The waves beat gently on the shore, a constant, consistent battering. Grassy sand dunes marked the beginning, or the end, of the beach. From those tops of those dunes to the crests of the waves was paradise. For the kids, anyways. They hurried to the ocean's edge, pausing as stepped into the wet sand. They ran towards the retreating waves, but the tide soon turned; as soon as they realized the water's chilliness, it was they who were fleeing from the waves.
Deciding it would be better to wait until the water warmed up a bit, the throng of kids decided it was time for a bit a building. Forts, statues, craters, cities, monuments, sand-pits, towers, and castles galore- never before had such a myriad of child-crafted sand-architecture been seen on one beach. A miraculous sight to behold, to be certain.
It was decided that when they finished, all of the aforementioned structures would be judged, and the builders of the grandest structure would get to be the first into the water, when the time arrived. When all were nearly complete, the water lapping around their feet as they worked, the judges (who of course were not allowed to build themselves) noticed an imminent disaster: the tide was coming in, and all of the sand-structures would soon be well within its destructive grasp.
The call to alarm sounded, all of the children, judges included, worked at a furious pace to protect their work. Moats, walls, trenches, great barriers, and water traps greater than any even dreamed of by a child were made! Or at least begun. Just as they reached the critical stage, almost making an impenetrable bastion of sand around their creations, an unrivaled temptation drew them away: the siren call of an Ice Cream Truck blasted from the parking lot! The flock of kids ran out onto the pavement, the combination of the sun's heat, the blacktop, and their lack of footwear leading to a painful situation. They hopped from one foot to another- and sometimes just straight up into the air- to prevent their soles from searing as they waited in line. Popsicles, snow cones, ice cream sandwiches, fudgesicles, ice cream bars, and slushes- the pain was little to suffer for such desserts in the middle of the day, and without even having to eat vegetables!
Their treats devoured, the pack of kids ran back to beach. Chocolate and food coloring staining their lips and tongues, they leaped from the burning pavement into the sand. However, they were not met by the relief they expected; the sun, on which they were waiting to warm up the ocean, had certainly not taken its time in warming the sand, for now it was even hotter than the pavement.
Crying out in alarm, they ran for the cool waters, their burning feet unwittingly covering countless sunbathers- their parents, elder siblings, and other assorted family members- in gigantic clouds of sand. So great was their rush to get to the relief of the waves that they did not even notice that their sand-creations, so recently the center of their attention had been demolished by the very waves they were hurrying to.
They loudly splashed and clambered into the sun-warmed water. It was still cold, no doubt, but not as cold. The bigger kids swam straight out, heading for the waves, and the younger children went just far enough in to be spared the tumult of the coast.