hide and seek, anyone?

sure, i'll play
i seem to say

but before we begin,
we've got to decide who's
it.

who seeks
and who hides?

does the hider actually enjoy hiding really well?
or is the anticipation of being found the REAL excitement.

does the seeker enjoy the seeking,
or more the moment of victory?
see, the thing about finding the last person is that
after that point
the seeker is not 'it'
anymore

and it is a whole new game

and at what
point does a hider realize
if the seeker has stopped looking
for them?

...have they just hidden so well
that the seeker is left with no options
but to give up?

maybe the hider thought they were playing hide and seek
when really
it was tag
and the dumbass is actually supposed to be chasing people, instead of
sitting up in a tree all day long.

maybe the seeker got tired wandering around seeking, and decided to take a little power nap?

maybe the hider is an idiot, and was actually 'it' themselves?

perhaps the seeker got pissed off,
'cause they didn't want to be the seeker in the first damn place,
they wanted to play cops and robbers, actually
but no one would listen.
and so now
the seeker has stopped playing completely
in hopes
the hiders
will just get tired and go home.

maybe the seeker was counting to a hundred,
got to eighty-four,
and suddenly remembered what they were supposed to be doing instead
of playing hide and seek
and totally bailed on the game
leaving the idiot hiding

waiting to be found

unaware the seeker is now at home
making dinner. (or doing laundry. or playing cops and robbers...)

they say those who remain hidden the longest
are considered the best players.
but perhaps sometimes,
they are just ignorant to what is going on around them..
(like...it's pitch black out, and you've heard no sign of life for quite some time...well, except that rustling in the bush just behind you...oh, and that somewhat creepy growling noise to your left..)

but goddammit,
this game is not called
"hide for no reason while no one seeks".
and if you can't trust that the asshole seeker isn't actually LOOKING
then,
can you even play?
(or maybe,
that's part of 'the excitement'?)
simple childhood game, my ass.

i would much rather play truth or dare