6. The Plan

Chapter 6 The Plan "I already have a plan," Nate said. "I'm never leaving this closet." "Lucy's right," Bradley said. "We can't stay here all morning." "Why not?" Brian asked. "Mom and Dad will be home in less than an hour." "Great," said Bradley. "You can be the one to tell them Josh has been kidnapped by space creatures." "Maybe we could talk to the aliens," Lucy said.

Nate laughed. "Do they speak English?" "Brad, what does it say about aliens in your UFO book?" Lucy asked. "Lots of things," Bradley said. "And there are pictures!" "Where's your book?" Lucy asked. "In my room, upstairs," Bradley said. Lucy slowly opened the closet door. She poked her head out and looked around. "I don't see anyone," she whispered to the boys behind her. Lucy stepped into the hallway. "Where are you going?" Nate asked. "I want to see Bradley's book," she said. "I may have an idea." "Come on, Lucy, I'll show you," Bradley said. "Wait!" Nate said. "We should lock the doors and pull down all the shades." The kids tiptoed from room to room, pulling shades and checking locks. Then they followed Bradley upstairs. His book, UFOs and You, lay on the floor.

Bradley opened to a section that showed pictures. The kids looked at photos of strange creatures. "Are these real pictures of aliens?" Nate asked. "The author says they are," Bradley answered. "But the pictures are fuzzy," Lucy said. "I can't tell what the aliens look like." "Guys, we saw two looking in the windows," Brian reminded them. "They were disgusting! We have to do something!" Lucy was flipping through Bradley's book. She pointed to a picture of a man standing next to a small creature. Below was another picture. This one showed strange little tracks in the dirt. Each track had three points. "Those are exactly like the prints we saw outside!" Bradley yelled. "I told you guys!"

"Listen," Lucy said. She read a caption under the pictures: "'Dr. Wilfred Ditz says he met several space aliens. He says they were shy and friendly creatures.'"

"Friendly!" Brian squawked. "They're gonna eat our pony!" "So what's your plan?" Nate asked. "Those two aliens we saw outside the kitchen might just be hungry," Lucy said. "Yeah, for some nice juicy first graders!" Brian moaned. "So what if we feed them?" Lucy continued. "You mean make them lunch?" Bradley asked. "Yes," Lucy said. She grinned. "And then we capture them!"