A/N Here is chapter 7 of Shepherd's Glen. By now you know who I own and do not own so I really will not repeat it However, I do own Lindsey and Linda Bartlett.

Anthony William Johnson age 6

It has been a month and a half since my family and I moved into Shepherd's Glen. I made some new friends, and had some strange experiences. Nothing would have prepared me for today's adventure. This day started like any other, the summer sun woke me up around 6:00 am. Then for some reason I heard the familiar drip from my evil wall writing me another message.

"Good morning Anthony" the wall wrote.

"What do you want now?" I asked in an angry voice.

"Gosh is that anyway to treat your friend?" The wall asked sarcastically.

"You are not my friend! Hell I don't even like you so stop being so tricksy and tell me what you want."

"Fine. Listen I do not know when they will occur, but you will have three more nightmares like the one in the graveyard. I know I should not help you but if you look in the book you will discover…" just then a knock at my door interrupted the walls message. "Rats now I won't learn what the wall was going to say." My mom's voice from the hallway interrupted my thoughts,

"Anthony can I come in?"

"Fine. What do you want mom?"

"Mayor Bartlett has invited us to a party to celebrate the birth of his son Joey!" My mother exclaimed squealing with joy.

"Oh great" I responded in a dejected tone.

"What was that?" My mother asked me. I said the same thing I did earlier except in a different tone.

"Oh great!" I exclaimed with fake excitement that my mother thought was real.

"I know right. Anyway we are leaving at eight so please be ready by then"

"Alright, alright I will be ready by eight, anything else?"

"Yes. Please wear your nice clothing," she said.

"I will", I told her as she left the room. Once my mom was out of earshot I made a giant Bleh sound because if there is one thing I hate it is getting dressed up. With a sigh of resignation I went to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Once I finished showering I got dressed, and went downstairs to the kitchen to have some breakfast. I saw my parents at the table having some cereal and coffee. I then walked toward the counter to pour myself some juice and a bowl of cereal. After pouring the milk on the cereal, I went over to the table to eat with my parents. A few minuets passed before my father finally spoke.

"Anthony"

"Yeah dad"

"I want you on your best behavior. This is not only an important day for a friend, but he is also the mayor of the town and I cannot have you pulling one of your antics and misbehaving. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes dad."

"We only want what is best for you dear. Do you understand?" My mother asked her voice flowing with that obnoxious fake sweetness.

"Yes I do" I told her. "Lies, they just don't want to be embarrassed so they won't loose standing with an important member of the town. If they cared about me, they would ask if I even wanted to go" I thought bitterly.

"Are you excited?" My parents asked.

"Yes!" I exclaimed with that cheesy brightness that they seem to like so much. With that I went upstairs to brush my teeth. Two minutes later, when my teeth were sparkling, I stopped in my room to get a book for the car. I decided on one of the Deltora Quest books and headed to the door. My parents and I got into the car and took off. I began reading while my parents were talking in hushed whispers.

"David, do you think there is something wrong with Anthony?"

"What do you mean Kathryn?"

"Well he has been distant, more so than usual. It seems ever since we moved here he has drifted further away"

"Kat, you know as well as I he has always been distant from us ever since he was four."

"I know, but something does not feel right maybe we should…"

"No, if he does not want to talk to us what makes you think he would want to talk to someone else?" My father asked my mother in a stern voice. They thought I could not hear them, but I could. It always made me sad that they never realize I tell my friends a lot more than I tell them. Figuring that listening to them talk about me more would only make me feel worse, I then put my full attention on the book for the rest of the car ride. It was fun reading about the magical belt, and the quest to find all the stones for the belt. About twenty minuets later we reached the Bartlett's vineyard where the party was. As we got out of the car, Mayor Bartlett and his daughter Lindsey approached us. Lindsey gave me a scowl and wandered of while Mayor Bartlett welcomed us to the festivities.

"I am so glad you could make it to this wonderful celebration" he said.

"We are honored that you extended us an invitation" My mom responded.

"Well please come this way" Mayor Bartlett said extending his hands to each of my parents.

"Gladly" my parents responded. As the three of them walked toward the party, I headed off in the direction Lindsey went in. A few moments later I bumped into her.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I was wondering how you are doing" I nervously responded.

"Fine" She snapped back. When she saw I was being serious she decided to tell me how she felt.

"Listen you have to promise not to tell anyone that I am sick. Dr Fitch does not think I will recover. So I am jealous. I think Joey is supposed to be the replacement for me" Lindsey said as her eyes clouded with tears.

"That's horrible. I know how you feel about parents, they just don't seem interested in what they have" I told her.

"Wow for a little kid your kind of cool"

"Hey I am not little, I am Six" I responded in an indignant manner.

"Still younger than me" she said smiling sadly. After regaining her composer *Lindsey suggested we go to the party. I followed her over to the buffet where I saw all sorts of good food. As she began picking up food I noticed her arm was pale. I decided not to think about it, and enjoy my food. After picking up the food, I walked over to the picnic table and sat down and eat. As I chowed down on my food, my mind went back to the car ride and the discussion my parents had about me. "What do they mean I am distant? Is it my fault? After all, they hardly talk to me either. Hippocrates" I thought miserably as tears began to well in my eyes.

"Anthony!" I then turned and saw Alex and Elle coming toward me.

"Hey guys!" I shouted as I quickly wiped my eyes so they would not notice my tears. Unfortunately for me, Elle noticed them and in a concerned voice asked me what is wrong.

"I am having a strange day, I met Lindsey and my parents talked about me during the car ride" I responded.

"Listen, I am sure they are just worried about you" Elle responded.

"Yeah, how can parents not love their child?" Chimed in Alex.

