The Great Escape.

“D’you think we’re gonna be in a lotta trouble?” Six-year-old Matthew Sanders murmured to his saddened looking best friend, Noelle Harrison, who shrugged her shoulders, her lips pushing out in a pout as she thought about what kinds of punishments she could have received.

A young Brian Haner Junior sat beside them, his shoulders slumped as he looked into his lap. He was hoping that, if anything, sulking would help him receive a less severe punishment. Being adorable had never gotten him very far, but he refused to give up hope.

Just minutes earlier, the three friends had embarked in their biggest adventure yet. Behind Noelle’s house laid the most amazing place she’d ever seen, and she had decided that it was time that she showed her friends, so, when Matt’s parents dropped he and Brian off at Noelle’s house, they all gathered around in the living room as Noelle’s mother made dinner.

“I wanna take you to see somethin’, but you gotta promise you won’t tell nobody else about it!” Noelle spoke in a hushed voice, looking over her shoulder every now and then to make sure her mother wasn’t watching.

The boys agreed and one by one they cleared the living room, sneaking past Noelle’s mother and out the back door, which had been open to let fresh air into the house.

“Where are you takin’ us?” Brian asked as the three of them stood from their hands and knees.

“You’ll see,” Noelle grinned, motioning for them to follow her.

They all ran across the yard until it ended. They all climbed down the rock-covered slope that led onto Noelle’s special place. When they made it, Matt and Brian looked around as Noelle took her shoes off and began running around, the bottom of her dress twirling around her legs as she bounced and spun.

“Elle, it’s just the beach,” Brian scoffed, crossing his arms. Matt did the same.

Noelle stopped in her tracks. She felt insulted. It wasn’t just a beach to her. It was her own personal world where there were no rules. Where she could run free and play all day, or at least until dinner time.

“No it’s not!” she cried, pouting and stomping her foot into the sand as tears clouded her eyes. Matt and Brian remained in their places. So Noelle simply ran, albeit slow, down the beach until she was out of sight.

Matt and Brian simply shrugged and ran down into the water, splashing each other and laughing as they played. Soon, the sun had began to set, and there was still no trace of Noelle. Both boys became worried.

“Where’s Elle?” Matt asked as he trudged out of the water, his entire body soaked.

Brian, looking similar to Matt, came out as well, shrugging his shoulders. “Think we should go lookin’?”

Matt nodded his head in agreement and the boys set off down the beach, carefully looking for places where Noelle could’ve been hiding as they called her name over and over again. They couldn’t find her, and the sky was getting darker and darker every second.

Brian’s lower lip began quivering as he called out Noelle’s name one last time. No response. “Matt…what happened to her?” he sniffed, looking around. Matt shook his head.

“I think we should go get her mom,” Matt said. Brian nodded, and they began running back to where they started their search. Once back, they quickly climbed back into Noelle’s yard and ran into the house, yelling and screaming to Noelle’s mother, who had just finished cooking.

“Where did you two come from?! I thought you were upstairs with Noelle!” she exclaimed, crouching down to look at the boys. “What’s wrong?”

“We snuck outside, and we’re real sorry, but Noelle ran away and we can’t find her!” Brian cried, shaking his head rapidly as he pointed to the door.

“Oh, you mean she’s missing, huh?” Noelle’s mother smiled, quirking a brow. “Then why is she in the living room watching TV?”

The boys’ faces contorted in confusion as they both leaned to the side to look into the living room, only to see Noelle sitting on the couch with her favorite Sesame Street cup as she watched TV.

“But how…?”

“She told me she took a short cut through one of the neighbor’s yard,” she laughed before putting on a serious face. “But you’re all in a lot of trouble. I’ve called your parents and they’re on their way now.”

As their parents conversed, Brian and Matt quietly spoke between themselves before looking at Noelle and sighing.

“Elle,” Brian whispered, wrapping his arm around her. “We’re sorry for makin’ you cry. We didn’t mean it, honest.”

“And that beach really is nice…” Matt added, pouting at her in hopes that she’d forgive – if not both he and Brian – him.

Noelle tapped her chin, attempting to look lost in thought for a moment before grinning and waving Matt over. He jumped off of the couch, trading his seat beside Brian with one beside Noelle. Once he’d sat back down, Noelle wrapped an arm around each boy and pulled them in, nearly hugging the life out of them.

Just then, all of the parents in the kitchen turned to them, finally having come to a conclusion about what punishment to give the children.

Before any of them could speak, Noelle yelled, “Wait!”

“Yes?” Her mother asked, crossing her arms.

“I know what we did was bad, but please, just don’t make me leave my friends…"