Selen ran through the tall bushes behind the slides, giggling childishly as she crouched down to hide.
She was the last remaining player in this game, and if she just held on for one more minute-!
"Aha! Found you!"
She jumped in shock as her friend - Puro jumped out from the other side of the bush, tackling her to the ground with laughter.
"Your tail was poking out, dummy."
Wait really? Dang it.
Selen pouted as she let Puro officially tag her with a boop on her nose, signalling the end of the game as Puro finally allowed Selen to get back on her feet.
"Now, time for round tw-" She announced, but not before her mother trapped her in a hug and straight up plucked her from the ground.
"Oh no missy, it's time for dinner and I'm sure your friends will have to be home soon too." Her mother looked at Puro pointedly, "Isn't that right, Puro?"
Trapped between the pleading eyes of her best friend and the judgemental eyes of her best friends mother, Puro could barely stammer out a "Y-yes Ma'am, I should go too.." before shooting Selen an apologetic look and running off.
Betrayal, literal betrayal.
That was what remained in Selen's head as she got forcefully extracted home, and it was what remained in her head as she went to school the following day, head brimming with a hundred ways to scold her bestie and a few thousand ways it will end in her being scolded instead.
Well she's not a risk taker for nothing, a chance to win is a good chance itself.
But just as she steeled herself to walk through the door and start her debate(?), something felt off.
Something was very off.
It felt wrong being in front of the door.
Like her instincts were screaming for her to run away.
Maybe I should go home..Selen mused, foot tapping anxiously against the floor as she debated internally whether she should go home or go in.
"Eh, maybe mom was right, it's just a classic case of 'school sickness'" She shrugged, opening the door. "Puro! I-"
.
.
.
She woke up in the hospital.
With no memory of what happened that day.