Maggie sat huddled in the corner of the abandoned gas station, her knees pulled up to her chest, and her face buried in the tattered fur of Sir Fluffkins the Third. The once pristine white fur was now stained with streaks of crimson, a grim reminder of the close call she'd had with one of those "hide and seek" players earlier.

"Stupid game," she muttered, her voice thick with tears. "I hate this game. Why won't they just come out and stop hiding already?"

She sniffled, lifting her head to glare at the bloodied baseball bat leaning against the wall beside her. "And you're no help at all, Ms. Slugger. You're supposed to be knocking them out, not making more stains."

A soft shuffling sound from the doorway drew her attention, and she whipped her head around, eyes narrowing as a figure stepped into the dim light filtering through the grimy windows.

"Stay back!" she warned, her hand tightening around the bat's grip. "I'm not afraid to use this!"