The group followed Geraldine through the glamorous, regal heart of The Borden Estate. A chorus of oohs and aahs trailed behind her. The shiny marble, aristocratic furnishings, stunning décor, and posh artwork were a sensory overload to a pair of families accustomed to spinning their tires, entrenched in modest lifestyles.

After passing through the dual-staircase at the entrance of the property, they made their way through an enormous parlor, then entered the ballroom. Once they passed over the polished floorboards of the dance hall, Geraldine opened a set of French doors that led to the rear patio, which brought them back outside, into the beautiful summer air.

The well-watered lawn at the rear of the estate was just as micromanaged as the one at the front; each blade of grass aligned perfectly with the others. Articulately trimmed hedges lined the grounds, and exotic flowers were in bloom. Beauty was theirs to behold.

The garden and edge of the cliff could be seen off in the distance, but it seemed so far away that it could’ve been on a different planet. Additionally, the variety of breathtaking trees within the space left an aura of peacefulness in the air.

However, standing closest to the castle, the focus of the backyard was the playground.

The slab was littered with truckloads of inviting soft sand and measured about the size of a football field, encompassed by black, protective fencing. Amid the calming piles of russet mulch that lined the play space was the true spectacle.

It wasn’t exactly what the families had imagined.

Isaac had lofty expectations based on the way Geraldine had hyped her creations.

All the equipment appeared brand new. It was freshly painted, colorfully designed, and stretched around the mini-arena. It had everything one might expect when going to a playground, but as Isaac adjusted his glasses and cycled through his mental checklist, he couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed as he counted the fixtures.

Belt swing, flat swing, bucket swing, straight slide, curved slide, spiral slide, seesaw, monkey bars, merry-go-round, spring riders, mega trampoline, rope climber, dome climber, sandbox, hopscotch, teeter totter, steel rings.

Granted, there were some variations in the magnitude and scale of each piece on the playground, but the fact that Isaac was able to identify each structure he saw proved they were all classic designs. It was probably the nicest playground he’d ever seen, but his excitement was no longer next-level.

She said she was working on these designs for years. Isaac looked over at the weathered old bat. Creations my butt. You’re freakin’ full of it, lady.

Still, there was one structure much different from any he’d seen before. A mountain of a slide sat in the back of the giant sandbox. The structure rose to a height that looked like it might cause a nosebleed.

Isaac hadn’t noticed it initially, for the leaves and branches camouflaged it, the hunter-green chute and tan pillars sharing the color scheme with the surrounding plant life. The huge slide tucked away in the corner of the playground was nearly as tall as the towering trees in the backdrop, yet it had no steps, so Isaac wasn’t sure how anyone could use the darned thing.

The extreme elevation wasn’t the only aspect of the slide that was a bit odd. Additionally, the transportation tube curled side to side many times over, stretching nearly a third of the way across the playground. But maybe the strangest detail was that there didn’t seem to be an end to the ride. With no bottom in sight, the tube went directly into the ground.

Notwithstanding Isaac’s gripes, the rest of the children were foaming at the mouth. The spectacular fortress of fun standing before them was legendary. Sadie and Sam had already run to the locked gate, with Kip, CJ, and Tanya all in tow. Bobby hung back and studied Isaac’s reaction. The snobby snarl of pretentiousness he saw on Isaac’s face disgusted him. He

hadn’t known the boy long, but knew he was the type of person that pissed him off.

A sense of dread and discomfort found Isaac. He knew from experience that, like many of his elementary antagonists, Bobby smelled blood in the water. Isaac knew he was a snack so pathetic and easy that Bobby was ready to chew him up. But like a wild animal, Bobby enjoyed maiming and toying with his prey a bit before consuming it.

The boys were far enough away from their parents that Bobby felt comfortable taking a shot at Isaac.

“What? Not good enough for you?” Bobby asked. “No, I just thought it would have—”

The question was rhetorical; Bobby didn’t need the answer to drop his jab at Isaac.

“If it’s not good enough for you, why don’t you just flap those huge, fucked-up ears of yours and fly away, Dumbo.”

