Chapter 7: Hide and Seek
*Thoughts are in italics*
*Bob and Linda's apartment living room*
Gene POV
"We now have all of our names in the glass bowl, well all the adults names anyway. I'm going to set the bowl on the table and while blindfolded I'm going to pick out one of our names that's written on the pieces of paper. Whosever name I pick will be Ghostface while everyone else will be hiding. We'll turn off the lights and give all the hiders time to hide before Ghostface comes and looks for everyone" Dad illuminated. "Should we put some kind of time limit on the game so the hiders can win if Ghostface can't find them in the allotted time?" Rudy perused. "Uh sure how about an hour?" Dad suggested. "Works for me" Rudy replied as everyone bobbed their heads in accordance. "I really hope I'm not Ghostface" I fretted. "Are you kidding me? I'm dying to be Ghostface!" Louise professed. "Yes my thoughts exactly!" Raven cheered.
Dad then put the bowl of names on the table and sat down on the cream colored couch. Dad then took the black blind fold that was on the table and put it on. Dad began to mix the papers around in the bowl with his right hand for about 10 agonizing seconds. Dad then finally took a paper out of the bowl and took off the blind fold. He opened up the pice of paper and looked at it. "Please don't let me be Ghostface. Please don't let me be Ghostface" I pleaded
Dad then read the paper for a second. "Rudy is Ghostface!" Dad revealed as everyone gasped. I breathed a sigh or relief upon hearing that Rudy was Ghostface and I was safe. "Are you sure you read that paper correctly?" Rudy exhorted in a slightly nervous tone. "I'm positive" Dad revealed as he showed us the paper in Mom's handwriting which had Rudy's name tidily written on it. "I was afraid of that" Rudy whined in a defeated tone.
Rudy POV
"I'd really rather not be Ghostface. I'm more of the hiding type anyway". I defended. "But we used the bowl of names. That's how we've always decided turn order and games and what not. You can't go against the bowl Rudy". Tina challenged. "We are talking about an inanimate object aren't we?" Raven surveyed as if she was thinking she was the only sane person here maybe other than myself. "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy. I know you're nervous but I know you'll be a great Ghostface". Louise reassured while embracing me. "Just like the rapper Ghostface Killah". Gene encouraged. "It's like I've always told if you put your mind to it you can accomplish anything." Louise comforted as we ended our embrace. "Where have I heard that before? It sounds familiar" I pondered.
"I just told you. I've been telling you that for like eons.". Louise insisted. "Hmm you have? I know I've heard it from somewhere but I didn't think it came from you though. I thought I heard it from a mo—" I contended as Louise cut me off and slapped me moderately on the left side of my face with her left hand. "It doesn't matter where you think you've heard it. I'm saying it now. I believe in you! You raise me up to more than I can be. You're the wind beneath my wings" Louise prattled.
"Ok I know that's Josh Groban and Bette Midler" I chortled while Louise facepalmed and Gene nodded in agreement. "They inspired me ok! You can do anything no matter how nervous you are or how difficult you think the task at hand is. You're so much stronger and braver than you think you are Rudy. The only thing that's holding you back is your own fear and imagination. I know there's that little voice in your head right now that's telling you can't do this. I'm telling you yes, you can. Turn off that little voice and listen to your wife" Louise heralded.
I mulled on what Louise had just said for a moment. Louise's words rang true for me once again. "You've always been the biggest supporter in my life. You remind me everyday of how amazing you truly are. I don't know where I would be without you. Hand me the mask and the cloak". I singled while holding out my right hand. Louise's face went crimson red and then she slapped me firmly with her right hand on the right side of my face leaving a red slap mark across my face.
"Ooooh that hurt" I groaned as I patted the slap mark with my right hand. Louise got the cloak and mask from Bob and placed them in my left hand. Louise then fanned in my left ear and muttered very quietly so only I could hear "You know you like it. It's a symbol of my love for you".
