This is not a game that many people can play in their parents’ homes, terraces, paper-thin semis or whatever grandiose lodgings they might live in. But Cluanie lodge with its three floors, myriad rooms, enhanced for the game by the total lack of light (enhanced, for no one has yet in their description of the lodge mentioned the threadbareness of the fittings – but then (& a good thigh bash should be applied here) we’re a heroic bunch of people and could live through a great deal of hardship, for only £120pw for 15 people we could live through even more hardship – given enough layers of clothing).
But on and back from this self-congratulating to the jumping, shouting and overall frenzy of people around the fire after we had decided to play. It had to be on Sunday night since Malcolm was to leave the next day. That this meant 11 o’clock at night wasn’t going to be remarked on until 1/½ way up mountains the next day.
By some totally random and no doubt fixed manner Jane was chosen to hide. Having first searched for her headtorch 2 minutes were wasted before the hounds started rattling over the house. In ones, twos & armies we bumped, stumbled, groped (the walls, furniture & bodies); asking, listening and sweeping out the whole house.
Having traversed Janet and David’s room (the next game be to find the missing bed) I slithered past David and David leaving my room, only to find a foot in the room. Hearing no complaint on pulling and shaking this foot I sat down. Of course I had to presume that this foot owned a body & this body was either Jane or someone else who had found her – but I couldn’t see, opening and closing my eyes made no difference, it was so dark.
A low buzzing of whispers flew around the group when we thought that everyone else was far enough away – and Tim’s entreaties to his group that he just knew we were on the floor below gave us hope and a talking space – so we could find out who else was there. But Jane’s quick flash of her headtorch to see silently brought Dave G. flying back. The silence of the group was shattering – and amazingly effective. But he knew we were there and strove valiently on into our recess to discover us by touch. After this the group grew rapidly until only two searching groups remained. The noise of these groups meant that they couldn’t hear our cackeling (what odds I’ve misspelt that), But by deduction (logical or otherwise), Malcolm’s party fell over us – at which point the cackling grew to a level that even Archie, Louise & lain couldn’t miss U S ・
Pleased with the success and speed of that game, we started again, lan hiding since he was the last to find us before. But this was to be a longer, more gruelling game. Even in smaller groups, searching every nook and cranny, standing stock still in rooms and listening for the slightest creak, researching and rebumping into the same people (esp. Janet in my case) – the going , was harder. At last I resorted to the front porch (desperation). (Passed Andrea and Amanda hand-in-hand, keeping each other safe from the marauding savages). EMPTY! – but! – • very slowly they increased, next was (yes, you’ve guessed it) Janet, (why else do you think I mentioned her above). An then an undefined trickle (or rather, unremember ed) of people – including Dave G. who entered and even left before jumping back in at the sound of Dave W.’s laughter – only to leave later to calm Lizzie down who was pulling the kitchen to bits – before ending near 1.30 with Archie and Louise being the last in. A good game, to be continued I hope.
Mark.