"You're right, anyway (I said trying to change the subject) is your sister here Elle?" I asked.

"Yeah, she is. She is playing with Scarlet"

"How do those two get along?" Alex asked.

"Must be a little girl thing," I said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elle asked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that…"

"Yes you did!" Elle shouted.

"Guys please stop fighting we are all friends here" Alex pleaded.

"Elle I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you"

"It's o.k. Anthony I should not have over reacted" Elle responded.

"Now that we are all friends again we should have a big group hug" Alex said.

"Pass" Elle and I said.

"Aww.,,"

"Alex" Elle and I said.

"Sorry" Alex said. With that we went to eat our lunches. The food was really good. I was really enjoying the company of my friends. Suddenly, Mayor Bartlett came over with his wife *Linda who was holding little Joey.

"Hello Mayor Bartlett" Alex, Elle and I chimed in a chorus of polite voices.

"Hello you little munchkins, it is very nice of you three to have come" Mayor Bartlett said to us.

"We are honored that you came to meet Joey" Linda added.

"He is so cute!" Elle squealed.

"Thank you" Linda said beaming with pride.

"Yes we expect great things from him" Mayor Bartlett said in that same tone he had in my dream. I shivered a bit. Mayor Bartlett noticed and in a concerned voice asked …

"Is something the matter Anthony."

"No sir" I responded. Mayor Bartlett and Linda seemed convinced, but Alex and Elle were not. After the Bartlett's left, Elle immediately asked

"what is wrong."

"I had this nightmare the night before I was grounded where Mayor Bartlett sounded exactly like the way he did just now, and he buried me alive" I responded.

"Maybe you are having issues and you should talk to someone" Alex said.

"Who, my parents they don't understand me"

"What about Dr Fitch he is not your parent and he has a child of his own" Elle suggested.

"It is a good idea" Alex included.

"But how will I be able to talk to him without my parents knowing?"

"Just ask to talk to him alone"

"Elle's right no harm in asking" Alex commented.

"You both are right. Thank you for your help"

"Anytime, that is what friends are for" Elle and Alex said. With that the three of us went looking for Dr Fitch. As we walked in the hopes of finding Dr Fitch, we saw him talking with Mayor Bartlett, Margaret Holloway, Adam Shepherd and my parents.

"As you are all aware the time for the selection is coming upon us"

"I know, but I only have one" Dr Fitch complained.

"Well whose fault is that?" Margret Holloway asked.

"Not mine, a year after Scarlet was born my wife died. You know this as well as I do" Fitch countered.

"Keep it down both of you. Look I decided on mine, besides as long as we get it done on time it won't matter." Mayor Bartlett pointed out.

"Maybe not for us, but what about the next generation?" Adam asked.

"We will be gone so it should not matter" Margret pointed out.

"That's really cold" Fitch commented.

"Anyway Kathryn, David, you are certain your son will join the fold?" Margret asked ignoring Fitch.

"Of course he will, but we have decided to wait to tell him," Kathryn said.

"Well that is fine no child should be thrust into this, but do not wait to long" Margret commented.

"I don't think he will come to us. After all he, barely talks to Kathryn and I as it is" David said.

"Let me talk to him. Sometimes I have discovered children will not talk to their parents about certain aspects of their life, and they need another adult for understanding" Dr. Fitch said.

"We shall begin sending him to you soon" I heard my father say. After that the six of them began talking in hushed whispers, and Alex, Elle and I could not hear anything else. As we strained are little ears to hear more, we heard the pitter patter of two sets of small feet. The three of us whirled around as Nora and Scarlet suddenly appeared.

"What you doing" Nora asked.

"Uh…playing hide and seek," I said quickly which made Alex and Elle stare daggers at me because they knew what would happen next.

"We want to play wif you guys, " Nora said.

"Yeah" Scarlet chimed in.

"Fine, you can play with us" Alex said. With that the five of us began the ceremony to decide who would be it. As it turned out Elle was it.

"Count to ten!" We commanded Elle.

"O.K. 1,2,3…" As Elle counted the rest of us looked for the best places to hide. A few seconds latter Elle shouted…

"Ready or not here I come" With that Elle began looking for us. She quickly found Scarlet and Nora easily because they hid together.

"Found you!" Elle shouted with glee.

"Aww" complained Nora and Scarlet.

"Don't be upset, now you two get to help me find the boys"

"Yeay!" Scarlet and Nora exclaimed in a high pitch squeal. Now the three girls assembled to find the boys. They searched around every nook and cranny that they could, but Alex and Anthony were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly Nora saw what looked to her like brown worms.

"Ewe wors!" Nora shrieked causing Elle and Scarlet to come over and look.

"Uh Nora, those are not worms."

"Then wha is it?" Nora asked Elle.

"It looks like brown hair. Good job Nora you found Alex" Elle told her.

"Yeay!" exclaimed Nora.

"Rats you got me" Alex complained. With that they went looking for Anthony. A few moments later they found him in a patch of grape vines.

"Found me," I said.

"Good hiding place" Alex commented.

"Thanks" I responded.

"Let's play again," Scarlet suggested.

"Sure" we answered. The five of us were just about to start another game when our respective parents came to pick us up and take us home. We all said our goodbyes and went off with our respective parents. I got in my car and was just about to start reading my book when my mom asked.

"So Tony, did you have a good time"

"Yeah Mom" I mumbled.

"It seems like you are adjusting to this town nicely" my dad commented.

"Sure" I grumbled.

"That's good to hear…that's really good to hear" my parents said.

A/N Another chapter finished. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you liked, did not like, and were confused about or any other comments and suggestions. These reviews and comments will help me become a better writer. Thanks Vampuricspider