by Ginger Voight

Created on: March 14, 2010   Last Updated: February 06, 2012

Weird things are afoot in Stone Gully - the town built by a meteor. It is where sullen 12-year-old Alice Thorton finds herself after the death of her beloved father. The only thing left that means anything at all to her is his prized Joe Dakota comic book collection and a ratty old pair of rare 3-D glasses that are about to end up missing - thanks to the sniveling comic owner and Super Joe Dakota Fanboy, Dwight Logan.

He thinks he's about to read his equally rare comic book the way only four other people had been able to. He's about to get so much more than he bargained for.

"Comic Squad" Excerpt, Chapter Four

Alice shuffled her feet as she entered the apartment, her spirit once again deflated. Barbara emerged from the bedroom, now dressed in a waitress uniform. "Alice, where have you been?"

“Out,” Alice replied curtly. Then, with deliberate sarcasm meant to sting, “Making new friends in this super friendly town.”

Barbara took a deep breath and tried to count to ten. I'm the adult, she told herself. I'm the adult. “I need you to get the trash taken out, please.”

Lugging around trash after her horrible first day in school didn't exactly excite Alice. All she wanted to do was hide in her crowded new bedroom and read her comics for the rest of the night. They were clearly the only friends she had left in this miserable new place. “Can't I do my chores later?”

“You'll do them now,” Barbara firmly replied. “Where we lived may have changed but the rules haven't.”

“But Mom...”

That was it. Barbara's patience was at its end. “No buts, Alice! I'm really late for my second shift, and I need a little help here. Can't you think of anyone else but yourself for a change?”

She gulped down her immediate regret and then left before she could say anything harsher. Alice stuck out her bottom lip as she stomped over to the coffee table and unloaded her armful. She should think about someone else for a change, was her petulant thought. All these changes were her idea.

But Alice still grabbed the big plastic garbage bag from the can in the kitchen and headed down the stairs.

Just as she hoisted the bag up toward the dumpster she could hear a shrill, female voice scream from a nearby apartment.

“You get back here!”

Alice turned to see Josh emerge from one of the apartments, a large and imposing woman on his heels. “I'm gonna go stay with Dad!” he yelled over his

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