The ants began making a kind of clicking and hissing noise. And then, like a surge of evil ocean water, they attacked. Sam saw the wall advance and waited. Waited while they closed the distance, waited as the moon on their helmets shone more and more brightly. Waited until they had completely covered the sand so that there was nothing but a mass of ants below the wall. And then, “Fire!”

A hundred arrow shafts zipped and twanged into the swirling mass below. The ants were toppling over each other, falling into the their comrades behind. Another shafting volley sent an entire line of enemies tumbling backwards. But now there were too many. The soldiers could not shoot fast enough. And soon the ants were placing ladders at the battlements, some just running up the side. They were ants after all. They didn’t need ladders.

A burly ant leapt over the wall and attacked Sam. Sam ducked a mighty swing of the ant’s ax, and drove his sword deep into the abdomen. Fortunately the soldiers were not as well armed as their leader. Sam looked around. Everywhere the ants were swarming over the wall. A battle cry echoed over the fight as Tommy came barreling down the wall, swinging his battle axe like a crazy person, his science fair badge whipping from left to right. And it struck Sam, this, this was what he loved. Here on a wall, sword in hand, fighting back the forces of evil.

Sam rushed along the wall, shouting orders, directing the fire of the archers, and sending reinforcements where the battle was hottest. The ants came on, an endless stream of black. There were too many to hold back.

“Fall back!” he shouted. “Fall back to the main wall!” A soldier standing by blew his horn. A short sharp blast, and Sam and his men rushed down the stairs. Sandaxtron really had been built by morons, Sam realized. These steps were so uneven. If he ever built a sand castle again, he would do it right.

Once inside the second wall, Sam leaned against a sandy pillar to breathe. His defenses had been overwhelmed in minutes. What was wrong with him? He had to get it together.

“Tommy!” Sam commanded. “Get the fire logs ready. I want every soldier with a stone or a cauldron of boiling water.”

“Yes sir!” Tommy said, scrambling off. The attack on the second wall went much better. The ants had to scramble into and again back out of a deep ditch between the first and the second walls. By the time they were attacking again, Sam had reformed his men. They stood, stone faced facing the enemy. Truthfully this was easy for some to do than others, not actually having a face.

As the enemy rushed up to the base of the wall, Sam gave the order. Twenty different cauldrons of boiling water tipped down over the wall, scalding the ants below. The front lines pulled back, like they were trying to avoid it, and that was when Sam ordered the archers to attack again. It was nearly miraculous. The entire wave of ants went down like reed grass before a wind. The few survivors turned around, and scrambled madly back to the safety of the first wall.

The men on the wall let out a hearty cheer. Sam smiled. Of course this was only one division. One of…scores. But this was doable. And so the real battle began. Over and over the ants attacked. Over and over the defenders drove them back. The water ran out after the second assault. The rocks after the third. Soon the arrows were running low, and yet the enemy hordes continued to advance. Sam heaved all his weight against a ladder throwing it backward. It fell with a crash into armored ants below. There were simply too many of them. For every ant his men killed a dozen reached the top of the walls. And no matter how many times Sam cleared the battlements, personally swinging his sword like a scythe, and dealing out destruction to all around him, the ants would be back.

“Tommy!” Sam said. We need your science!” Tommy grinned broadly, and turned to Jebesol.

“Jeb, my boy, let old George out!” It was a mark of how dire things were that Jebesol did not stop to argue about this butchering of his name. He motioned to several other faceless monks who rushed forward with an elongated bottle. All along the wall, other monks were doing the same.

“Tommy, what the…” they unscrewed the cap and unrolled a large green piece of paper. So large it hung over the walls. Green and grey ink. Sam caught a glimpse of an eye above a pyramid and then

“Is that a dollar bill?” Tommy grinned.

“Light him up boys!” One of the monks touched a flaming torch to the bill. Flames shot out all around. The monks dropped it over the side as horrified ants scrambled away from the wrath of a flaming George Washington. The whole ant army turned around and ran, again, back to the first wall. As soon as the ants pulled back, the knights opened the door and rushed out, stamping out the flames. The bills were unburnt.

“Acetone,” Tommy said. “Main ingredient in nail polish remover. Works every time.”

“Where did you…”

“Aira. Left it on the beach.” The soldiers pulled the bills back inside the wall, and hauled them up the steps yet again. Now the tables had truly turned. Every time the ants came back for another attack, the fiery bills were dropped on them, and every time they fled scampering back in confusion.

“I have to admit, Sam said. “Science is pretty cool. How long can we keep doing this?”

