The sun was out and the sky was free of clouds and any other dangers that would interfere with such a lovely and warm day. The boys threw off their shirts and shoes and ran beyond the fence with the ball, kicking it around all over the field. One boy kicked it over the heads of the others and four boys chased it, splashing into the nearly swamp waters. Three of the boys picked themselves up and immediately stopped moving as the fourth boy collected the ball deeper in the swamp waters. The three boys looked at each other, and in the ankle deep water they found themselves in.

“Get back here, Billy!,” one of the three boys whispered at the other who had the ball in his hands. The young boy smiled and splashed his way back towards the other, who were as still as statues. Another boy whispered forcefully, “Don’t splash!” Another boy whispered, “They’ll come!”

Billy suddenly realized his indiscretion as he recognized the abject fear on the faces of his three friends. He held onto the ball tightly as he slowly waded towards them. He was up to his knees in brackish swamp water and stepped slowly towards them as three rangers in their camouflaged uniforms and hats raced around the brush to the edge of the swamp.

The closest ranger looked right into Billy’s terrified eyes, holding his fist out in front of him with his elbows pointing down, forming a triangle. Billy knew what that meant and stopped moving and stayed completely still as he heard the water tumultuously stir a few yards behind him. The ranger sidestepped to see what was stirring behind him and took a deep, distressed breath. He offered hand signals to the other rangers who understood and stepped to the edge of the swamp. The lead ranger grasped onto his long-barreled exotic weapon, flipping off the safety and charging up its dynamos. When the high pitched squeal of the reactor faded to a buzz, the ranger shouted, “Billy, run!”

The other rangers yanked the other kids out of the swamp and pushed them back towards when they came from. “Get back to the fortress!” the other rangers shouted as the three boys ran for their lives. The remaining rangers grabbed their weapons and knelt down as Billy splashed and ran towards them still holding onto the ball for dear life. The lead ranger fired at the pursuing bog creature as it growled and splashed after the boy, snapping its long tendrils at him like bullwhips. The young lad was strong and motivated and kicked up what seemed like half the swamp water as he ran for its edge. The flickers of white light burned through the monster and didn’t even slow it down. The other men fired as well but their attacks were ineffective as well.

Billy splashed out of the water and ran between the rangers back towards the fortress. The men retreated as well, and the lead ranger scooped up Billy to run faster back to safety. “What have I told you boys about entering the water?? You have to stop listening to the stories of old man Whithers about the Earth that was. You must respect the dangers of our new home...!”

Billy cried and apologized over and over that he knew better, still holding on that ball.

***

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