oh sweetie we did, we did. We couldn't find you, we were so worried. Never do that again. Where were you?''
''I was in the helicopter.'' Both Mick and Emily froze. The helicopter did have a top on it, and you couldn't see who was in it unless you looked right into it. And it made perfect sense, hiding in plain sight is often the best hiding place. That girl was smart.
''The helicopter? All this time?''
''Ya, but I got bored and went to findy you,'' she said as she snuggled into Emily.
''Oh Rose as long as you're safe. Never do that again ok? Mommy and Daddy were worried sick.''
''But I was playing hide and seek. I won, you couldn't find me.''
Emily and Mick laughed. She was only four, she couldn't see the serious side of it. ''You won. You are the best at hide and seek,'' Emily smiled as she hugged her daughter. Mick feeling a bit left out, wrapped his arms around Emily and they group hugged in the middle of the park for several moments.
Naturally after that Mick and Emily were reluctant to play hide and seek with her.