But that wasn’t what captured my attention. It was the stranger standing next to my parents, staring up at me. He was in his early thirties and wore a white t-shirt that read in red font: “HI!” His hair was blond and cut short, his two blue eyes pools of glowing brilliance set in a sea of snow.

And then I noticed the oddities of this intruder: His skin was impossibly smooth, a clean, pink sheen of absolute perfection. His nose wasn’t so much a nose as it was a nub jutting out of his face. His lips were twisted in a smile revealing white strips where his teeth should have been.

“Hi Spence!” He called up to me, his voice cheerful, “I’m Tommy Taffy! I’m going to be staying with you for a while!”

I clutched Growls to my chest, quivering, begging my parents for guidance. Instead, they cast their eyes to the floor, clearly shaken. I didn’t know what was happening, what had been said between them, but I could feel danger in the air, thick and malicious.

“Come on down here so I can get a good look at you!” Tommy said, waving me forward.

My father’s eyes suddenly met mine and I gulped. Even at that age, I could interpret the look he passed on to me.

Be careful, son.