Bobby slammed his shoulder into Isaac en route to join the rest of the children.

“Hey,” Isaac moused.

“What’re you gonna do about it?” Bobby asked. Isaac remained mum.

“That’s what I thought.”

Bobby cracked his knuckles as a big grin found his face. He turned his back on Isaac and headed to the rest of the kids.

Isaac rubbed his arm but kept his mouth shut. He was a shy kid, one who didn’t want to be the focal point of a spectacle. He also would prefer to not look like a tattle-tail in front of all the kids he was going to share the playground with. Massaging the pain in his bicep, Isaac crept closer to the group.

The parents naturally migrated together and stood in a small cluster on the other side.

“C’mon, open up!” Sadie shrieked. “Yeah, let’s play!” Sam added.

“Heck, yeah!” Kip concurred.

“Okay, ha-ha, I understand,” Geraldine said. “But we have to get the okay from your parents first. What do you say, does everything look kosher?”

“It looks incredible,” Lacey said.

“So, that brochure, it said that you might be choosing a less fortunate city to build something like this in. How are you deciding that exactly?” Molly asked.

“I won’t be deciding at all.” “You won’t?”

Geraldine shook her head. “Then who will?”

“Why, the children will, of course.” Geraldine signaled to the children. “How so?” Molly asked.

“The children who offer the best data and feedback will be the ones to decide. We want you to really let loose! Play with more enthusiasm and rambunctiousness than you’ve ever played with before!”

Geraldine grinned.

The feeling of delight swam laps inside Molly. She glanced at her husband, who still looked to be erring more on the side of concern.

“Like a contest, you mean?” Greg asked. “In a way, yes.”

Greg glanced at CJ and gave him a wink accompanied by a thumbs-up. If there would be a winner crowned, it damned well better be someone in the Matthews clan.

“You know what to do, killer. I don’t wanna catch you running out of gas out there. I’ll be watching,” Greg said.

CJ nodded solemnly at Greg.

He wasn’t as enthusiastic as his father, but nonetheless, he was ready to do his best to please him. He was already overly familiar with the uncomfortable pressure his father applied on him with consistency. Every day was a new brass ring to reach for, a new achievement to collect.

“What’s that big slide in the back?” Tom asked, pointing out the green monster in the trees.

“Oh, that’s just for aesthetic purposes,” Geraldine said. “Why doesn’t it work? Is there a problem with it?”

“No, it’s still operational, but we don’t typically use it, and as of right now, the ascension shaft is locked.”

“Good, ’cause that worries me. Might get a nosebleed just climbing the thing,” Tom added.

“But with your permission, I’d like to open this gate. After which, we will head to the spy room and watch from afar. But we need everyone’s consent to move forward; it’s all or nothing.”

“Let’s do it!” Greg yelled.

He wrapped his arm around Lacey. “Woo baby!” Lacey hollered.

“I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with the kids being out here alone,” Tom said.

“Jesus Christ, talk about overprotective. Buddy, just let the fucking kids be kids,” Greg scoffed.

“I’d appreciate it if you mind your own goddamn business. How about you make the decisions for your kids and I’ll make the decisions for mine.”

“I think that might be the problem. You’re a softie. It’s obvious. That’s probably why your boy looks about as delicate as a dandelion. And my boys, well, let’s just say he wouldn’t put much fear in ‘em.”

“Don’t talk about my son that way!” Tom yelled. He took a step toward Greg.

The uber-competitive dad smirked in Tom’s face.

Despite having the shell of a sweetheart, Tom had grown up in the slums. Getting jumped over nothing was an ordinary event. Being hassled on the streets had hardened him. He’d learned to leave all that behind and smooth himself out, but just because he’d grown tender didn’t mean those rough edges couldn’t rise out of him at the drop of a hat. If someone pushed it too far, occasionally the old-school Tom came out of hibernation.

Isaac couldn’t believe his father’s reaction. His old man looked ready to throw down. He’d always seen his father as kind and even-keeled, but another adult had never verbally attacked them before either.

Isaac was proud of his dad’s badassery until he looked at Bobby, who was staring a fucking hole through him.

