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As Tia had imagined Birim didn’t show up on the day they met at the park, but he had not told anyone what they wanted to do. He said that he was kind of scared to wander alone outside, without any adult with them. Herold accepted his answer on the spot and Tia didn’t have any complaints about it either. She didn’t like him in the first place so it worked in her favor. But Herold told him that there was nothing to be afraid of and that he could protect him if something happened. But he didn’t come the next day or the day after. Each day at the kindergarten Herold tried to persuade him to finally come with them and how much fun they had. If you can walking aimlessly around town and chasing Herold because he offended Tia call fun, she thought. And so a full week had passed since they first started to search for a hideout.
They searched everything in the neighborhood in the short time they had, from around three to half-past four but without any luck. Herold even claimed that her artifact, the domino stone of discovery, was useless. But Tia countered that it was probably because it was for finding lost stuff and the hideout was not lost. They always confined themselves in the space away from the big street, where cars drove that surrounded their neighborhood. Their parents told them very clearly that it was forbidden to go near it because it was dangerous.
“Today we will cross the big street.”, announced Tia lively. They had met up in front of Tia's house and were on their way to the park. Herold made a grimace. “You are joking, right? Cars are scary you know. They are really fast and just run you over.” Tia raised her index finger and wiggled it from side to side. “There is nothing to fear. We just need to hide ourselves, until the big street is free and then we run across. As long as nobody sees us it will be fine.” Herold glanced at the surrounding houses. In the last few days, they got often called from the windows or yards and even if they weren't called out at least one person in a block watched over them at all times. It was like the whole neighborhood was surveilling them. And if they came to close to the big street many of them called out to them to not go any further.
“You really think we can go there unseen?”, he asked doubtfully. “We just have to. There is nothing here that would make a good place for a hideout. And I have a plan anyway.”, said Tia with a swollen chest. “We look at the blocks near the big street. If we see someone there, we turn back and try another one. There can impossibly at all of them be people who are watching the streets right now.” But Herold wasn’t convinced yet. “But what if the people who see us realize that we want to cross. I mean a lot of people will see us and they could figure out what we are trying to do.” “There's no way. True, people will see us but they will only see us coming and going. They won't run to other houses and ask if we tried to go through there too. So it is a foolproof plan.”, lectured Tia. “You sure?”, he asked his face full of hesitation. A grin formed on Tia's lips. He was wavering and needed just one more push. “Of course. I am the demon lord after all. And imagine how awesome it will be when we finally find the perfect hideout. We will be able to practice magic at last.” Herold squinted his eyes and rubbed his shoulder in thought, his tail going up and down slowly. “Alright, we try. But if the people get suspicious we stop, okay?”, he said with reluctance. “Okay, no objection. But I doubt it will come to this. I think that way is closest to the big street so let's go there.” Tia jumped against a hedge on the side, crouched, and slowly went down the road. Herold raised a brow. “What are you doing?” “Sneaking, obviously. So that we won't pull attention to us.”, she whispered in a hushed voice. “Ah, that makes sense.”, answered Herold and ducked behind Tia. Gradually they made it past the first block. At a crossroad, Tia peeked down the streets to the side, confirmed that they were empty and hushed over it. She looked back to see if Herold managed to pass it safely too. He was on the edge of the hedge peeked down the streets like Tia before him and sprinted over the street. Tia gave him a silent thumbs up and continued covertly to walk.
“What are you two playing?”, asked a voice directly above them. Shocked Tia threw her head into her neck and saw a man leaning over the hedge. Cold sweat formed on her back, her brain recking itself for a search of a good answer. It didn’t help that Herold was nervously pulling on her shirt. “Erm, Hide and seek?”, she answered finally. “Ah is that so. But you better go down another street. Over there is the main road and you don’t want to get too close to that.”, advised the man. “Wha? I did not know that.”, Tia mumbled with a stiff voice. She turned around to Herold. His face was pale and he was covered in sweat. “We better go somewhere else then, right?” Herold nodded vehemently. Tia looked back at the man and saw that he had put on an apologetic face. “Didn’t want to scare you kids. I am sorry that I did, but just be aware of the main road. okay?” “Okay. Thanks. Bye.” Tia turned to Herold and pushed him into the opposite direction.
