Chapter 10: Skillful Planning

Summary: Life can get lonely when you're in hiding. What will Dakota do?

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Dakota sat in the musty old house and listened to rain beat on the windows. An angry black sky sent massive amounts of water down on the earth; the trees bent beneath the wind's fury as the leaves clung frantically to their stems. A flash of lighting brightened the living room and thunder rolled over the roof.


In one corner an ancient Grandfather clock struck four, and the aroma of baked ham wafted in from the kitchen.

Granny sang to herself, an old hymn.


Alex hunched over a text book, at a roll top desk.


Dakota formed shape number one thousand six hundred and forty-three out of twirling multi-colored marbles. They spun in the air--green, black, blue, and red--at the bequest of his mind.


Alex looked up. "How long've you been doing that?"


"Here I am cooped up in this haunted house all day, and I'm about ready to scream."

"What you need is a social life." -


The marbles dropped to the carpet and scattered. "And just how do you propose accomplishing that?"


"I've got it all figured out. Whenever I meet someone, and I meet a lot of someone's, I'll read their minds. If they're mortal, then no problem. They won't know the difference. If not, then they get left out."


"It'll be some fun. 'Sorry, but I can't leave the house.'"


Alex leaned back in the chair, his forehead wrinkled in thought. Suddenly he clapped his hands together. "I've got it." The legs of the chair hit the floor. "We can say that you are taking a break before college. And...." He sat up straighter. "...you're just too busy to leave the house. And we can have parties here, and--"


"It's going to be hard to explain to anyone with half a brain why I can't go outside. Get real."


"Oh come on. We can make up all kinds of excuses. Granny's a great one. You know, we can't leave her alone because she's too sick and my mom has to work. It makes the girls smile, how much we love my little old granny and all."


"Fine, fine, whatever. Let's just make sure we get our stories straight before all the partyin' starts." Dakota rolled his eyes.


Alex cracked his knuckles and rubbed his hand. "Okay, good. I'll grab the phone and start calling."


"Just don't let that bunch of Super Squad nerds know about it."


"They're not nerds, just a little strange. And I'll call Riley, and my friend Cody who has this friend, named Stephanie. She's hot."


"Not now, no girls, mortal or not. It's too soon after--" Dakota felt his face turn red. "If you even think about that--"


"No girls?" Alex shook his head. "No girls, then no social life for Dakota. So we'll forget about the girls for now, for you anyway. Me, I'm getting out my little black book."


Go for it, Dakota thought. He reassembled the marbles form the far reaches of the old room and started them spinning again. What was the use of hiding? The future looked as black as the sky.