Page 138 of Hide And Seek

He tapped something on his phone again. Then he handed it to me. “Press play.”

A still frame filled the screen. A mountain trail. Green pines. A timestamp in the corner. The video was twenty-four minutes long.

“You want me to watch this whole thing?” I asked.

“Every second,” he said. “Trust me.”

I pressed play.

The footage was shaky in the casual way phone videos always were, clearly filmed by Rhys himself as he walked along a narrow mountain trail behind a girl in black leggings and a pale blue athletic top. Her dark ponytail swung back and forth between her shoulders as she moved ahead of him, sunlight flashing through the trees around them.

“This is Gen?” I asked, glancing up for a second.

Rhys nodded, and I returned my attention back to the screen.

Gen glanced over her shoulder, slightly breathless. “You were right about this trail. It’s way harder than the other one.”

“It’s worth it,” Rhys said from behind the camera. “You’re gonna love the view at the end.”

“How much farther?”

“We’re basically there.”

The trail curved sharply a few seconds later, and the trees suddenly fell away into an open rocky clearing perched high above a brutal drop. The mountains stretched for miles in the distance, layered in smoky blue beneath a sky streaked gold and pink by the sun.

Gen walked toward the edge before stopping a few feet back, laughing in disbelief. “Holy shit, this isinsane.”

Rhys chuckled. “Told you.”

She turned toward him again, smiling wide enough that it reached her eyes. Then her expression shifted slightly. “Are you filming me?”

“Just getting ready to take some photos. I assumed you’d want some for Instagram.”

“Oh. Obviously.” She threw her hands out in an exaggerated pose, then abruptly dropped them. “Wait, I don’t look too sweaty, do I?”

“You look fine. But step back a little. Closer to the edge.”

Gen’s smile flickered. “Why?”

“The drop behind you is the whole point, so we really need to see it. Otherwise it's just a photo of a girl standing outside somewhere, and no one’s gonna care about that,” Rhys said. “Just be careful.”

“Okay.” She glanced behind her, then took three small steps back, loose gravel shifting under her shoes. “Better?”

“Perfect.”

She started posing again, brushing loose strands of hair out of her face as she shifted sideways for the camera. Then there was a sound. A zip, followed by the soft rustle of fabric.

Gen’s eyes dropped toward something out of frame, and the smile vanished from her face. “What’s that?” she asked, voice laced with trepidation.

The camera moved closer to her. Gravel crunched underfoot.

“It’s a hunting knife,” Rhys said. Every trace of warmth had disappeared from his voice.

Gen let out a nervous laugh that sounded painfully forced. “Okay…” she said. “Are we going hunting after this?”

“No.” The camera moved closer again. “I just think it’s a good way to get you talking.”

Her shoulders locked, and one hand lifted slightly, palm facing outward. “This really isn’t funny, Rhys. Can you put that thing away?”