2005

Charlie ordered the same thing David did.

"You, okay, Charlie?" Dawn asked.

"I'm fine..." he didn't want to burden his sister. "It's been quite a day, that's all."

David worried about Charlie. Soon, they all ordered wine, to go with their dinner. Charlie took a little too much, and began to say things he shouldn't.

2004

The thing took place in some community center with plain, green walls. several small tables, with two chairs on each, lined up. Women went on one side, while men went on the other.

A woman in a purple wig explained the rules, and it started.

Alan's first date was, interesting to say the least.

"I'm a pet psychic" she told him. "I love to commune with nature, run with my dogs, and explore innner meanings. You?"

"I uh...enjoy crossword puzzles, good conversation, and spending time with my sons...do you have any kids?"

"I've got ten daughtersall of which I adopted from the pound" she said. "Did did you adopt yours from the pound?

"Oh...actually..my uh..sons are human"

"I see.."

Ding! The bell rang to Alan's relief, and he hoped that the next 'date' would be better. It wasn't. She dress almost like a goth. It wasn't a good look for a woman in her sixties, at least in his opinion.

"I'm a retired city planner" Alan said when the topic went to jobs.

"I'm necromancer. I couldn't retire if I wanted to. Raising the dead is anability you gotta excercise, if ya know what I mean..."

Alan wondered if she was some prankster who had grown very bored due to retirement or just plan crazy.

"So...uh...when did you find out that you had the ability?" Alan asked lamely.

"My dog died, and the next day, I woke up and saw her sleeping next to me. Talk about road kill!"

Finally, the bell rang again. The next woman looked look a good possibility.

"I've also got two sons!" she told him at one point. "One of them is a cop in Boston. I worry so much!"

"I know what you mean! One of my sons is in the F.B.I."

"What can a parent do, but hope that we raised him right."

Suddenly, an angry man in his eighties, with an ugly toupeeinterupted.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"She's not five years old!" Alan got protective and assumed he was her dad..

"Please leave the premises" the purple wigged woman said.

"She's my wife!" he yelled.

Sheepishly, she got up, and left with him. All the while, he subjected her to a tirade. This put the woman in charge to panic mode as now the number was uneven. Alan, tired of the whole thing, volunteered to leave.

TBC