Tommy looked worried. “That was the last of the acetone,” he said. Next time, the bills just burn up. There was the rub, Sam realized. Everything ended. Boiling water, rocks, arrows, acetone, soldiers. He looked around at the dead from his side. Soldiers laying against the battlements. Faceless monks lying still on the sand at the base of the wall. Soon it would be just them…and the ants. In the end you always had to face the ants, Sam realized. You could push it back, put it off, but eventually the ants would come.

The next few minutes unfolded like a slow motion blur. The ants advanced again, but this time, there was nothing to stop them. This time they swarmed over the second wall. And this time, they gained the wall. Soon the defenders were fleeing, toward the keep, chased by a very tired, very angry army of ants. It was no longer a romantic battle. Sam ran, hacking and ducking. He had never thought before just how much of combat involved dancing away from swords rather than clashing with them. He arrived at the keep out of breath, and soaked in sweat.

From the tallest tower in Sandaxtron, Sam looked out over the desolation of his kingdom. In the end, less amazing than he had pictured. The ants were battering down the final gate. The faceless monks were murmuring in a corner, frightened. And even the stern soldiers looked perturbed. It was time to talk to them. He didn’t have time to think of himself.

Sam walked among the men, encouraging them. Praising them for a fight well fought. He clapped them on the back. He thanked them for their courage, “for protecting my sister,” Sam found himself saying again and again. “My sister and Tommy.” Strange, the more he thought of his men and his siblings, the less worried he became. He felt calmer, more determined. And just like that he was at the end of the line of soldiers. Face to face with his siblings. He felt a lump in his throat. He couldn’t talk.

“Whelp,” Tommy said. “We gave ‘em a fight.”

“You rock Sam,” Aira said.

Sam opened his mouth. He had so much to say. It was all mixed in with feelings of inadequacy, guilt, admissions of selfishness, his refusal to grow up. But how to say it? He felt his throat tighten up. He couldn’t talk.

“Tommy, I…thank you. And I want you to know that…”

Everyone heard it. It sounded like a mad wind current. The bang slam of surge drums he had not noticed before. How could they have forgotten it? No Midnight’s Day drama would be complete without its primary character. They heard it. They felt it. A splash of foam bubbles that sprayed like tiny cloudlets over the top of the tower.  It smelled like wild, salty and free. The ocean had come to the rescue.

They rushed to the crenellations. The ant army was dissolving. They scrambled in panic stricken terror, an anthill upturned by a boot. Sam heard the mad hiss, the sceething swish of frustrated ants, so close to their goal. They clamored in despair as the water swept away another division.

“What is this wonder?” asked Jebesol.

“That, Jeb my boy, is for pagans and those foolish enough to think they can turn lead into gold.”

The waves struck again, a splatter of spewing salt dashing water over their head and soaking Sam. Yet another line of clinging ants were washed helplessly away, while Tommy pounded on the battlements and yelled “Ha, ha, ha! So long, suckers!”

“Tommy!” Sam said. “Where is your science fair badge?”

 And then, three things happened at the same time. First, Sam felt a horrible jolt as the entire tower dropped a level. Second, He saw the evil ant king. Instead of running away, he was making a mad dash toward the keep, followed by a close guard of his best armored warriors. Was he insane, or… And third, Sam’s sister Aira was running out of the tower toward a small white badge on the end of a string. The science badge. She didn’t see the ant-king headed her way.

“Tommy!” Sam commanded. Get the soldiers out of the castle. There’s a rear tunnel. Lead them out. I’ll get Aira…and the badge. I promise.”

Tommy shook his head. “We go together. You can tell Jeb how to get out of here. Let him lead the others.”

“Tommy, I have to do it. I…I owe it to you.”

“No,” Tommy said. “You don’t. You’re my brother. Aira’s our sister. The only thing we owe is to each other. As family and…friends. And you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. We go together.”

“For Aira,” Sam said, drawing his sword.

“For Aira,” Tommy agreed, hefting his axe. “and for Sandatron.”

They leapt the tower wall. Then, they slid down the crumbling sand, sometimes a step, sometimes a fall. Two avenging warriors, waving their weapons and screaming like lunatics. Sam hit the slush below with a squelch. He ripped his feet free. They wouldn’t be able to run on this sand for long. Aira screamed. Sam and Tommy lurched in her direction.

The ant guard wheeled around, confronting the brothers. “I’ll take the ants!” Tommy yelled. Get Aira!” He hunched low and began to spinning in circles, his axe cutting a wide swath, as he barreled spastically toward the ant guards. Sam scrambled around, and charged the king.

“Sssammuelll!” The king hissed, his arm locked around Aira.

“Put her down!” Sam shouted. “Put her down and duel me like an ant! Or are you afraid your four hands can’t keep up with my two?”

