It was the screams. It was mostly the screams that made Astaroth bellow with laughter, his mirth shaking in a way that was both cruel and jolly at the same time, as the little ones shrieked in terror. Emily had convinced him to come to the playground, which seemed like a much better idea on paper, and Astaroth had actually found it to be great fun to watch the children flee and yell while they were being chased by a gigantic man around the playground, kicking up the wood chips that were scattered about the big toy.

Finally, he had one of them cornered, a little boy with blonde hair and great, blue eyes. closing in, Astaroth bent down to get to face-level with the boy, and raised his hands up like he was going to grab him and take him away, ne'er to be seen again. The boy, named Michael, cringed in fear as those enormous hands raised up just a bit more, casting their shadows over him. He prepared himself for the worst, pressing himself up against a wooden post that supported the big toy. The tension in the air was so remarkably thick and heavy in the area around the two that one would have been able to cut it with a knife. Finally, Astaroth planted his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"TAG! YOU'RE IT!" the tremendous golem roared, nose-to-nose with Michael before dashing away.