---

 

This writing was accepted for publication in the 84 page perfect-bound issue... Down in the Dirt magazine (v110) (the September 2012 Issue) You can also order this 5.5" x 8.5" issue as an ISSN# paperback book:

Order this writing in the book Falling (a Down in the Dirt collection book)		get the 230 page Sept. - Dec. 2012 Down in the Dirt magazine issue collection 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:

Order this writing in the book After the Apocalypse (prose edition) (the 2012 prose collection book)		get this poem collection 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:

A Las Escondidas

Kevin Moore

    “Uno”
    The boy, known as “Lo”, facing the wall and with his hands over his eyes, had barely opened his mouth before the other boys were bolting away from him like rays from the sun.
    “Dos”
    One boy ran west, head up, scanning his surroundings, searching for his place. He turned left sharply, into an alley between two aluminum shacks. This would be his place, behind the cardboard box, easily escapable, and not too far from base.
    “Tres”
    Two other boys headed the opposite direction. They knew where they were going before the counting even began. They ran, their feet knew the rocky paths from years of rolled ankles and scuffed knees. The path forked into two dirt trails, and they skirted left. There the trail climbed steeply and they followed it for 30 meters, where they saw their spot. This was where they always hid, but were never found. The shorter boy boosted the taller onto the roof of the cinderblock house, and the taller then helped pull the shorter up. They laid flat on the roof with a clear view of Lo.
    “Quatro”
    The youngest boy playing crept away from Lo. He didn’t go more than 5 meters, and hid silently behind a squatter house. He laughed quietly, Lo would never think to look so close.
    “Cinco”
    The 6th boy ran south, with no destination in mind. He would have to improvise. He slowed down to think, and saw the snack counter. His first thought was his hunger, how great a bag of chips would be, but then he realized the potential cover the counter could provide. He ran up to the building, head barely peeking above the counter.
    “¿Puedo esconder aqui?”
    The lady working the store simply laughed and nodded, and the boy scurried over the counter. He crouched on the ground and a big smile crept across his face.
    “Seis”
    The oldest, strongest, and fastest boy chose not to hide. Instead, he walked 50 meters down the road and sat on the dirt road, in clear sight of Lo, and began to whistle smugly. He hoped to tempt Lo into a chase, one the oldest boy would surely win.
    “Siete”
    Another boy, one who had never played with these boys before, felt a tremendous panic. He didn’t know where to hide; where was too obvious, and where was out of bounds. He followed his feet down the road with his mind oblivious to any destination. Finally, he found himself at a junk pile. Quickly, he built himself a little, makeshift shack of aluminum and plywood, where he waited quietly, the only noise the persistent pounding of his heart.
    “Ocho”
     Still another hider bolted north, and although his hiding place was visible from anywhere, he surely wouldn’t be caught. He arrived, ran his hand across the rough surface, and then leapt up, climbing branch by leafless branch until he could climb no higher. He had a clear view of the entire Zone, and looked down on the others with a sense of superiority he never felt before.
    “Nueve”
    The last hider, one of the younger boys, tried to follow the boy in the tree, but the boy in the tree wouldn’t allow it. Therefore, the last boy, sensing he didn’t have time to find another spot, simply sat down on the ground and started playing in the dirt.
    “Diez”

Copyright of written pieces remain with the author, who has allowed it to be shown through Scars Publications and Design.Web site © Scars Publications and Design. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.

Problems with this page? Then deal with it...