Macabre

7. Sandbox Monster

Seven kids were outside. Their parents were inside the park building, and all seven children were on the monkey bars.

They were young, still with imaginary monsters under the bed and in the closet. The oldest, a boy, had created a game. There was a 'monster' in the sandbox below them. Last one to survive, or stay on the monkey bars, wins.

A few minutes pass. They each gave the monster an attribute. The first child gave him white eyes, the second gave him scales. This went on until the monster was a terrifying, carnivorous beast.

No one got off the monkey bars.

Then the oldest boy, the one who created the game, jumped off. "This is ridiculous," he says, as the monster reaches out a scaly hand and pulls him into the sand.

All the children scream. They pull up their dangling legs and cower on top of the monkey bars. The parents in the park building hear the screaming as a playful laughter type thing, and ignore it completely.

One by one, the monster reaches up impossibly long arms and grabs the arm or leg of its next underage victim.

Three children remain now.

The scaly hand reaches up once more. Two kids push the other one down, and he falls to the sand. A claw catches his eye and he screams.

The two children leap off the monkey bars and sprint off, not looking back. A safe distance away, they stop and turn. There was no evidence that there was any monster at all.

One turns to the other. "Good thing we didn't give it legs."

Just then, the monster leaps from the sandbox on strong, stable legs. They turn to each other. They had both gave it legs when the boy said that.

The parents, oblivious, came outside. A few seconds later, the children were the only survivors.

The monster turns to them. Then it lunges, white eyes wide, mouth open, sharp teeth easily tearing through their clothing and skin.

Its a bummer they gave it immortality.