ShapeShifters introduction book **************************************************************************** Prologue: Hi. My name is Josh. It’s really Joshua, but I hate that name. So just call me Josh. Anyway, I am 13, and live in good ole Salt Lake City. I’ve heard of aliens and little green men from Mars and stuff, but never really believed in them. So, I wouldn’t expect them in Salt Lake City. **************************************************************************** Chapter 1: Yes, you heard me right. Aliens. Weird, huh? Well I’ve gotten used to it. As used to as you can get to aliens and morphing, anyway. This is how it all began: “Joshua Michael LaVinsky! Go to your room immediately!” It was my mom. I hate when she calls me that. I hate when anyone calls me that. I hate it worse than plain old ‘Joshua’. Ewww. In the past five minutes I had: 1. Spilled paint on the family dog, Shamu 2. Yelled something I can’t repeat to my little sister Gina 3. Wrecked the reckroom (ironic) while chasing Gina And 4. Told Gina that Shamu hated her (big deal!) So now, (of course) I was grounded. For a month. Mom said if I argued with her it would be two. Now, let me ask you: doesn’t that really, really, suck? I thought so. Well, that is what happened. And that is how I met Robert. That is how it happened. Here, is what happened: I slammed the door to my room. I was about to plop onto my bed, when this weird-looking guy popped up out of nowhere. I jumped back and screamed. “Who the hell are you!?” I asked. I did not like strangers in my room. Especially not a kid who didn’t look much older than my age of 13 wearing a cape. He had dark brown hair, almost black, with red highlights. He grinned. He twirled his cape and in his place stood the fairy godmother from Cinderella. “I am your Fairy Godmother, Honey.” She batted her eyelids. Then she was gone. In her place stood him. I sorta wish the Godmother would’ve stayed, but if it was supposed to impress me, it wasn’t working. “Great, but really, what in the hell are you doing in my room?” His face suddenly grew serious. “Well,” he said, “from what I hear, you are in trouble.” “Yeah, so?” I asked bluntly. This guy, whoever he was, was getting on my nerves. And he was obviously kinda stupid. “So I am here to cheer you up.” He gestured with his hands. “Look,” I said. “I don’t know what you’re trying to sell, but I’m not interested.” He snapped his fingers. In his hand appeared one of those mallets with the squeaky plastic end. He bonked himself on the head with it several times. “Hello? Am I not getting through? I’m here to help you!” Then he bonked me on the head with it. It made a loud SQUEAK!ing noise. I rolled my eyes. This was not going to be easy. “Okay,” I said, “So you’re my Fairy Godmother- whatever that is. So, Oh Great One- how can you possibly cheer me up??” He looked like the whole world just fell down on him. I actually felt sorry for him. I was getting used to the fact of having a 13-year old freak in my room. Even if he was a little... strange. He looked up with a light in his eyes. He almost hit the ceiling he jumped so high. Literally. “I’ve got it!” he cried in a very odd imitation of an English accent. “By George, I think I’ve got it!” In a puff of smoke he was wearing a plaid coat, smoking a pipe, and had one of those really weird Sherlock Holmes-looking hats. Definitely weird. Then he just dropped right out of the costume. Walked right out of it. Then it disappeared. “How about we go for a stroll?” he asked. “Um, fine with me, but won’t people notice a a kid in a cape walking around?” I asked. He shook his head. “No,” he said. “Because we’re not going to walk.” “Not to be rude of anything, but, um, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET AROUND THEN!?! Drive?” I yelled. He grinned. His grin was so big it almost fell off his face and cracked into a million pieces. “We fly.”
