Nick decides to stay home alone while his family runs out to do chores. But Nick soon discovers, perhaps he does have company with him after all.
INTRO:
This is the fifth and final installment of the Caveat Emptor Series. This story is told from the perspective of a male. All names have been changed to protect their identity.

Part Five: Going in Circles

I’m Tasha Wheelhouse and this is Coppershock.

BODY:
I reveled in being alone, until the night this happened to me. I was chasing Rickelle in a game we made up, we called it “shark”. She and I ran around the entire house. The hallway connected from the front door down a hallway of bedrooms to the kitchen, and through the kitchen there was a back hallway of bedroom doors until it circled around again to the front door. If I was “Shark”,  I would give Rickelle a 15 second head start. She’d walk off in one direction of our house, and when it was time I’d go to chase her. Rickelle was allowed to change direction whenever she’d like, but if I caught her during the chase, then it was her turn to be “shark”.
“Ok I’m going to go now!” She said. “But this time if I can sneak up on you by tugging your shirt you stay it.” I liked that twist, it meant that I could get caught too, which only heightened the suspense. I closed my eye’s and started counting. I heard her little padded feet run down the hallway. I smiled to myself. I was going to hunt her down and tag her. This game required stealth. Which I felt I was very good at.
After counting out loud to the number “15”, I started to tiptoe down my hallway toward the front door. Passing the Den opening I scanned to see if she was in “the Safe Zone”. It was empty. I then heard a board creak from around the corner. Was she trying to wait there to tag me first? I smiled and slid my back against the wall, creeping carefully up to the corner. I leaned forward and thrust out my hand. It fell through nothing but air. I poked my head out, the hallway corner was empty. I stood a moment straining my ears.
A small giggle from behind me in the distance around the inside of the kitchen. Walking through the door, all the table chairs were strewn about the floor. At first I was confused. I carefully stepped around them as I approached the back hallway that lead up front again from the side. I heard a bedroom door click shut.
That cheater! She did duck into one of the bedrooms? If I caught her she deserved a small indian burn from me. I still wanted to scare her and so I quietly pranced up to the door. I pressed my ear up to it. I heard her breathing. I reached out my hand clutching the cold brass door handle.
Just then a hand tugged on the back of my shirt!
“Tag you’re still it!” Rickelle laughed from behind me. I whirled around to see my short little sister standing there with big brown eye’s and a face of pride for outsmarting her 10 year old big brother. I stared at her dumbfounded. Then looked back to the door. I opened it. The room was empty.
“Rickelle did you go into this room?” Her face melted into disdain.
“That’s against the rules!” She protested, she felt like I was attacking her integrity. But I furrowed my brow and looked back to the empty room, slowly shutting the door.

Later that night, Dad was out late working again, and I was in the Den with one leg swinging over the arm of the couch.
“Nick!” My mom appeared in the archway putting on her coat and swinging her purse onto her shoulder.
“Nick will you turn down that Tv for a minute? You coming with us?”
“No Thanks. I’ll stay here. Digimon is on.”
“Okay. Common Rickelle, Cassandra.”
“Mom! I want to stay home and watch TV too!” Rickelle whined.
“Sorry baby but you’re not old enough to stay home alone. Nick is.”
My mom then pushed the girls out the door. Before she closed it she leaned in and said “We’ll just be going to the...