Bill W

Now that was a big spider and it fell from the ceiling without a parachute, yet the couple seemed calm until that happened and then suddenly the video stopped. I wonder if they were having a stomping party after that happened.

Yes, and Devin was very careful. He transitioned behind the truck that had been hit and pretended looking underneath it for damage when he first transitioned (if memory serves me correctly) and afterward he did it between the fire truck and ambulance, using the ambulance door to block him as he was facing in that direction. I'm sure at that point all the cameras were on the accident scene, not on those other areas, but he was taking a chance. And no, the boys, Gramps, or Pops have never mentioned security cameras, and I'm sure they would have if she had them. I don't think Louella has done much to the house since her father died.

Thank you for the kind words. No, as far as I can tell from Navajo lore about skinwalkers, the evil skinwalkers can only take on their own human form and that of one or two other animals, of which one is usually a wolf. The other may be a bear or a mountain lion, but I've never heard of them transitioning into more than any of those. Yes, all skinwalkers would transition back to their original form upon death, and as the skinwalker they killed in book 1, being over 600 years old, it immediately decomposed and left only scattered bones and the rest had turned to dust. From dust we came and to dust we will return. .

I'm glad you're enjoying this and please feel free to respond more often. Yes, things like this might get out, but until Gramps and Pops start to hear rumblings of suspicion about what's happening, I don't believe they'll become too concerned. However, if these things start going viral and Devin or Mac might be identified by their clothing or being caught transitioning, I'm sure that Gramps and Pops might only mildly chastise them, although they may issue additional warnings. Yes, I believe we're all unsure about what to do about Louella, but I'm sure she'll get hers in the end.

Louella is a problem, but I believe the boys are also confused about what should be done with her. Maybe she should be visited by men in black and accused of being a spy - or an extraterrestrial. With her size, she could be hiding an entire family of other ETs. I won't argue that Devin is taking risks, but it seems that he can't resist helping someone in need.

There will always be nosy neighbors - that's what tall fences are for, to cut down on it a little. As I've said above, even if Preston does find out, because he's a professor of anthropology he may be more open to things of that nature, as long as they're using it for good, not evil. Devin is taking risks, although he seems to be doing what he can at the time to minimize the risks. With that being said, however, is it always enough?

Louella is just one of those minor city officials that think they have more power than they do. Sometimes she acts like she's the mayor. The boys just have to keep their cool with her, at least when she knows it's them. Yes, not all states have that law, and then there's always those who think they don't have to follow the law, so it means the law doesn't always work until something goes wrong and then they're charged with not obeying the law. Yes, Preston is observant, but like I told Paladin, even if he discovered their secret, with his educational background he may be more open to it than others would be. Yes, although using ACME products might not have helped them, maybe they'd have been better off if Gramps and Pops were more like Elmer Fudd. "I'm gonna hunt me a wabbit or a coyote. "

Thank you, Paladin, and Mac is very capable of thinking quickly on his feet. I'm sure he'd prepared himself for Preston asking the questions about the additional dog, as well as the fact that Preston might ask him where the dogs had all been trained, but he did a great job. As I explained to Chris, Devin did take a chance, but since the others were focused on the accident, it might not be as great a risk as it appeared to us, knowing what we knowing about his abilities. As far as Louella and Preston, Louella is more of a problem, and if they give her a good enough scare, she might have a heart attack and die, and then Gramps and Pops could buy that property as well. Preston is observant, but since he likes Mac, he may not be a major problem even if he did find out. Being a professor in the anthropology department, he might be more open to what they are then most.

I'm not sure if Gramps and Pops will see a video or find out about this, but they might. However, since it was to rescue someone and Devin seemed to take enough precautions, they might not get too upset. Yes, Louella is a constant pain in the ass for the boys, but as long as the boys don't get too carried away when they respond to her, they might be able to avoid her until the holidays. Yes, the others all had a good time at the dog park, and at the hunting camp as well, It's just that the coyotes didn't enjoy it as much as they did.

Chapter 08 – Devin to the Rescue - Again! As soon as we got up the next morning, we all got ready to go out for breakfast, but before we left the house I mentioned something to Gramps and Pops. “If you want to go to the dog park as dogs, then I’ll have to take a leash and a collar for each of you.” “That’s not a problem, because we have each of those items for both of us already.” “And what names do you want me to call you, since I’ve been calling Devin Bear?” “

I was the same way, but following this thread taught me that there aren't many spiders to be afraid of, at least if you're not in Australia. Needless to say, I've crossed visiting Australia off my bucket list.

I didn't think that faint line on the right-rear was a leg - I just thought it was something in the background, and it didn't dawn on me that this spider was an amputee.

Hmmm... date rape followed by cannibalism - the Hannibal Lecter special on the menu.

Its because I don't want the readers to worry that any Dalmatians were being harmed during the writing of this story.

Yes, the boys are considerate and have good manners, and you can see that it pays off.

Tony, join the club. I've shrunk a half-inch in my old age as well. I guess its not just houses that settle. As far as Devin getting permission to grow, the family keep a close eye on making sure that none of them stand out and draw attention to themselves, and a rapid change in height, say a half foot overnight, would do that. Devin was born a skinwalker and didn't have to go through a ceremony, per se. Just puberty. And I don't know if that was his 'normal' height or just the height his dad and grandfathers felt would be best as he went through high school.

I don't see why not, since the shaman indicated that it could be any creature that had once lived on Mother Earth. That's what made the boys wonder if Bigfoot was actually real, since they had been able to transition into it, or was it Gigantopithecus? And a T-Rex would scare the shit out of anything - even Louella Haskins.

The company probably begin in the 1970s, after the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) went into effect , and being a family business, it can be passed down from generation to generation, as long as family members are interested in getting involved and they adhere to any federal regulations. The family fortune was invested in stocks long ago and Devin's dad oversees that it keeps making money.

Good question. Maybe you should go investigate. You might get her to bake you a pie or a cake, or she might even offer you a poison apple. Muhahaha

Thanks, Paladin. I'm always writing so far ahead of what you're reading that I can't always remember if that was said in something I've already posted or something that's yet to go public. I'm glad I didn't give too much away before I took that response down.

Thanks, Al, and that would have been an interesting situation with Barry. First of all, would Barry have gone for something like that? And second, would the boys have taken him up on it? I guess we'll never know. Yes, coyotes are a problem in many areas of the country, and when you see a group of them, it's time to hightail it unless you have a rifle.

See what happens when you jump to conclusions. Especially when I'm writing the story.

Who knows? Anything is possible, that's what makes this st ory so interesting. lol

Anton , as you read between the lines, you may be right or you may be wrong. Let me give you some alternatives to think about. If you worked at t he same job for say, 100 years. Don't you think you might get bored of what you're doing and want a change? Heck, maybe in their next life they can go co college, or go back to college, and choose a different profession, and of course they'd offer their old business to a family member or someone they're close to. Devin's reaction might have been his attempt to convince Gramps and Pops they're not really old, at least not for a skinwalker, or maybe he's letting them know that he, and possibly even Mac, are not interested in taking over the family business and would prefer doing something else. There are other options I could mention, but I think I've made my point. You have to consider all the options when you're reading between the lines.

Yes, that's why Gramps and Pops chose that line of work, and Aason was a business major in college and you'll discover that he takes care of the books for the family business, as well as running a business of his own.