The Day I Kissed An Older Man

The voice frightened Joey, who turned to see who it was. He saw a man sitting next to the firewood, staring at him with a weird smile that unnerved him.

It took Joey a couple of minutes to shake himself out of his shock. Finally, he remembered who the man was. "You... You're the balloon seller!"

Joey recognized the man as he was quite distinguishable-a shaggy-looking man in his forties, with an unshaven beard and slovenly clothes. He also remembered that he had talked to him several times at the backdoor of their garden.

"Oh, you remember me? Clever boy! Too bad I don't have any balloons to give you now," said the man.

Joey felt his danger senses tingling. He huddled in a corner of the dog cage and asked, "Why... Why did you bring me here? What do you want?"

The man was amused by Joey's frightened look. He chuckled and said, "Don't be scared! I'm not going to hurt you. Your mother asked me to bring you here. She misses you so much!"

me, she'll find me at home, not

tell you no lies, boy. You'll know I'm telling the

confident the man was. He thought, 'Maybe Mommy really did ask him to bring me here? But why? This place is scary. No one would want to come here! And why lock me in a dog cage? Is this...some

head, he

the grass at the entrance was pushed open, the woman who

it can't be! What is she doing here?!' Joey could

held her arm, but the woman slapped his

do you think you're doing? Buzz off. Don't touch

him for you! So don't forget the money you promised me." Anya glanced at him and said, "Don't worry, you'll get