The Cheater
The reason I can’t beat him is simple; he cheats.
When we were walking home from school, he said “let’s race to that gate”. As I looked to where he was pointing, he shouted “go!” and charged off. He won of course.
Yesterday, playing ‘Crossie’ on the iPad, I was really thrashing his score, until he shoved his hand in front of my eyes. Once we played Jenga; he deliberately wobbled the table.
But tonight, I’ll get my revenge.
It’s hide and seek and I’m squashed under the floorboards of the shed. He’s out there in the garden, but he’ll never find me.
Suddenly my phone starts to ring and I hear heavy footsteps above me. The loose plank is slowly lifted. And there he is, phone in hand, laughing.
“Found you, ``ring ring. Come on, I’ll help you out. It’s my turn to hide now.”
“You cheated again, Grandad.”
John has worked around the world - now settled in the North East of England. Articles published in The Guardian, Retreatwest and Junior Education. Flash fiction pieces in 101 Words, Paragraph Planet and Topically Challenged. Joint author of Rough Rides. Winner of The Times short story competition.
This story was shortlisted in the October 24 Monthly Micro Competition.