It wasn't typical of him to leave as soon as the final bell rang, but he wanted to get to the Diffys' house quickly. Much like his garden used to be, Mr. Hackett's nosy nature was in full bloom, and he was anxious to find out if his neighbors knew anything about his late-night visitor.
In all honesty, he hadn't been able to focus on his job at all. He'd been tempted several times throughout the day to leave school and go straight to Lloyd to demand the truth about his family.
There was something odd about his neighbors; Mr. Hackett knew that much. Personally, he thought they were aliens. But how could he report them to the authorities without sounding like an idiot?
He'd spent the last hour of school counting down the minutes until the final bell. As soon as it had sounded, he'd quickly exited the building, heading straight for his neighborhood.
Mr. Hackett walked the short path to the Diffys' front door. He knocked and waited a few moments. When no one answered, he knocked again. Still no one came to the door. He glanced over his shoulder in both directions before proceeding to pick the lock. He entered the house and shut the door behind him. Walking from room to room, Mr. Hackett saw nothing out of the ordinary.
No alien weapons, no alien literature, no diabolical plans to overtake the world. What kind of neighbors do I have anyway?
It occurred to him that perhaps the Diffys were in fact normal people.
Yeah right. There's nothing normal about this family. I know they're hiding something!
It was then that Mr. Hackett entered the garage. On the wall was a shelf full of tools that the vice principal had never seen before. He took one down and pushed a button. The opposite wall changed colors, going from a dull gray to a bright pink. He couldn't believe his eyes. Pushing the button again, Mr. Hackett saw dark green stripes appear on the wall. He blinked and rubbed his eyes; the wall still looked the same. He tried pushing the button a third time, which gave the wall a rainbow-colored coat of paint.
Mr. Hackett decided to stop experimenting with something he didn't know anything about, so he put the unknown gadget back. He took hold of one that resembled a handheld video game. Turning a knob and pushing a button, he thought that nothing had happened. He glanced down at the ground and noticed that he was no longer wearing the same clothes he had been a few moments before.
He returned that tool to the shelf as well. He began backing up and bumped into Lloyd's tool box. Anxious to leave but curious to see what was inside, Mr. Hackett hastily lifted the lid and saw a machine that had wires coming out of it and a few blinking lights.
He didn't even bother closing the box quietly. He let it slam shut as he began running towards the entered the kitchen and saw someone at the refrigerator. He tried to sneak past, but he heard a snarl and turned, hoping to see a dog. It was coming from the refrigerator raider, who was dressed as though he was from the stone age.
It was then that Mr. Hackett lost it. He ran the rest of the way through the house, screaming as he went.
xxxxx
Phil came home to see Curtis sitting in the hallway by the door, with a spear in his lap.
"Curtis, what are you doing?"
The caveman grunted. "Neighbor in cave today."
Phil looked sharply at his pet. "Neighbor, what neighbor? Mr. Hackett? What was he doing in the cave...er, house?"
Curtis stood and imitated the vice principal's running and screaming. Phil's pulse quickened as he asked Curtis why Mr. Hackett had been acting that way. The caveman shrugged, then pointed at himself.
Phil sighed. "We have a problem."