My face flushed a bit as I bit my lip. I then grasped the cloak in my left hand and the mask in my right hand. I then promptly fought a growing bulge in my pants upon Louise's words and breathing. "Of course. Don't you ever change Louise". I choked while holding back tears. "You know I never will!" Louise promised.
"I'm going to get changed, I'll be right back. I'll give a yell when you can turn off the lights and hide." I reported while shielding the hard on in my pants with my cloak. I proceeded to dart from the living room and into the nearby bathroom to change.
I closed the bathroom door and locked it behind me and turned on the light and then peered at myself in the mirror. "I'm going to be the best seeker there is. I'm Ghostface. It's time for me even up the challenge contest with Louise" I concluded.
*A few minutes later*
Jimmy The Third POV
Hailey and I are sitting on the living room floor. Hailey is taking out the board gam Guess Who for us to play. "Okay I'm ready!" Uncle Rudy hollered from the bathroom. "What the heck is going on? Is Uncle Rudy announcing when he's done doing his business now or something?" I asked confused while Hailey giggled. "No. Why would he do that? We're playing hide and seek" Poppy explained. "Isn't that a kids game?" I inspected. "They're probably dressing up or doing something kinky". Hailey replied while stretching the word kinky. "Where did you hear that word?" Poppy requested as Hailey thought for a moment. "Uhhh around". Hailey responded.
"The seeker is dressing up so it would probably a little scary for you kids. Can you wait in the kitchen while we turn out the lights?" Poppy quizzed. "Ok fine" I sighed getting up and leading the way into the kitchen. "Yeah we'll play in there where we can see". I grumbled. "We made our way into the kitchen and we both sat down across from each other at the table. I sat the game on the table and I heard Uncle Rudy counting from the bathroom. "20…..21…." "I wonder what number he's going to count to. Maybe a billion" I estimated. "Oh please do you really think everyone is going to take that long to hide? A hundred is more like it" Hailey groaned as she stuck out her tongue. "I hope Uncle Rudy doesn't come in here in his crazy costume and scare us or should I say me. I know Hailey doesn't scare easily. It must be since Aunt Louise is her mom and she takes after her. I scare a little easily not that I would tell Hailey that. Hailey would probably tease me about being a scaredy cat if I told her about it." I estimated as I bit my tongue. "What are you thinking so hard over? I can smell the word burning from here" Hailey sassed with a chuckle.
"Oh nothing really" I fibbed to Hailey. Each of us then picked our person and then we heard some commotion coming from the living room. "Dang how did you find me already? I almost won the last game and now I'm out first already. That is so disappointing" Raven moaned. "Wow Raven is out already. That was quick" 'I commented as Hailey muttered yeah in agreement.
I looked down at my card which was Robert. "This should be a tough one for her to guess. Robert doesn't have a beard or a hat" I considered with a smile. "You go first" I offered trying to be nice. "Ok does your person have a beard?" Hailey questioned. "Nope" I spoke. "Is your person wearing a hat?" I asked. "Nope" Hailey replied. "Do you think there's bad people you can get in this game?" I questioned.
"Well I think if your person is wearing a hat it really narrows down the list of possibilities" Hailey reported. "True" I reckoned. "Is your person frowning?" Hailey searched. "Leave it to Hailey to ask such a revealing question. How did she get so dang good at games?" I moaned to myself "Uhh what?" I said pretending I didn't hear her. "I hope she'll ask a different question but I doubt I'll get that lucky" I worried to myself.
"I said is your person frowning?" Hailey asked again. I took a small gulp. Dang why does she have to be so smart. "Um Yes" I moaned as a broad smile began to appear on Hailey's face. "Ugh there's only a few people in the whole game who are frowning. My goose is cooked in this game" I griped.
