$width: 40px;
$height: 40px;
$dark: #000;
$light: #FFF;

.container {
  width: 100%;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  display: -webkit-flex;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
}

.content {
  width: 13*$width;
  height: 13*$width;
  position: relative;
}

.content:hover {
  .diag1:before,
  .diag1:after,
  .diag2:before,
  .diag2:after,
  .up:before,
  .up:after,
  .left:before,
  .left:after,
  .right:before,
  .right:after,
  .down:before,
  .down:after
    {
      display: none;
    }
}

.box {
  width: $width;
  height: $height;
  background: $dark;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
  float:left;
  position: relative;
}

$minibox: 0.25 * $width;
@mixin littlebox {
  width: $minibox;
  height: $minibox;
  position: absolute;
  content: "";
  margin: 0.05 * $width;
  border-radius: 0px;
  background: $light;
}

@mixin lower-left {
  @include littlebox;
  bottom: 0;
  left: 0;
}

@mixin lower-right {
  @include littlebox;
  bottom: 0;
  right: 0;
}

@mixin upper-right {
  @include littlebox;
  top: 0;
  right: 0;
}

@mixin upper-left {
  @include littlebox;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
}

.down:before, 
.diag1:before, 
.left:before {
  @include lower-left;
}
.down:after, 
.right:before,
.diag2:after {
  @include lower-right;
}
.right:after, 
.up:after,
.diag1:after {
  @include upper-right;
}
.left:after,
.up:before,
.diag2:before {
  @include upper-left;
}

// Alternating the colors.
.box:nth-child(2n) {
  background: $light;
}
.box:nth-child(2n):after,
.box:nth-child(2n):before {
    background: $dark;
}