After school I grabbed some snackage. I didn’t want to appear too eager to meet Wendy. She was just the neighbor girl, right? I also had to be my normal non-confrontational self in front of Mom, so she wouldn’t suspect anything. I didn’t need her nosing around.

“How was school?” Mom asked the same question she had asked in the same cheery tone since day one of Kindergarten.

“Fine.” I gave the same answer in the same bored tone as I had since she forced me to attend that torturous institution.

Then I headed out the back door with my lighter, my hatchet, and a sack.

“Where have you been?! And what are those for?” Wendy accosted me from behind the fence.
“For gathering the wood.”
“You won’t need them!’ She smiled.
“Why not?” I was curious.
“Come on!”
I warily followed her down the alley, now unsure of her plan.

“Ol’Man Corbet’s?!” I squeaked as we stopped behind his house.
“Yeah, look at that!” She pointed to a gray doghouse, seasoned, weathered, and crumbling.
“Oh, I don’t think so.” I backed up
“Why not?”