“You’re fucking dead, dandelion-boy,” he whispered.

Isaac turned his attention back to the argument, hoping that if he didn’t acknowledge Bobby, the issue would just go away. Despite the tactic never seeming to work on any previous occasion, that was always his strategy.

Rock finally broke free from his ironically statuesque pose and stepped between the seething men, his colossal frame creating a healthy chasm between their puffed chests. He said nothing. Didn’t even look at either of them.

He knew for certain that if the two men came to blows they could spoil the entire day. A day that Geraldine had been waiting on for years. A day that she’d invested in not only financially, but psychologically. Money had never been an object to her. It was the latter that frightened Rock. If things fell through, Geraldine would be livid. The resulting displeasure would likely fuel Rock’s future torment.

Geraldine pointed to her burly servant and addressed her guests.

“Gentlemen, please, relax!” she begged. “I think this is all just a simple misunderstanding. Rock will remain outside, watching from the gate. If, by some bizarre stroke of misfortune, any child is injured, he’ll be just a stone’s throw away.”

Tom turned his attention to Greg and thought about Geraldine’s statement. But he still wasn’t quite ready to end the discussion.

“I just don’t understand why we can’t be out here too.”

His anal approach and constant scrutiny of the most minor details were really beginning to test Geraldine’s patience. Still, she kept calm and collected.

“Maybe I can sum it up for you in a simple question. When you were a child, did you have more fun playing with your parents or friends?”

Molly grabbed his hand tight, understanding his concern. But she also felt like his stance was beginning to border on overprotection.

“I think they’ll be alright, hun,” Molly said. “We’ll be watching. I mean, they’re fenced in, and you know the kids. They just wanna play.”

She caressed Tom’s knuckles with her thumb.

Tom looked away from his wife and back to the head of the castle. “How long will it be?” he asked Geraldine.

“Enough with the twenty fucking questions already!” Greg sniped. “Even your wife is onboard. Can you just grow a pair already so everyone else can have fun? For Christ’s sake, I never seen anything like it.”

Tom kept his cool, ignoring him this time. He simply wanted an answer. “We’ll need them four hours in total,” Geraldine said. “If you care to do

the math, with the increase we’ve offered you, that’s one thousand dollars an hour. And again, I’d like to remind you, every inch of the playground is outfitted with state-of-the-art recording equipment. You’ll be able to see and communicate with them at all times.”

Even with her spelling it out for him, Tom still wasn’t completely comfortable. But, with everyone else onboard, who was he to break up the

party?

“Fine. Let them in,” Tom mumbled.

The children cheered. The roar of excitement was followed by their adolescent arms clawing at the fencing as Geraldine twisted the key inside the lock. They filed in and bolted toward the stations.

“Seesaw, Sam! C’mon!” Sadie exclaimed.

The sisters darted toward the yellow, elongated metal with extra-cushy, cherry seating.

CJ looked at Tanya, his face was crinkled and displayed a frown of annoyance.

It was just his luck—Sadie and Sam had to go and hog the one thing that CJ had been looking forward to playing with his sister.

“Dang,” he mumbled.

Tanya noticed her brother’s reaction.

She felt a similar sense of disappointment but was still hopeful they’d get a chance to play. There was a lot of other fun stuff to explore in the interim.

“It’s okay. I’m sure they won’t be on there the entire time,” Tanya explained with a sweet smile. “It’ll be fun to explore a little anyhow!”

“Yeah, this will be so cool!” CJ replied. He looked around the playground.

The entire Matthews family spread out. They were more concerned with discovering the many bells and whistles of the fancy facility before they settled on what to play with.

As usual with any group he was a part of, Isaac headed up the rear. Approaching Geraldine at the gate, he felt a strange sensation in his gut. While the haggish woman ushered him in politely, there was something about her that rubbed him the wrong way. When he passed through the entrance, the creepy woman’s artificially white dentures found daylight.

“Have fun,” she said.

As Geraldine gestured for Isaac to enter the playground, a sinister cackle escaped her. The old woman’s laugh was the last thing Isaac heard as the black, steel gate locked behind him.