One, two three, four, five... Their picnic was being spoiled by ants. Rick laughed cruelly when he saw that two ants had crawled into the ear of his older son, Don. He put his finger in the ear after them saying, ``Run, anties, run! To the center of the earth!'' Don screamed in terror. He jumped up and ran, still screaming, ran until he tripped over a root. His father's laugh was raucous. Don had fallen on ``stiff grass''; grass that is not flexible like normal grass. Falling on ``stiff grass'' is like falling on a bed of nails. Don screamed again. The ants in his ear panicked and tried to eat his ear-drum before they were waxed. Don was in agony. Little Scott ran over to Don. ``Are you alright?'' he asked, worried. The color drained out of Don's face. He stood up slowly, and with a sudden snake-like hand grabbed his younger brother by the collar and was preparing to break his nose with a head-butt when their mother called, ``Trees! Trees!'' They came running to the trees and the ground rose another few feet. It rose slowly and deliberately, swallowing the Ames family up to their waists.
``It'll go down in a minute,'' said Janet.
``Let's hope so,'' said Rick, and they all breathed their lasts.