Her hands smelt sweet
As they were clammy with sweat
And she wrapped them gently
Around my nose and mouth.
She stood behind me
Protecting me with ferocity
And I leaned in, heavy
Against her thin frame.
He was coming now,
His tall shadow cast out
By the light from the hall.
I shivered, she whispered,
“When I say go, run.”
I nodded, my body frozen
And it couldn’t have been
More than a few seconds
Until I heard her yell
And before I knew it, I was
Sprinting, abandoning her,
And I heard her scream loud,
As though she was being mauled
By a wild beast and I whimpered.

“TAG, YOU’RE IT!” he yelled.
The game was over, so
I turned around and ran back,
Only to begin another round.