“Come on; let’s play football,” said Damon excitedly. “Yes,” chorused Robert and Bryan. It was a bright, pleasant afternoon and the playground looked green and inviting. The boys practised all afternoon and evening. After a while, the boys were tired and sat down for a quick bite. Munching into their sandwiches and biscuits, the boys discussed school and friends. Suddenly, they heard two other boys talking. “Oh, I think some other boys are practising here, too,” said Bryan. “Must be,” said Robert. However, when the boys looked around they could not see any other boys. It was strange indeed! The boys resumed their discussion. “Juan, the ball is in the attic!” “Let’s go, Neal!” Startled, the boys looked around. ‘Who was Juan? Who had spoken?’ they wondered. Again, they had just heard the voice, but could see no one. Scared stiff, the boys decided to call it a day and went home.
The Guard Explains to Them
The next morning when the three boys met in school, they discussed what they had heard last evening. They decided to visit the playground in the evening and investigate the matter. It was late evening when the boys reached the playground. For sometime nothing happened. After waiting for 30 minutes the boys were about to leave when they heard the voices again. This time they were sure they were real, but could not see anyone. Thus, the boys visited the playground every day of the week. Every day they heard the names Juan and Neal. They also heard the word attic mentioned every now and then. Puzzled, they decided to ask the security guard at the playground. They walked into his office and told him about the voices they heard. The guard gave a start and then grimaced. “It’s Juan and Neal talking. They had come to this playground a year ago,” he said.
What Happened to Juan and Neal
Juan and Neal had requested the security guard’s office for a football. “I think there is a football lying unused in the attic here,” said the guard, and he got the football for them. Thrilled Juan and Neal started kicking the ball and running about in the ground. Sitting in his office, the guard watched the two boys playing. Suddenly, he remembered that he had forgotten to lock the door to the attic. So, he rushed back to the attic to lock it. Before locking it, he went inside once more for a final check. At that time Neal kicked the ball so high that it flew into the attic. “Juan, the ball is in the attic!” “Let’s go, Neal.” So, the two boys went up to the attic. As it was huge, the guard did not see the boys coming in. He locked the attic and went back home.
The Police is Called
Soon, the worried parents of the boys appeared at the playground to look for the boys. The playground was empty. So, they called the police. They combed the entire playground and the adjacent parks where the boys could have gone, but no trace of them could be found anywhere. None thought of looking in the attic, initially. When the police asked about the attic, the guard said he had locked the door and it was impossible the boys could have gone in there. The search went on for three days. Finally, on the fourth day, when the attic was opened, the dead bodies of the boys were found there. The boys had lost their life because of the guard’s negligence. After a few days, people who came to the playground started reporting about some voices they heard. It is said that the spirits of the two little boys still roam around in the playground.
