"I gotta go buddy!" I told my brother.

"You've got an idea?" He asked hopefully.

"Let's talk about it later.Don't come to the house until I give the go ahead. "

"Okay" We said our goodbyes and hung up

Before I could implement my plan, however, my business line rang, and I answered

"Eppes Investigations"

" Some evil mice took my best friend's brain!" Some dumbass complained in a nasal voice. What's with all these crank calls?Was Charlie putting ads somewhere he wasn't telling me about? "I need you to find them."

"Looks like they got yours too" I retorted and hung up.

Soon, I began the first phase of my plan by calling Dad on his cell.

"Hello?"

"Dad! It's me."

"Donnie! Your brother told me that his performance was a sucess?" Dad sounded cheerful."How's the girl?"

"Fine...though she could gain some weight" I admitted, not surprised that Charlie would tell him the good news." Anyway, Could you crash with a friend for a few days longer?"

"The father give you an extension?"

"Yeah.."

"Of course, Donnie." Dad and Charlie had been my greatest sources of support when it came to my new occupation. "What are you going to do now?"

"Get Elizabeth back home" I promised.

"Good luck Donnie."

"Thanks Dad!" With that, we hung up.

Next came phase two, which was as easy as going into the garage and telling the girls that my brother and father, due to unforeseen circumstances, weren't gonna return to the house for quite a while and so why don't they come and stay in it?

"We'd love to!" Antha said.

Quickly, they happily got their things and moved them into the various rooms. Thankfully, Elizabeth choose Charlie's room. Things couldn't be working better!

I allowed them to 'teach' and 'show' me stuff thoughout the evening. We also watched television and ate leftovers. I went to bed first, or at least pretended to. It was torture waiting for them to finally go to bed in the wee hours. They must have had more of the cookies, which could prove to be helpful.

Finally, around five, I snuck into Charlie's room, where Elizabeth stayed. Gingerly, I hid under a blanket in the closet. Then, called Elizabeth's name, loud enough for Elizabeth to hear, but low enough to avoid waking Antha and Trixie. The voice I used was also a bit dismembered.

If only the folks at the office could see me now,doing a reformed version of an old practical joke, that I used to do during my college days, to save a girl from a cult! It's amazing what you have to come up with, when you don't have a badge and the authority that comes with it!

She didn't budge. Sighing, I repeated myself "Eliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiizaaaaaaaaabeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttthhhhhhhhh"

"Uh..?"

"Youuuuuuuuu muussssssssssstttttttt hiiiiiiiiiiiideeeeeeeeee alone!"

"What? she suddenly sat up.

"Iiiiiiiiiiii'mmmmmmm waaaaaaaaaarning youuuuuuuuuuu!"

"What the..."

"Yooouuuuu areeeee endangeeeeeeeeering your fireeeeeeends..." My body protested at being cramped in the closet full of junk.

"Who are you?"

"AAAAAAAAA reeeeeeeeeeforrrrrmed deeeeeeemon." Morlock had mentioned 'reformed demons' during his stupid talk.

"How do I know you're really a reformed demon, instead of an evil one?"

"IIIIIII wouldn't warn you IIIIIIIIIIffffffffff I were evil, now would I? You must tell Don to hide you separatly from the ooooooooootheeeeeeeeers!"

"Well...how can I be sure it is safer?"

Something told me that it was going to be a long night.

TBC