Picture Perfect

Chapter Ten

~Flash Back~

"Danny this isn't funny anymore!" I shouted.

I've been walked around outside for hours. And the Arizona heat isn't fun.

Me and Danny were playing hide and seek, and Danny was hiding. Really good too.

He would make animal noises and trick me. I was getting mad.

"Riley!" Danny shouted, trying to sound like a ghost. He knows I'm the only one who can do a good ghost voice.

I followed the voice to a bush right next to the door of the pool house. "Come on Danny, come out." The bushes ruffled and a playful growl came from the green brush.

I squealed when Danny leapt out and jumped on top of me. "Get off fatty!" I pushed on him, but he wouldn't get off. His face looked hurt.

"I'm not a fatty." He protested. "Yes you are. You ate a whole box of twinkies, remember?" I nodded.

His ears turned red. "Well...well your a fatty too!" He started tickling me. I laughed.

"Okay Dans! Okay!" My voice was filled with laughter. "Get off!" I pushed him again and he fell off me.

"It's spy time Riles." Danny grinned mischievously.

"No Danny. We got in twouble last time we played spy." I put my hands on my hips.

"It's trouble not twouble. And this time it's important Agent Fluffy Pants. We have to investigate a secret." I smiled at him. He got me.

I love investigating secrets. And the mention of my spy name made me happy.

"Okay Agent Twinkie." Danny pulled me by the arm through the pool house door.

"Wha-" "Shh!"

I held my hands up. Danny can be's very ser...seri... how do you say it? Oh yeah, serious. He can be very that, when it comes to missions. He shouldn't be though. I mean we are only six.

"What do you mean?" I heard daddy's voice from the kitchen in the pool house.

We hid under the table in the eating space.

"I mean...you have to do something with it." Who was that? I've never heard them before. "She's in danger. When she's older she'll understand. Until then... don't tell her. When the times right she'll know." The strange man said.

"No...I can't lie to her." Daddy's voice sounded worried. Who are they talking about?

"She's six James. Just say it's her imagination." I tapped Danny's shoulder. "Who are they talking about?" I asked him.

"I don't know. You have to be quiet to hear though. So shh." He put a finger on my mouth. I pushed it away and frowned at him.

"She has to know." Daddy said. "She will James. Just not now." The strange man sounded upset.

I peeked from under the table and saw daddy with his hand in is hair. The strange man was really tall. Taller than daddy. And nobody's taller than my daddy. He had a dark beard, and barley any hair.

He reminded me of a story mommy told me and Danny once. The one with the giant lumberjack and his blue ox...
Paul Bunyan!

"Okay... Okay, you'r right. When she turns eighteen." Daddy sighed.

"You can't control it James. The Orb will choose when she finds out. The scroll says that she'll find me when she's ready. She has very special powers James. But she's strong, she can handle it." Paul Bunyan said.

"I shouldn't have done this to her." Daddy sniffled. "Don't cry daddy." I whispered. I don't like seeing anyone I love cry.

"She was chosen, James. You can't help that." Paul Bunyan said.

"I know." He sighed. Paul Bunyan walked to the door and turned the knob before looking back at Daddy.

"And one more thing... the Agency is looking for it already. If they somehow get her... don't go after them. You know how O'Brien works. If he finds two in one he'll want both. And I can't speak for the boy, but... I'm afraid..." he stalled and hung his head. "She'll get out of there. Just promise me James, that you won't go after them." Paul grabbed daddy's shoulders.

"I-I...I promise Al." Al? Is that his name? Its better than Paul Bunyan.

Al nods and walks out of the pool house. Daddy slides to the floor and pulls his knees to his chest. He starts crying.

I start to crawl out of our hiding spot when Danny grabs my arm.

"No Riley. We have to stay hidden." He whispered.

We just sat there and watched as daddy sobbed into his knees. His whimpers were the only sound in the empty pool house.

Who were they talking about? And why is it making my daddy cry? Why did that big man make my daddy cry?!

We need to find out what this secret is. We need to figure out what's making daddy cry.

If only I had known it was about me...

~Flash back ends~