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The Opening

Step-Grandma Finlayson was not the kind of woman worth looking at, in fact she was the kind of person whose features inspired nightmares. No matter what was fixed about her she always had broadened nostrils, dry lamellar derma and barbed honed fangs and then there was just her naturally croaky voice. She then had an accent that Niall had never heard. When he had asked Ken, his mother's paternal half-brother, what the accent was Ken replied with "I don't know" to which Niall's maternal grandfather Rick answered "Montmartre."

As Alexis approached The "Eerie Safari", thoughts of Step-Grandma Finlayson soon began to fade away. The last thought to fade away was how particularly angry Step-Grandma Finlayson had been when her Alexis' other self had called her "Step-Grandma." She had outright been throwing things at Alexis' other self upon being called that.

The "Eerie Safari" was an interesting place. It kind of brought to mind a glow-in-the-dark mini-golf place like the one that was in the city to the west of Norrisville or at least that was what Alexis thought as she waited for it to open.

Back and forth she would go to the front door and look through the window. It was indeed a place with a glow-in-the-dark aesthetic mixed with a safari aesthetic. The trees, the bamboo walls, they were all in the glow-in-the-dark look! It was incredible!

Bouncing up and down, Alexis kept wondering how long it would be until opening. She ran back out to look at the volcano-shaped building only to run right into Randy and Theresa.

"Careful, little girl!" exclaimed Theresa.

"Try and calm down a bit. The place will open soon." Said Randy. He then whispered: "You sure do seem excited, Niall."

Alexis did not even try to deny it. She just asked: "You know who I am?"

"Yeah, I was just humoring you that day at the festival."

"Me too." Whispered Theresa.

"Y-You both know?"

"Hmm, lets see here…" Randy and Theresa led Alexis aside so they could talk in private without whispering, the former being the one talking. "A friend of ours who only wore dresses until they were six, barely looks ten despite be fourteen, looks girlish and even has the voice to match a pre-teen girl is wearing clothes of the opposite gender… Who else could it be?"

"Yeah and, Niall, using the braided look that your mom did when she was a kid? Not really the best move." Commented Theresa. "Actually, just curious but does this persona have an alias or is she just the Little Girl with No Name? And how is it you look seven in girls clothes but you look barely ten when you are yourself?"

"Alexis Finlayson and I don't know how to answer the second question, I just do." Answered Alexis.

"Really?" asked Theresa with eyes glazed over. "You use your mom's maiden name as part of the alias?"

"There are five other Finlayson families in Norrisville." Replied Alexis.

"Good point." Theresa admitted. "Also I'd probably lose the Alice band with the bows in addition to the braids. It should be a ponytail and a bow. Actually…" Theresa pulled a blue bow out of her purse that was light blue with a slightly darker trimming. "I have just the thing for you!"

"You just carry a bow like that around in your purse?" asked Randy, incredulous at what he just saw. "The batons I get but a bow?"

"I always knew this day would come." Was Theresa's answer as she walked over to Alexis, undid he braids, put her hair into a ponytail and then put the bow in her hair, after which she took the Alice band. "There! Now Alexis Finlayson is complete!" She took a mirror out of her purse and held it up to Alexis. "What do you think? Also, the glasses are a nice touch. Very Clark Kent even though they are light blue."

"It is perfect!" exclaimed Alexis, a look of joy in her eyes. Then a thought entered her head. "Wait, I bumped into Howard that day at the festival when I was first dressed like this in public? Do you think he knows?"

"Howard has had smart moments but also stupid moments." Said Randy. "It could go either way… Wait, is the reason you are Alexis Finlayson instead of Niall Warburton just to spy on Howard and Debbie because you think Howard doesn't know?" Alexis nodded to which Randy replied: "Gotta admit, that is good logic."

"Wonder about Debbie though." Theresa scratched her right cheek. "Debbie's pretty smart, she might realize who you… Wait! Niall looks barely ten and Alexis looks seven… Without friends or parents how do you expect to get in by yourself?"

"Is such a thing an actual requirement to get in?" asked Alexis.

"I… I don't think so." Commented Theresa. "It would just look odd for a seven year old girl to be here by herself. Might raise a few eyebrows actually. Parents who fear their kids being kidnapped by strangers might think badly of her parents."

"Good point." Agreed Randy.

Alexis just shrugged. "I doubt such a thing will happen." And with that she ran off back to the front doors.