About 25 minutes later
*Interior*
*Bob's Burgers Restaurant Bathroom*
*Linda POV*
I hope nobody finds me in here. Well no one should come in here. Unless they have to go the bathroom of course and I don't think anyone should be going to the bathroom while they are hiding. Ooo Yeah! I picked the perfect spot to hide. It's a good thing I told everyone not to hide outside, in the attic or in the crawlspace before we started playing.
I presume that leaves the best possible hiding spots down to this bathroom and maybe the basement. Maybe I should have gone down to the basement? No Rudy would probably look there first. I wonder if anyone else is hiding down here in the restaurant? I wonder if someone is hiding in the kitchen? If they in the kitchen they better not be eating all the food! It's a good thing I cleaned this bathroom recently otherwise the smell would be knocking me out right now.
Louise seems to be in a good mood today. When Louise pushed whatever was bothering her to the side yesterday it seems to have stayed out of her mind. I was afraid I would I have to get to the bottom of her trouble's yesterday but it ended up being unnecessary. I didn't have to pick her brain when everyone else left. I hope no one is hanging out in the attic. I hope there's no mice up there or anything. The last thing I need is someone hiding up in the attic and bringing mice downstairs when they come out of the attic. I can't have that happening when Bob and I have company here. I wonder how many people have been caught so far? How long have I been hiding here?
I take my phone out of my pocket and check the timer I set for 60 minutes when everyone started hiding. "Okay looks like there's about 30 minutes to go. I'm half way there. I haven't been found yet and the game is half over all right! I might actually have a chance at this game" I marveled.
*Camera cuts to the Belcher living room upstairs*
*In the graveyard. In the living room*
*No POV*
Bob, Jimmy Jr and Raven and are sitting on the floor and have been caught. Gene, Louise and Linda are still hiding. Tina has just walked into the graveyard after having been caught. "Hey Tina. Where did Rudy find you?" Jimmy Jr adjured. "I was actually hiding in my old bedroom under the bed. I thought it such a bad hiding spot that it would actually be a good one. I figured Rudy would think that I wouldn't hide there because it would seem too obvious a hiding place so he wouldn't look there. He didn't like there for over half the game I thought might make but alas it wasn't met to be". Tina griped.
"Where did you guys get discovered?" Tina inquired. "That makes us sound like a band or something" Raven snickered. "I was in one of the closets I forget which one. He found me in one of the first places he looked. I wasn't creative enough so I got caught in like five minutes. It's pretty pathetic really after I did so well in the other games". Raven scoffed. "Don't beat yourself up too much it happens to the best of us. You still almost won the freeze dance game" Tina encouraged. "Yeah but close only counts in horseshoes" Race dismissed.
""I actually had a great spot. I was hiding in the freezer storage room in the restaurant's basement. However I had a bit of an emergency and I needed to use the bathroom and I got caught on my way to the restaurant bathroom" Bob fibbed with a chuckle. "I wish. Linda wanted to hide in the restaurant bathroom so I couldn't go there. Instead I had to run all the way upstairs to the upstairs bathroom and I got caught in the hall". Bob groaned to himself "That's kind of funny actually you might not have been caught if nature didn't call you. Ha, ha" Tina snickered.
"So do you think that Rudy is going to find everyone?" Tina explored. "Hmmm I'm going to say no" Raven divulged. "I say yes" Bob remarked. "And I say n—y—. I'm going to say no. I'm on the fence but my first guess was no. So I'm going to stick with that" Tina professed.
*Camera pans around the Bob's Burgers apartment*
**Rudy finds Gene hiding behind the barstools on the employee side on the floor*
*Gene joins the other dead players in the graveyard and only Louise and Linda are still hiding*
*Camera cuts to Louise in the basement under the staircase*
*15 minutes remaining*
*Louise POV*
"Is this really the best place to hide? I could have hid in the freezer storage room or in the restaurant. I hope nobody hid under a bed that would be a terrible place to hide. Then again a bed might be so bad that it's good. Maybe that was the place to be? No that's not me hiding under a bed is just not my style I'd rather go out my way than win someone else's way" I proclaimed.
