After lunch on Saturdays, all the kids down on sixth street would rush to the ancient playground to indulge in the vibrant sun. They would spend their time swinging, sliding, and spoiling themselves with childish games until their mothers called them home for dinner. Some child always managed to scrape up their knee, which made the walk home even more treacherous; knowing peroxide and anti-bacterial ointment awaited them.
"Come on, guys! Lets play the sandbox game"! said a small blonde headed boy, while he was bouncing every which way.
"Okay, Robby," said a girl by the name of Ashley; the oldest of them all even though she was barely nine years old. "But you have to explain it to Scotty and Matty. They werent here last time. They were visiting their sick Gramma or something else boring."
The two brothers glanced at each other and Scotty bit his tongue. Matty was only four, the most susceptible to fear. Scotty always stayed close to his little brother. Scotty was three years older than Matty and he felt as if his only responsibility was to keep his little brother safe. A wide grin deployed across Robbys face.
"See that sandbox over there, boys?" he asked. Matty gazed around the yard for the monkey bars, the sandbox lying just below them. They were too tall for him to use, so he barely even noticed they existed. The sand in the sandbox was more like dirt. To Matty it radiated a sign saying Mom will get mad, so you better get to it!
"Yea! Lets go play in it!" Matty shouted in a high pitched voice. He almost began to run to the sandbox as if it would disappear if he didnt get to it in enough time. Robby put his hand on his chest to stop him from going anywhere.
"Hang on there, cheeseball. Im not done."
"Don't scare him Robby. You dont have to deal with him all the time." Scotty growled. Scotty didnt mind consoling Matty but he didnt like it when he was scared at all. Robbie groaned.
"Its just a game, spaz". Robby circled around the two brothers and began on his tale.
" So, underneath the surface in that sandbox lives a... monster!" Matty sighed.
"There's no monster."
"Oh, yes there is! He is big and hes scary and he has huge teeth. His eyes bulge from his fat ugly head as he stares into your soul wondering whether to salt you or pepper you like steak. Hes a dark slimy green with buff arms that grab you when you fall on to the sand. He chews you; bones and all. Till your dead!" Matty gasped at Robbys description of the fake monster.
"Just be lucky he cant leave the sandbox. He doesnt have feet, which is good for you squirt, since you run like a girl". Robby said while poking Matty in the chest.
"Do not! Im faster than you!"
"Are not!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
"Am too! "
"Why dont you prove it brat?" growled Robby.
"Alright, so Ashley said hesitantly stepping between the two, the point of the game is to hold on to the monkey bars as long as you can. The last one to drop, wins. The others get eaten by the monster. So, do you two want to play?" Scotty and Matty looked at each other for a second, then they bounded toward the outdated monkey bars that had the dirty sand underneath.
All four of the kids bounded up the bars on the side on the metal structure; their palms began to show splotches of dirt and grime from the ancient bars. They crawled their way to the top.
:Now, grab two bars and lower yourself down between them," said Robby. "Well do it on account of three." Scotty, Matty, and Ashley grabbed the bars preparing themselves for the drop.
"One," Robby said. Matty looked at Scotty smiling.
"Two." Ashley repositioned her hands. "Three!"
All four kids slid their bodies between the bars. Ashley automatically lost her grip and fell from the bars towards the sand. She landed on her feet and looked up at the boys.
"Can we restart, please?" She asked. As soon as the words tumbled from her mouth, the ground began to shift beneath her feet. The grungy skin of the beast began to shimmer through the sand.
"Ashley, watch out!" Matty screamed; pure panic engulfing him.
"Wha-" Ashley began but was cut off short; the mouth of the monster engulfing her, and just like that he resided beneath the ground again.
It appeared as if she just vanished, but all three boys saw the monster. Saw the scaly skin and smelled the rancid breath. Mattys face went extremely pale and Robby began screaming and thrashing his legs.
"W-w-what happened?" Matty whispered.
"I think she was eaten." Scotty whispered back. Robby began bawling.
"I dont want to play anymore! I want to go home!" Robby kicked and thrashed his feet hard. His body moved rapidly and his fingers slipped. He landed with a thud on his knees; he was crying when Scotty looked away as the monster dragged him under.
"Hang on tight, Matty."
"I dont wanna play anymore," cried Matty.
"I'm gonna get us away from here. Just hang on." Scotty tightened his grip on the rusty bars. He slowly began to pull himself up the monkey bars and he squeezed his body through them. He wrapped his fingers around Mattys wrist and began pulling him up through the monkey bars. Matty cried and struggled with Scotty to get on top of the bars. Scotty pulled Matty through the bars the rest of the way, and they both huffed from fright and hard work. They both looked down at the sand then looked at each other.
"Were going to have to make a run for it," Scotty Whispered.
"How are we supposed to get away from the sand?" Matty whispered back.
"We jump from up here and land on the grass. Its only a few feet away."
"Will we make it?"
Scotty paused. "Yes."
Scotty stood and helped pull Matty to his feet. They stood on the monkey bars, using the arch of their foot. Scotty tiptoed shakily to the edge and looked down at the distance between the old metal framework to the beginning of the beautiful green grass. Their salvation away from the creature that lived in the sand. It was so close he could taste it on the tip of his tongue.
Matty intertwined his fingers with Scottys shirt as he scooched across the bars. "Will it hurt?" he whimpered.
"Not at all." Scotty said back. They were on the very edge and he could feel his body sway back and forth with gawkish fear.
"Take my hand." Scotty pleaded and Matty listened, wrapping his fingers around his. "On the count of three." Scotty paused and listened to his brothers soft cries and deep inhales.
"One." The smell of rancid meat and decay wafted to their noses.
"Two." The sound of sand shifting sounded as loud as an avalanche. Did the monster suspect their plan?
"Three!" They both lunged themselves off the bars, and in the next instant they hit cold hard grass and dirt. Scotty felt like cheering. He thought Matty wouldnt make it, but he realized how brave his brother was in that moment. Still, hand in hand, the two brothers jumped to their feet in a fierce hurry. They began to run away from the sandbox and the horrible monster. To tell their parents what they saw, and to mourn over their friends. With their hearts pounding, they slowed to catch their breath. Leaning against an old oak tree, 60 feet away, they gulped in fresh air.
"It's a good thing they didn't think of it having legs." Matty whispered through breaths. A loud rippling sound eradicated through the park as the thing crawled out of the sandbox, standing up on it's new four stout legs.