Randy and Theresa just stood there with eyes glazed over. The latter asked: "Our date it going to turn into us keeping an eye on Alexis while she spies on Howard and Debbie isn't it?"

"Boy, I hope not." Replied the former. Then a thought entered Randy's mind to which he asked: "Wait, how much of the stuff are we interested in here? Are we just doing the 'Cursed Wilderness Course' or are going to take in the magic show too?"

"What about the face painting?"

"We're a bit old for that aren't we? Do you want to get your face painted?"

"No but you only brought up two of the three things here." Stated Theresa. "Do you think Alexis would go for getting her face painted?"

"Don't think she'd risk it. With her always getting sick the paint might give her hives or something." Said Randy, shaking his head. "So that leaves us the 'Cursed Wilderness Course' and the magic show… Don't really need to keep an eye on her at the magic show. Probably if she goes into the 'Cursed Wilderness Course.'"

Theresa groaned. "Ugh, do you remember the hedge maze?"

"That one field trip back in the fifth grade." Randy nodded. "Poor Niall was lost in there for two hours… Do you think there has been some improvements with mazes on Alexis' part?"

Theresa did not even take a moment to think about. She immediately answered with: "No."

"Yeah, me neither."

Alexis, who had previously been peering through the windows of the front doors, turned her head and glared at Randy and Theresa. She had heard what they had said and that just made her all the more determined that there had been improvement on her part.

"Wait…" Theresa's eyes widened. "Alexis came here to spy on Howard and Debbie to see if they are really on a date. Did us saying our doubts about her maze navigating abilities just make her change her plans for tonight?"

Randy brought his hand to his forehead while giving an exclamation of "Oh, juice!" He closed his eyes and then opened them back up again. "Wait… Spy on Howard and Debbie… Howard and Debbie wouldn't be interested in the face painting so that definitely crosses that of the list. That leaves only the magic show and the 'Cursed Wilderness Course' and that will entail her having to follow them! We don't have to keep an eye on her!"

"Huh…" Theresa gave a smile and then looked to Randy. "So, they do magic show and we do 'Cursed Wilderness Course' or vice versa?"

"Of course!"

They both looked over at Alexis. She was bouncing up and down excitedly. Theresa's smile grew a little bigger and she said: "Aw, she's cute isn't she? Almost like a toy store is about to be opened and she is going to be the first one…" Theresa's eyes widened. "Wait…" There was a sudden silence and then came the sound of the doors unlocking. Then came the sound of the doors opening and Alexis was seen running into the "Eerie Safari" with others following after her... So did Theresa ask: "Did we just end up the last ones in line for admission?"

"I think so." Replied Randy.

Randy and Theresa quickly made their way into the "Eerie Safari." Sure enough it was decked out with trees and bamboo walls and with the glow-in-the-dark look both trees and bamboos were glowing. As they waited in line, Theresa read a flier she had picked up at the door.

"Apparently the animatronics at this place were made by McFist Industries." She said.

"Guess that is why Mr. Weinerman was under oath not to talk about it..." Commented Randy. "Does it say what they are?"

"Lets see here… Two elephants, five gorillas and snakes, one crocodile, nine butterflies and one hippo… It sounds basically like 'Rainforest Café' without the tigers and jaguars."

"Do you think the animatronics will be exactly like the ones at 'Rainforest Café', a step up or a step down?"

Theresa shrugged. "Who knows? With Hannibal McFist's right hand scientist wanted by the law they may have taken a step down in their robotics. How far behind Alexis are we?"

"Uh…" Randy stood on his tiptoes. "I have no idea. I see the heads of eleven others…"

"Does that include those standing two by two?"

"Okay, twenty-one others! Why does Alexis have to be so short? She is even shorter than Howard and Debbie!"

"Alexis is four feet tall, Howard is four foot ten and Debbie four foot eight." Commented Theresa. "I wouldn't say she is that much shorter but still pretty short. Do you see Howard and Debbie?"

"Yeah, they are four ahead of us. Wait, Alexis just ran on in, we're moving up!"

Alexis ran into the main area of the "Eerie Safari." There were more than just trees and bamboo walls! There was plant growth, mist, waterfalls, motionless model frogs, tropical birds and iguanas, a wishing pond with an animatronic crocodile and hippo in it, reef fish tanks and a star ceiling! This was an incredible place!