Write in the Middle

Those Shoes “Jason!” Elise whispered. He turned his head slowly. Elise gestured for him to hand over the wooden spear, but he shook his head. Elise, Belle and Jason were crouched in the hidden drop off in the front of Elise’s property, where the street pipe let out its water. There was a three-foot stone wall and compacted dirt, concealing the three children. Belle was eight, Elise was nine, and Jason was ten. Belle began to hum, and Elise shooshed her. “Belle! If you keep making noise our parents will find us!” Dusk was approaching and Jason and Belle’s mother was calling for them to come because it was time to go. “If we want to stay hidden all night, you idiots need to shut up,” Jason snapped. And they did, because Jason was the boy and the eldest. Elise’s legs began to cramp, and her feet were so far dug into the loose dirt, that her sneakers began to fill up. Vines surrounded the children, and Belle seemed to be a little tangled up, so she stood up to free herself. Elise grabbed her hand, and yanked her down. “Stop! You’ll give us away!” Elise was not about to show Jason that she wasn’t brave and defiant like him. Belle plopped down, and pulled her knees to her chest. “I don’t know if I want to stay till it gets dark.” “Belle, stop whining. Our moms will probably look for us for another hour, so everyone just be quiet and wait.” He tightened the grip on the stick he had sharpened with a rock. Elise didn’t know exactly why they wanted to hide out so bad, and stay in the gully till morning; maybe for the thrill, or the fact that Jason was always so violent towards Elise and Belle, but now he was actually protecting them. A small, entirely red bug crawled over a dirt mound. “What is that?” Belle whispered. Jason widened his eyes. “I know those bugs… they bite, and their bite will kill you.” Belle gasped, and Elise played along. “Really?” she widened her eyes as well. “Yup. My friend’s mom got bit.” The two girls sighed in pity. “But don’t worry!” Jason continued, “I’ll kill it for you.” Belle and Elise pressed their backs up against the wall, as Jason buried the tiny big under dirt, and then plunged his spear into the ground. “Its dead.” Elise beamed at him. “What would we do without you?” she thought Jason was somewhat like Peter Pan, and Elise was always ready to be Wendy. By the look on Belle’s face, Elise could tell she really believed the bug was deadly, but Elise knew deep down Jason was fibbing to earn himself some glory. “So Jason, when it gets dark and my parents are asleep, and your mom is home, me and Belle are going to get fruit in my corral.” He nodded, “What fruit do you have?” “Um… plums, apricots…” 29