A Strange Encounter

They were traveling along a dry, dusty road in a dry, dusty desert; and Anthony hated every moment of it. Anthony was stuck in the back of the car with his annoying 9 year-old sister Sabrina. Sabrina had a knack for being just plain annoying, all the time. It was too dry. Being from northern Ohio things were humid, and the desert air was wrecking havoc on his body.
“Are we there yet?” Sabrina whined for the 35th time in 10 minutes.
“No honey. We’ll be there in just a couple minutes though,” their mom said.
They were going to see their uncle Lark, a man clouded in mystery. Family legend said he was a wacko, a lunatic. Anthony wasn’t sure he wanted to meet his uncle.

“We’re here.”
Anthony got out of the car and looked up at the aged wooden house, dark and depressed. This was going to be an adventure for sure.

“Uncle Lark?” Anthony had the job of finding his uncle and it was turning out to be very difficult.
“Uncle Lark, where are you?” he called, walking up the stairs to get to the third floor. Anthony heard the house creak, the sound sent shivers down his spine. “Uncle?” he called in a shaky voice.
“Boo!” Anthony jumped and whipped around to face his laughing uncle. His hair was a mess; over all it looked and smelled as if uncle Lark hadn’t had a shower in weeks.
“Uncle?” Anthony asked in shock to thin air. Uncle Lark had already disappeared. Great.
“Anthony, where are you?” his mom’s voice drifted up to him. “Don’t tell me you’re hiding from your uncle.”
Hiding? “Coming.” Anthony bounded down the stairs to find his uncle talking with his mom and dad. Uncle Lark just winked at him.