Testing. Testing. 1 2 3

Dad was still working for Loomis Armored when I was in fifth grade. He bought him and his partner a set of headset walkie taklies, so they could communicate while separated. He asked me if I wanted to help him try them out and I happily agreed. After we put batteries in them we ran outside and put them on.

"Ok, here's what we're going to do. We'll walk around the block in opposite directions so we can see how far their range is."

I did as instructed and on the walk we played X-files.

"Scully," my dad said in full character. "The werewolf is around here somewhere."

"Aw, dad. I don't want to be Scully. Can't I be Mulder this time?"

"Quiet, I'm Mulder. Now, he's got to be around..." He was cut off my sharp, piercing disturbance which bled into loud music and the sounds of a very large party.

"Davlin! Davlin! Is that you?" The voice sounded familiar, though it was hard to make out over the commotion.

"Who...who is this?" I asked, trying my best to be like Mulder.

"It's your uncle Danny! I'm having a party and everyone's here! Your mom just got here not too long ago. HEY SUSAN! Yeah, she says hi. So, where are you? Can I come get you?" I stopped dead. It sounded just like him, but there's no way he could have reached me on a short wave walky talky, because he lived a town over.

"Um..." I started to panic. "no, that's ok Uncle Danny. I don't feel like going to a party tonight."

"But Davlin." The voice changed slightly, it sounded hungry. "we want you to come. Where are, your dad's? I'm going to come and pick you up."

"No!" I screamed and tore off into a full sprint hoping to run into my father soon.

"I'm coming to get you, Davlin." The voice said in a low tone and it never once occurred to me to take the damn headset off. Tears blurred my vision and I could make out a form not too far in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"And when I do, I'm going to put you in my car and bring you to the party." Then he chuckled in a way that made me tremble. Then the music got so loud it hurt my ears and then my dad was 20 feet in front of me.

"Hey, Scully. I guess these things don't go very far, do they?" It was my dad's voice coming through the speakers this time. When he got closer he saw the state I was in and grew concerned. "Davlin, are you ok? What happened?" When I wouldn't respond, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me home.

I haven't touched a walky talky since.