Unavoidable.
Twin brothers prepare for a birthday party where there will inevitably be played a game of Hide and Seek in the dark. Francis Morton is deathly afraid of the darkness, of being scared in it, of the anticipation of being suddenly found with no warning or way to brace for it. For me, this was a strange short story and not what I expected from Graham Greene. It didn't have the fluidity that some of his longer works do and it also left me feeling cheated by the end when the reader discovers that Francis Morton has died from apparent shock at the hands of his brother, Peter, who was only trying to assure him, comfort him through the darkness.
Perhaps this was an exercise in imagery and foreshadowing that warrants further evaluation but I'm not sure I really want to read the story again to even try. Over all, this was a low point for me in reading short stories so far this year. Even with tones of sweetness and innocence, this piece didn't rise to the level of making me care, of making me fear right along with these young twin brothers. The story had potential...sadly, I don't feel it delivered.
Here is a link to the story online:
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/EndParty.html
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