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They started to run and only stopped after Tia fell on her knees wheezing. “That was scary.”, panted Herold. Tia tried to say that it was indeed scary but couldn’t get a word out. Her lungs demanded air. “Let's try that way next.”, said Tia after she had recovered a bit. “No way! What if we get caught again?” Herold stared at her wide-eyed.
“Come on don’t be a Birim. We just have to say that we play hide and seek again. Trust me it will work.” Tia didn’t wait for an answer and sneaked down another road. Small footsteps behind her told her that Herold followed her. This time they reached the big street without any obstructions. A victory smile flashed across Tia's face while she turned to Herold. He nodded at her. “Okay, we made it. And now we wait?”, he asked and scanned the big street. It was packed with cars rushing with huge speeds across the black asphalt. “Yes. They can’t be there co…” “Hey, kiddies what do you do here?” Herold sucked in sharply air and the blood vanished from his face. But Tia was prepared this time. With a smile, she turned to the source of the voice. “Ah, we are playing hide and…” Her voice trailed off. In front of her stood a man in the same clothes her brother wore when he went to work. A policeman.
“This is the main road. Children have nothing to do here. Scram!” Without another word they put their feet's into their hands and sprinted away.
“That was a policeman Tia. We can’t do that again!”, shouted Herold, still filled with fear. “No, huff huff, we, huff huff, can, huff huff, try, huff huff, another, huff huff, road.” Tia laid with her back on the ground and gasped for air. Her sides hurt like crazy with each breath. She hated running. “Now we know, huff huff, that on another way there will be, huff huff, no policeman.” “And how do you know that?”, frowned Herold. “Easy. He can’t be everywhere. We just go in the opposite direction. Just give me a minute. Or five.”
“I told you to stay away from the main road! That is not that hard to understand is it?” Before Tia and Herold stood the same policeman again. They went to the opposite direction to make sure not to encounter him again but even before they had reached the big road, he had appeared behind them. “We didn’t want to go there. We are just playing hide and seek.”, cried Tia scared. They weren’t at the big road yet. Two or three blocks were still between them and it. So he didn’t have real proof. At least that was what Tia was thinking. “Do you think I am dumb? I monitored you just to be sure and see, here you went straight to the edge of the sector. That is my last warning. If I find out that you are approaching the main street again I will bring you home personally and have a talk with your parents. Is that clear?” “Y, yes sir.”, answered Herold and Tia without delay. They were both terrified. His voice was intimidating and his long scaled tail hit the ground with each of his words. Tia had often experienced the anger of her mother but he was still extremely scary. And the thread that her mother could find out that they wanted to cross the big street, even though she clearly had forbidden it, brought her close to tears. “I will observe you, so forget what you wanted to do and just go home!” With these words as their cue, they ran away from the policeman again.
As Tia laid on the ground gasping for air, her thoughts went wild. She couldn’t imagine how he had observed them. They went into a whole different direction and she had looked around a few times and never seen that policeman. Did he make himself invisible? Or could he fly and looked at them from above? She scanned the sky but didn’t see anything but clouds. She couldn’t figure out a thing. Her only clue was that he was a policeman and somehow monitored them. Maybe she could ask her brother about it.
“That's it!”, said Herold decisive. “I will never go close to the big street ever again, no matter what you say.” Tia nodded. “No, I am with you here. Nothing in the world will get me close to that road ever again. That was not something I want to experience again. Ever.” “So you have reason.”, gasped Herold dumbfounded. “What is that supposed to mean? I am determent, but not dumb.”, gave Tia back defiantly.
A bell rang from the streetlights. “It is now 16:30. All children should go home now.”
“Ah damn, we wasted so much time again today.”, complained Tia. “Yeah, and it was scary.” He paused for a moment.
“But that sneaking around was fun.”