"Michael, do you want to play with me?", Spock asked while bursting into her room. Michael sighed. "I'm sorry. I've got to memorize quite a few new words by tomorrow. I don't have time.", she answered in Vulcan, proud of being able to do so. Spock nodded sadly and toddled out of the room.
"Sybok, do you want to play with me?", Spock asked while bursting into the library. Sybok lifted his head from the book he was reading and gave him a critical look. "I am occupied. As you can see." Spock promptly sat himself next to his brother and tried to read in the book as well. This, of course, led to Sybok not being able to see anything but Spock's head. "Four-dimensional geometry!", Spock remarked enthusiastically. "Indeed." Spock tried to turn a page Sybok was holding tightly, almost ripping it in the process. Sybok was utterly annoyed.
"Would you mind letting me alone?", Sybok inquired. Spock nodded. As he stood up, he tripped over a staple of books which Sybok needed for his homework. It fell over, books flying, pages crumpling. It took Sybok quite a lot of effort to stay calm. At least, Spock helped him to minimize the damage and to rebuilt the staple.
"Maybe we should indeed play a game.", Sybok proposed, to Spock's pleasure. "What kind of game are you thinking of?", Spock asked excitingly. "A Terran game. I believe it is called hide and seek." "I know that one!", Spock announced. "You will be the first to hide, then." Spock was at the door in seconds. He realized that Sybok was watching him. "Do not look. It is against the rules." Sybok sighed and covered his eyes with his hands. "I will not look." "Good." Spock left. Sybok returned to studying his book.
Spock knew that there were many dark spots and closets in which one could hide himself efficiently. Maybe he should go to the basement? He decided to indeed do so.
There were not many rooms in the cellar. One was used as some kind of gym, one was just bare and cold, a third was an air raid shelter, a relict from former times and evidence of the house's age. There was a fourth room as well, where currently unused things were stored. The room had a big closet which was used to store raincoats, old-style pictures and some of Amanda's winter clothes. Spock opened the door, almost tipping over a ladder which was leaned against the wall. One shelf, the one on the ground, was empty. He pressed himself in the space and let the door slam. Maybe from the impulse, maybe from the breeze or maybe it was just misfortune: The ladder left the wall and fell, getting caught by the closet's door handle, making it impossible to open the door from the inside.
As soon as Spock realized what had happened, he tried to open the door by kicking it, but it was futile. He was too weak to induce anything. He relaxed and hoped that Sybok would find him soon.
Sometime later, it was time for dinner. The children came down the stairs into the kitchen, even I-Chaya toddled inside, asking to be fed. Sarek was surprised. Normally it would be Spock's duty to feed him, placing the bowl on the floor in the hallway, as he usually did without fault. As he was just about to reprimand his son for forgetting about the sehlat, he remarked that he was missing. Both Michael and Sybok looked at him quizzically. Amanda was too concerned with patting the pet to be aware of anything else. "What is it?", Michael asked. "I am curious as of Spock's current location. Have you seen him?", he asked Michael. "About two hours ago, we had a short conversation. I haven't seen him since." Sarek nodded. "And you, Sybok?", he inquired next. "I believe he might be hiding somewhere." Sarek lifted an eyebrow. "What makes you come to this conclusion?" This was an uncomfortable question. "I told him to do so."
They searched everywhere. First in the children's rooms, then on the ground floor. "He must be somewhere!", Amanda exclaimed, after closing yet another empty closet. "Indeed. Maybe he is to be found in the basement?", Sarek proposed, somewhat irritated himself. On the way to cellar they passed Michael, who had taken on the duty of feeding I-Chaya, and Sybok, who still sat where Sarek had told him to stay and think of a good explanation of what he had done.
The cellar was searched in no time. There was really almost nowhere where a four-year-old could hide. Only the closet remained. When they reached it, it was clear why they hadn't reappeared after some time. The ladder was still hanging from the door handle. Sarek lifted the ladder up and leaned it to wall in some distance. Meanwhile, Amanda had already opened the door and pulled her son out.
Spock was shaking and holding on to his mother in a rather uncharacteristically way. She simply held him for a few moments and wiped some dust out of his hair.
He did not eat dinner this day, or let go of his mother. It was only after he had fallen asleep that Amanda could set him down in his bed.
After this incident, it took Spock quite a lot time until he was himself again. He missed a whole week of school, simply because he was still so traumatized that he could not speak for three days. Both parents decided that it was not responsible to send him to school in his state of mind. Even after he called I-Chaya again to his dinner, they let him stay for another four days. After this time, he was eager to return to normalcy, and asked again and again to be send to school, to which his parents finally agreed.
Spock found that his father must have told the school that he had a mild infection, since nobody laughed about him for locking himself into a closet. It was that same day that he decided to never talk to Sybok again. He stayed true to this for the next forty years.