slammed the door shut.
They both sat there for a moment, shaking and trying to catch their breath.
Several ants were crawling on the windshield.
"Are they gonna get us?" asked Andy.
"No. We're okay. They can't get inside the car."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, of course I'm sure. You've never heard of ants that can eat through metal, have you?"
"I've never heard of ants that big." Andy buried his face in his hands and began to cry again. "They're going to eat us."
"I promise, they're not going to eat us. We're in the car and we're safe. All we have to do is drive to someplace where people can help us."
"You don't know how to drive."
"I've watched Dad millions of times," Michelle informed him. "It's easy. Don't worry. I won't let them get you."
She reached for the ignition, and then let out a sudden sob.
"What's wrong?" Andy asked.
"We don't have the keys."
"Oh no!" Andy turned around and frantically looked in the back seat. "Maybe they just dropped them! Maybe they're on the floor!"
Michelle shook her head. "I saw Dad take them when we went out to get you." _This is all your fault!_ she wanted to scream, but that would do no good. She had to protect her little brother, not make things worse.
"What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. Somebody will come looking for us. Maybe we should crack the windows a bit and scream as loud as we can."
"No! They'll get in!"
"We'll just do it a little bit."
"No!"
"Then what?" Michelle demanded, slamming her fist against the steering wheel.
Andy was silent for a long moment. Then his eyes lit up. "I know! I know where a key is!
"Where?"
"Under the car! There's that magnet box that Mom bought!"
"That's right!" Michelle said, almost giddy with relief. "Which tire was it next to?"
"Ummmm..." said Andy, biting his lip. He pointed to the front right tire. "That one, I think."
"Are you sure?"
"I think so."
"No, not you think so, are you _sure_?"
"I don't know! Mom put it there, not me!"
Michelle sighed with frustration. "Okay, trade me places. I'll have to get it."
"What if the ants get in?"
"What do you want us to do, just sit here and die?" Michelle shouted. "Do what I say."
The children silently switched places. "Scoot as close to me as you can," she said. "I need you to brush them off if any of them get on me."
Andy nodded.
"And kill any if they get inside." She glanced around the car for a moment, and then picked up two coloring books off the floor. She rolled up the first one, handed it to Andy, and then rolled up the second one for herself. "Are you ready?" she asked, grabbing the door handle.
"Uh-huh."
"On the count of three. One ... two..._three_!"
Michelle threw open the door and hurriedly leaned over the side. She could see six or seven ants up close, and batted at them with the coloring book while she reached under the car and tried to find the magnet box.
"It's not here!"
"It has to be!"
Michelle swung the coloring book from side to side, knocking away the ants that were coming at her. "It's not!"
She leaned back up and pulled the door shut. An ant had crawled onto the ceiling, and she slammed the coloring book at it, missing twice before finally squashing it.
"Did any more get in?"
"I didn't see any!"
Michelle scooted back over to the driver's side. Once Andy had moved next to her, she opened the door and leaned down again.
An ant crawling along the underside of the car ran right at her face. She screamed and leaned back up.
Andy smacked at an ant. "Is it there?"
"I don't know."
Michelle took a deep breath as if preparing to dive underwater then leaned outside again. The ant was still there, but she could see the little black box. She swatted the ant away and wrapped her fingers around the box. But it wouldn't pull free.
She felt something crawl on her shoulder, then a blow as Andy smacked the coloring book against it.
Michelle yanked as hard as she could.
An ant crawled onto her arm, but
They both sat there for a moment, shaking and trying to catch their breath.
Several ants were crawling on the windshield.
"Are they gonna get us?" asked Andy.
"No. We're okay. They can't get inside the car."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, of course I'm sure. You've never heard of ants that can eat through metal, have you?"
"I've never heard of ants that big." Andy buried his face in his hands and began to cry again. "They're going to eat us."
"I promise, they're not going to eat us. We're in the car and we're safe. All we have to do is drive to someplace where people can help us."
"You don't know how to drive."
"I've watched Dad millions of times," Michelle informed him. "It's easy. Don't worry. I won't let them get you."
She reached for the ignition, and then let out a sudden sob.
"What's wrong?" Andy asked.
"We don't have the keys."
"Oh no!" Andy turned around and frantically looked in the back seat. "Maybe they just dropped them! Maybe they're on the floor!"
Michelle shook her head. "I saw Dad take them when we went out to get you." _This is all your fault!_ she wanted to scream, but that would do no good. She had to protect her little brother, not make things worse.
"What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. Somebody will come looking for us. Maybe we should crack the windows a bit and scream as loud as we can."
"No! They'll get in!"
"We'll just do it a little bit."
"No!"
"Then what?" Michelle demanded, slamming her fist against the steering wheel.
Andy was silent for a long moment. Then his eyes lit up. "I know! I know where a key is!
"Where?"
"Under the car! There's that magnet box that Mom bought!"
"That's right!" Michelle said, almost giddy with relief. "Which tire was it next to?"
"Ummmm..." said Andy, biting his lip. He pointed to the front right tire. "That one, I think."
"Are you sure?"
"I think so."
"No, not you think so, are you _sure_?"
"I don't know! Mom put it there, not me!"
Michelle sighed with frustration. "Okay, trade me places. I'll have to get it."
"What if the ants get in?"
"What do you want us to do, just sit here and die?" Michelle shouted. "Do what I say."
The children silently switched places. "Scoot as close to me as you can," she said. "I need you to brush them off if any of them get on me."
Andy nodded.
"And kill any if they get inside." She glanced around the car for a moment, and then picked up two coloring books off the floor. She rolled up the first one, handed it to Andy, and then rolled up the second one for herself. "Are you ready?" she asked, grabbing the door handle.
"Uh-huh."
"On the count of three. One ... two..._three_!"
Michelle threw open the door and hurriedly leaned over the side. She could see six or seven ants up close, and batted at them with the coloring book while she reached under the car and tried to find the magnet box.
"It's not here!"
"It has to be!"
Michelle swung the coloring book from side to side, knocking away the ants that were coming at her. "It's not!"
She leaned back up and pulled the door shut. An ant had crawled onto the ceiling, and she slammed the coloring book at it, missing twice before finally squashing it.
"Did any more get in?"
"I didn't see any!"
Michelle scooted back over to the driver's side. Once Andy had moved next to her, she opened the door and leaned down again.
An ant crawling along the underside of the car ran right at her face. She screamed and leaned back up.
Andy smacked at an ant. "Is it there?"
"I don't know."
Michelle took a deep breath as if preparing to dive underwater then leaned outside again. The ant was still there, but she could see the little black box. She swatted the ant away and wrapped her fingers around the box. But it wouldn't pull free.
She felt something crawl on her shoulder, then a blow as Andy smacked the coloring book against it.
Michelle yanked as hard as she could.
An ant crawled onto her arm, but
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