The king hissed and pushed Aira away. He flew at Samuel, his arms a blur of swords and black armor. Sam backed up, dismayed. How did you get inside the crazy tornado of steel? He ducked as one of the king’s blades swept nipped his ear, drawing blood. He swept at the ant’s feet, but the ant king nimbly jumped away. And then the king was on him again, a strike, a parry, a jab a whirl of metal and—Sam’s sword went flying out of his hands.

Sam stepped back, his back to a ruined sand wall. Not far away he saw Tommy, surrounded, panting on the ground, the guard ants circling him ready for a final attack. It seemed like a story, Sam thought. A story from a book, or a TV show. A story like the Legends of Rodarium. Sam smiled. He yanked out the ear buds, dropping them on the ground.

“Ssssamuel!” the ant king exulted. The fake king who runsss from his problems. Who hides in his room.  Who listensssss to stories, who lives in lies!  Soon you will lie forever…on the ground I mean. …dead.”

“Yeah, I got it,” Sam said. “But…why not hear my last lie?” He pressed the play button on his Bluetooth speaker, and cranked up the volume. The music was rich and deep. Sam could hear the clanking chains of a drawbridge. But this time, it was LOUD. The ant king shrieked, dropping his swords. Sam dropped the Bluetooth, into the water, lowered his head, and charged. Ant flesh smelled like dirt, Sam realized. And right now, salt and sand. He pushed for only a second, and then the ant king lay in a puddle of ocean water. Sam grabbed one of his swords and held it, gleaming point toward the ant-king’s heart.

“Have merccccy!” he yelled. Sssave me! I’ll call off the guards!” The guards backed off.

“Further back!” Sam bellowed. The guards stepped back again. Sam pressed his sword against the king’s neck. “Again!” he yelled. The guards stepped back yet again. Now Sam stood back, and yanked the king to his feet.

“Ssssamuel,” the king said, shakily. “I owe you my life…I…” The king’s head dropped to the ground, and rolled into the waves. Sam, stood, surveying his sword. “Never spare the bad guy,” he said. “It’s dumb.”

“Uh Sam?” Aira said. Sam looked around. The water was nearly up to his chest now, and another wave was coming in, white wave wash cresting the top.

“Hurry! He shouted, waving Tommy and Aira on. “Back up the beach. I’m right behind you.” They scrambled up a sandy incline, barely pulling to the top as the wave foamed around their heels. Sam stayed behind. Scrambling desperately, he waded toward the disappearing science fair badge. He still held the Bluetooth up in the air, he realized, hoping that it was not already ruined.

Another wave struck. Sam’s felt his feet swept from under him. He gasped and sputtered, thrashing in the salty water. And there it was. Just past the reach of his hand. It wasn’t a decision really. It just happened. Sam dropped the Bluetooth, reached out and seized the science fair badge by the string, whisking it up into the air just before another wave plunged him under water. Sam swam toward shore with his last remaining strength. His head felt like it was always under water. Salt was in his nose, his mouth. He tried to cough, but another wave engulfed him. And then…Sand, and Jebesol and the Monks helping him up the incline. Sam saw featureless faces as he dropped to the ground.

                         *                                          *                                 *

Sam awoke to a rose-colored streak of light, slashed across the sky. Tommy and Aira lay on the sand beside him. Both sleeping. The waves sloshed up and down as they rolled slowly in. Sam looked back toward the beach house and was surprised it looked so close. The whole beach seemed to have shrunk. His clothes felt sandy, but dry now. He stood and walked toward the sandcastle. But nothing was left of Sandatron.

“Well who woulda thought?” Sam jumped. It was Glem. “You three got up to see the sunrise?”

Sam looked back where Tommy and AIra were stretching now, looking out at the rising sun. It certainly did look like they had just woken up and walked down to the beach. Had any of it been real? Was it all just a dream he had late last night?

“Yeah…” Sam said. “I guess.” His imagination really was getting too big. Maybe everyone else was right. Time to be an adult. “I suppose everyone has to change,” he said.

“Overall, the world would prefer it if we did, yeah.”

Sam heaved the deep sigh of a tortured soul, as he looked out over the yellow waves.

“Oh,” Glem said. “Look what I found.” He held a tiny mustachioed knight, ax raised in a threatening pose.  Sam felt the twitch a smile creeping up his face.

“Change is good,” Glem said. “As long as we remember that there are still knights out there. They may be small…and plastic, and have black goo all over their ax blade but they’re out there. And as long as we know that, maybe we can be a little more like them. And I figure, that’s not such a raw deal.”

Sam felt the shape of the science fair badge in his pocket. Tommy was swinging Aira in a circle. She was laughing.

“No,” Sam said. “I suppose it’s not.”