"The time is almost up anyway. If I win in hide and seek I'll be up 3-1 and then I'll need one more win against Rudy. It's kind of funny really Rudy won the first game but he was no match for me these last two. Well it's not about how you start but how you finish that's how you win a best of series match. I guess Rudy has to work on his strategizing. It would be down right silly if he beat me in a hide and seek game in my own house. I have home field advantage so I can't loose". I chuckled to myself as I heard the faint sound of footsteps getting louder and louder until I blinked my eyes several times in disbelief as I saw Rudy in his Ghostface costume staring at me through his mask.
Rudy took off the mask for a moment and piped; "I found yah Louise. Now we're tied 2-2 in the contest" Rudy declared with a self assured grin. "Ugh. I just needed like ten more minutes" I groused with a frown. I had the urge to stamp but my feet and yell but I bit my lip and stifled my anger. If I was a kid at 9 or definitely younger I might had a little bit of a tizzy or fit right now. But I'm now a mature adult so I'm usually cool and calm when faced with pressure or hardship. I let the little things like losing this game roll off of my back. "Am I the last one. Is it over?" I probed looking at Rudy intently.
"I would have said it was over". Rudy said flatly not explaining further. "There's still people out there? Why can't you tell me?" I begged. "Sorry I'm short on time so I can't elaborate further. You'll see soon enough who's left. I have to bring you to the graveyard before I can find the next person" Rudy disclosed as I rolled my eyes. "Being fake dead stinks. Well at least on the bright side I can see who's left in this game" I spoke.
*A few minutes later at the graveyard in the living room*
Louise joins all the dead players. Everyone has been caught now save for Linda. As Louise does a quick head count she looks around and rapidly realizes Linda is the only players left. "It can't be. No I'm right Mom is the only one left wow. Mom might actually win this thing. If anyone was left besides me she's one of the last people; I thought it would be but I guess Mom is still full of surprises after all these years". I mused.
"Wow Mom is the only one left. Do you think she's going to make it?" I perused. "Well there's probably not too many places left that Rudy hasn't looked" Dad estimated. "That can't be good for Mom" I worried. "Don't stop believin' in Mom! Hold on to that feeling." Gene sang.
"Where could Mom have hid that Rudy didn't find her already? Maybe she hid somewhere you wouldn't think to look unless you really had to go there? She must be in the bathroom. The restaurant bathroom at that I bet". I concluded. "Oooh I know where Mom is hiding!" I piped. "Really? You know where Linda is hiding?" Raven researched. "Yup. I've got all figured out" I bubbled. "Hopefully Rudy didn't figure it out yet" Dad chortled as everyone bobbed their heads in unison.
*About 13 minutes later*
*Interior*
*Bob's Burgers Restaurant Bathroom*
*Linda POV*
"I'm predicting by now I'm probably the only one left. Any minute now and this thing will be over. Any minute now I'll be the winner. Ha ha! I'm going to be the winner". I boasted. As I slowly began to hear a footfall from the other side of the door and suddenly "Achoo!" someone sneezed most likely Rudy. As sweat began to drop from every pore and I heard the doorknob began to turn. "No, no don't come in here. This bathroom is out of order!" I quaked to myself as the door slowly opened as the timer on my phone went off "Beep! Beep!" "Yes all right! I win! I win!" I cheered while Rudy opened the door and saw me dancing before him.
"Wow I just ran out of time. What a game that was Linda. You won by the skin of your teeth!" Rudy congratulated as he offered me a handshake with his left hand. I shook Rudy's hand with my right hand for a moment. "Yeah I was bit nervous there for a second" I revealed wiping sweat from forehand with my right hand. "Well we better head up stairs and let everyone know the results" I reckoned. "Sounds like a plan" Rudy responded as we made our way out of the bathroom. I turned off the light in the bathroom and the two of us went over to the staircase to join everyone on the upper level.
End of chapter 7
Chapter 8 is in development.