Fighting Off Forever Fun
By: Rahim Mason
NO!!! That no resonated in such a profound way that it was only heard and understood by little Johnny. It was something about the playground, something unexplainable, that called out to Little Johnny. But being a kid he didn’t see or understand the forces at work. The very essence of eight year old Johnny had spurred an irreversible magic. Little Johnny's feet pitter-patting through the wood chips enticed the haunt, but the air he breathed on the playground charged the Forever Kid’s magic.
Now as you may remember from our last time at the haunted playground, Little Johnny was one good minute on the jungle gym away from forever “fun” at the playground. But, I can’t get too far into that because Little Johnny is on his way back with a vengeance.
“Come on Katie, put on your shoes! We’re going to the playground,” Little Johnny exclaims.
His cousin Katie close in age just wasn’t moving fast enough on this fine afternoon. Little Johnny, still not the best of listeners, bugged and nagged his parents all week to go back to the park where he had so much fun. He whined cried about how he wanted to play play play! Eventually his parents gave in, it helped that Katie was there, because now as far as Johnny's parents thought, he’d have someone to play with. Little did they know, Johnny and Katie would engage in some playing that would change things forever.
Little Johnny’s dad, having not let go of the lack of good listening, put his foot down and decided to stay home. This put the playground trip on Little Johnny’s mom who was a lot more lenient than dad. After everyone was ready they hit the road.
“Hey mommy, you think my favorite hoodie and hat are still at the playground?” Johnny pondered aloud.
“I don’t know Junebug, that was a nice hoodie and hat set. We can hope for the best though” replied his mom reassuringly.
“I sure hope Timmy held onto them for me. I only took them off because I got hot running and playing with my new friends at the playground.”
At that moment his mom should’ve been alerted but she was thrown off by the kids- “Play! Play! Playground!” No sooner than the car was in park Little Johnny and Katie shot out of the car like a couple of miniature heat seeking missiles, and that was the very charge the playground needed to fully awaken the haunt. Of course with the seesaw being little Johnny's absolute favorite attraction, he and Katie promptly began their play there. With every up the seesaw The Haunted Playground would whisper “Play! Play! Playground!” On the respective downs if you listened close enough, you could hear “Let’s play forever!” Unfortunately, the kids didn’t pay close enough attention to the whispering wood chips.
Playing wild and free, upping and downing on the seesaw. These carefree kids steadily fed the haunts energy. Slowly things began to happen, swings started swinging, the merry-go-round began merry-go-rounding, and with that the forever kids were ready to play play play. Suddenly at Little Johnny's favorite see-saw, his friend Forever Timmy appeared and all he had in mind was having some forever fun.
“Hey Little Johnny, you came back! I was hoping we would get to play play play again, and you brought somebody too!” Forever Timmy yips excitedly as Katie nervously eyeballs him.
“Hiya Forever Timmy, I’ve been dying to come back and play play play! This is my cousin Katie,” immediately once her name was said Katie had cut in curiously.
“Umm Johnny did you call home forever Timmy?”
The name most certainly piqued Katie’s interest, but for all the wrong reasons. Forever Timmy happily responds, “He sure did, I am Timmy of the Forever Kids and I love to play play play! Don’t you Katie?”
Brimming with bubbly excited energy Katie toots cheerfully “You better know it!”
Little Johnny's mom, engulfed in her phone and oblivious to what’s happening, was being controlled by the playground's magic. The enchantment that had taken her over was keeping her attention away from her son and niece. Forever Timmy amped up and anxious to see-saw with Little Johnny is ready for his turn. Katie noticed the angst of Timmy and decided to go play on the swings, which were her absolute fave.
“Hey Forever Timmy, how many Forever Kids are there?” Katie curiously asks “will there be any forever kids by the swings?”
“Psshh, there are several forever kids. They all began playing once we heard the fun you two were having. Didn’t you see? Sara’s been on the swing set waiting for you,” Timmy assured Katie as she made her way over to the swings.
The boys continue their play on the see-saw, Katie’s on the swings with Forever Sara and the haunt is in full effect now. From the swings and see-saw both Forever Kids gather the sense that it’s time to add to their numbers. And what better way to do that than by a seemingly fun and friendly game of “Til Infinity Tag”, with the base being The Jungled Gym. Little does anyone know this jungle gym of forever fun is the source of the haunted playgrounds magic. Why, you ask?
Well in short ages ago a group of kids made a pact to never ever leave the park, for as long as they have their youth. But what went wrong in their playfully innocent chant was beyond them, well more specifically beneath them. These kids had no idea that their beloved playground was on ancient burial grounds. I guess that’s the circle of life right?
But anyway both forever Timmy and Sara being connected as forever kids have the same idea brewing. “Hey little Johnny, I think it would be fun to play ‘Til Infinity Tag’. You know that game? Wanna play? It’ll be fun fun fun,” Forever Timmy exclaimed as he tried to draw Johnny into the game.
“I dunno I still wanna find my favorite hoodie and hat set. I really should look for it before my mom is ready to go.”
“Oh! Are you talking about the one with cool designs? I know I saw it around here somewhere, but trust me your mom won’t be budging anytime soon,” says Timmy with a confident smug smile.
