“You’re out,” Jessie said triumphantly. She was a kick-baller with a chip on her shoulder. Her malice and intensity were never to be matched. As she returned to the mound to heave the next pitch, she saw herself on a professional sports arena surrounded by millions of fans, when in reality she stood at a discarded old match box that was left in the dirt, standing a few feet from the faded plastic Frisbee that was cracked and broken. The bit of plastic represented home plate in the kick ball game. The bases were loaded. Dan stood at third ready to charge home. Donny stood at second nearly peeing his pants. He drank about a half a case of juicy juice before this game. Now he stood cross-legged and begging to get out. Jenny was at first. Jenny never took these game seriously. She was attempting to get a ladybug to crawl on her hand. The small blonde girl wore pigtails and overalls. How she got on base was a mystery. The last out was a forced out at the plate; two outs had been recorded. Jessie took the red rubber ball in her hands, ready to deal the next roll. The dirt-covered red ball tumbled down the patch of grass towards home. Gregory stood as his team’s last hope. This was the last turn before supper.

Gregory knew that his team was only down by two scores. There were three people on base. It was his time to shine. The ball came bouncing down the line. It seemed to slow down. “This is it,” Gregory thought, “my time to shine.” He lifted his leg to kick this ball to kingdom come. With one swift motion, Gregory missed. He timed the kick wrong and fell backwards like a Charlie Brown field goal.

“Gregory!” his team yelled. The Super Ninja Monsters had lost every game that week. Jessie was having a good week pitching. Now she was the closer. But now the Super Ninja Monsters actually had a good chance to defeat the Toxic Rainbow Sprinkles. Strike one. Jessie set up and dealt the second roll. Gregory launched the ball clear into the air. The red ball looked like a comet with a trail of dusty dirt following into a tail. The rubber ball landed in old man Jenkins' yard.

“Foul!” Jessie screamed.

“Not-uh fair!” Protested Gregory.

“Look it’s clearly foul. The tree is foul.” Jessie pointed at the base line that consisted of the imaginary line stemming for third base. Third base, with half a pack of Marlboro’s that had been tramped and ripped to shreds under the feet of the third graders.

“It was totally fair.” Gregory and Jessie and their teams screamed hollered and fought over whether the ball was foul or fair. But one thing was for sure, they needed the ball back. But the ball was in mean old Mr. Jenkins' yard.

“Who’s going to get the ball?” Dan asked in the middle of the fighting. The super tall white fence was pointed and rough. The paint was coming off at several spots on the fence. The hinges and lock were rusted. Weeds could be seen over the tall fence. The third graders were unable to see the ball. There were no gaps in the fence, therefore they would have to look over it, but the fence was too tall.

“Your turn to get it,” Jessie said to Gregory.

“Why me?” He asked.

“You kicked it over, so you get it,” she answered.

“I’ll get it.” A brave volunteer came forward. Drew opened the gate and walked into the yard. The children saw him as he walked in. Drew looked at the tall weeds and looked back at his friends. “Guys it’s not scary in here. It’s fun.” Drew smiled, but none of his friend looked convinced as they saw the hand that grabbed Drew by the shoulder and yanked him into the weeds… gone. It was a skinny arm with a bony hand and pink skin! Pink skin? That meant the arm was not human. Oh dear, how are we going to get the ball back now?

“I’ll go, I’m not afraid,” Dan said puffing out his chest.

“Me too,” Donny added. Donny still had to pee and he thought the weeds were be a great thing to pee on. The two boys walked into the yard. Donny found a spot that no one could see him do his business in. Once he knew no one could see him, he dropped his trousers and sprayed like an out of control garden hose. The feeling of relief did not last long as the weeds Donny urinated on started to grow rapidly. The vines produced giant leaves that consumed Donny in one gulp. Once a plant eats you, then urine is trouble. Dan went into the weeds with a straight back and a fearless attitude. When he disappeared from sight, the others assumed him dead. Then Dan’s voice screamed, “Not a giraffe!”

Rock, paper and scissors time to decide who went in next. Gregory and Jessie started to duel, but the outcome did not matter. Everyone else went home out of fear.

“Well, it’s just the two of us,” Jessie said.

“I’m scared,” Gregory cried and sat down in protest.

“Come, if we go together it will not be that scary.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, but it can’t hurt.” The two walked into the evil yard. The weeds rustled.

“Oh no! Monster!” Gregory threw his arms in the air and ran as fast as he could all the way to home. A small hand moved the weeds. A slightly older fifth grader came out.

“Hey Russell,” Jessie said.

“Sup.” Russell kept walking. The weeds moved and shook a great deal as the red rubber ball flew out and landed at Jessie’s feet.

“Is this your ball little one?” asked an old man who wore a baby blue bathrobe and walked a tennis ball stick.

“It is, thanks mister!” Jessie grabbed the ball and hugged it.

“Blast! How many times do I have to tell these dang kids?” The old man pulled a leaf and Donny came out of the plant. “What does that sign say?” The old man pointed at the sign next to the plant Donny peed on. The sign read, “Do not pee on this plant. Rare Brazilian urine trap. Urinate at your own risk.”

“I don’t know.” Donny shrugged his shoulders and ran away.

“Haha!” Dan came crashing through. He was riding a purple giraffe.

“Dan! I thought you were dead?” Jessie asked.

“Dead! I’m their leader now! Forward!” Dan galloped into the other side of the weeds. Twenty or so giraffes followed, all different colors.

“Now we can play kick ball tomorrow.” Jessie turned to leave the yard.

“Jessie?” old man Jenkins called out to her. “It was fair,” he said.

The little girl went home to eat her supper and prepare for tomorrow’s big game.