Excerpt: LIVING PROOF (that no good deed goes unpunished), Neighborlee, Ohio, Book 4

 

The three of us weregrateful that we hadn’t been discovered and snatched away, because Neighborleeneeded us. We were also kind of ticked that more Lost Kids hadn’t been left tohelp carry the burden. That was part of why we were looking for others like us.

About the time Ibroke my back, we decided it was time to expand our search beyond the bordersof our town. Were there other towns in the U.S. and scattered throughout theworld where other abandoned children showed up and did the Superboy routine?Who made those other potential semi-pseudo-superhero kids vanish?

Not to start soundinglike a sulky little brat who didn't get chosen for the school play, but howcome they didn't take us?

True, Kurt's gift formechanical wizardry wasn't splashy, and Felicity's talents with dogs, changingher appearance, and killing electronics were easily hidden with believableexplanations. I had always been careful to do my flying/gliding where most peoplewouldn't see me. But if someone had the power and connections to snatch otherkids away, how come they'd never noticed us?

Maybe we felt morethan a little left out.

"Whoknows?" I said to Felicity, who was rearranging her loot. About then Ithought I heard movement coming from my brothers' rooms, and took a look downthe hall. No signs of life yet. Well, it was only 9:30, and we had been up latewith pizza, and it wasn't like anyone had homework to worry about until Sundaynight.

Correction: I hadhomework. My first Talk to Terry column.

Lord, now would be agood time for the Rapture. Please? I'd settle for an alien invasion.

Remembering theroller coaster of good and bad news from the day before, I brought Felicityup-to-date while we dove into examining the rest of her loot. I got as far asdescribing the first request for lovelorn advice, when the landline phone rang.I headed for the shelves holding the phone and answering machine. Naturally,the outgoing message played before I got to it.

"Lanie, this isCol. Hayward." It was a gravely male voice. "Please pick up thephone. This isn't something I want to leave on an answering machine."

I yanked withbrainpower when I was still two feet away from the phone, and nearly clockedmyself across the cheekbone with the receiver before I could grab the handle.