“ Well where did you see it? I was really upset without them, are you sure you saw them?” Johnny questions.
“It was a yellow and purple and the hoodie had ‘24’ on it, I know we’ll find it especially if we play ‘Til Infinity Tag’ what do you say?” Forever Timmy responds convincingly.
Little Johnny replies “Let’s play play play!”
Meanwhile, over on the swings Forever Sara was working her magic on Katie, but oddly enough Katie was more succeptable to the enchantment of The Haunted Playground. While the girls are swinging and having fun Katie became a little bored and ready for the next bit of fun. Sara picking up on Katie’s energy, opportunistically invites Katie to a “friendly” game of ‘Til Infinity Tag’ at the mention of running around and chasing whoever Katie is instantly ready for fun fun fun.
“Are you kidding me?!? I love ‘Til Infinity Tag’! It’s my most favorite game ever,” she paused briefly then said “Wait, what exactly is ‘til infinity tag’? How do we play? It sounds really fun though” says Katie readily.
“I’ll tell you the rules but first let’s go see if Little Johnny and Forever Timmy wanna play,” she said as they left the swings headed over to the boys.
Timmy looked up in time enough to see the girls en route and he instantly got excited knowing the forever fun that was on the rise. The overlapping footsteps, laughter, and play had unleashed the haunt. The swings swung violently faster. The merry-go-round picked up incredible speed and the forever magic had the playground at peak performance. “Hee hee hee”, childlike laughter could be heard coming from the whispering wood chips. “Play! Play! Playground!” Chanted the swings, seesaw and merry-go-round. But neither little Johnny nor Katie felt the cold chill of the magic at work. They were more concerned with their chance to play play play!
“Okay so Timmy I’m guessing you guys wanna play ‘Til Infinity Tag’, so here are the rules of the game. First once you’re tagged twice you are it. Second, the jungle gym is the base where you can’t be tagged but you gotta climb up to the top. Finally, always play, play, play!”
Everyone, specifically Little Johnny and Katie, heard and understood the rules so now it was time to begin the game. “Now let the games begin!”
Forever Sara darted at Little Johnny who was ready for the game to commence. As Johnny dodged pursuit the pitter pat of Katie and his feet further enticed the haunt “Let’s play forever!” could be heard more and more as the kids ran and dodged each other. The more Little Johnny and cousin Katie ran and played the Forever Jungled Kids chanting “Let’s play forever!” grew louder and stronger. The forever magic now more vigorous and seismic made the ground tremor under little Johnny and cousin Katie. But their undying relentless desire to rip and run kicked up so much forever magic that the tremoring playground made the whispering wood chips vibrate.
With every step the kids made “Hee hee hee”, that eerie childlike giggle followed. “Hee hee hee” as little Johnny dipped and ducked “hee hee hee” as he landed on them after coming down The Vertical Vortex slide. Just as he was about to head through the tube tunnel, “Til Infinity!” That was his first tag. Forever Sara, after the first tag of Little Johnny, began her pursuit of cousin Katie. Once their chase was underway Little Johnny checked his surroundings then made a mad dash toward base The Forever Jungled Gym, then to his own surprise little Johnny stumbled across his favorite hoodie and hat amidst his running.
“Hee hee hee”, went the energized whispering wood chips as he reached down to grab his belongings, he swiftly grabs his clothes and heads up the jungle gym. “Let’s play forever!”
All of the forever jungled kids instantly began reaching out for his youthful play play play energy. Little Johnny reached the top of the jungle gym despite his energy being pulled every which way. As he sat atop the jungle gym Johnny saw Timmy and Sara in pursuit of big cousin Katie.
“Come on Katie get on base!” Little Johnny called out as he caught breath.
Cousin Katie, slightly bigger and faster dodged and dipped Forever Timmy and Sara “hee hee hee” the whispering wood chips chittered with every - “hee hee hee”- step she took, as she neared the jungle gym something unforeseen happened.
Cousin Katie’s shoes were untied, left foot then right foot, and she stepped on her lace and stumbled then fell. She got back up hastily and headed to base but couldn’t avoid - “Til Infinity!”
Her first tag, cousin Katie after being tagged began her climb up The Forever Jungled gym.
“Let’s play forever!” “Play! Play! Playground!” The Forever Jungled Kids chanted, then just as Katie reached for the next rung of the jungle gym on the way up, one of the Forever Jungled Kids grabbed her by the ankle and began pulling her into the pit of Forever Jungled Kids.
“Johnny grab my hand!” Cousin Katie screamed filled with fright and terror. As Little Johnny reached to grab his cousin's hand they could barely grasp each other's fingertips.
“LET’S PLAY FOREVER!”
The playground's magic now pulsating through the kids every strained breath.
Then suddenly without warning Cousin Katie’s was pulled into a world of “forever fun”. Then at that moment little Johnny knew he had to find a way to save his Cousin Katie and himself because things had taken a turn. All he saw once he looked up, was both Forever Timmy and Forever Sara smiling their ominously creepy forever smiles.
Scared far beyond his wit, struck with fear unlike anything he’d ever seen, he yells “What do you want?!”
“LET’S PLAY FOREVER!”