Mack and Allie arrive at Lynn's house

Allie and Mack were standing outside Lynn Odenfell's house, trying to figure out next steps. It was just early enough in spring that it still got cold at night and Allie was shivering. This was the moment in the movies where the man took off his jacket and put it around the girl to keep her warm. Mack missed his cue, of course.

"I still don't know why we aren't calling the cops," Allie said.

"The old lady said not to, okay," Mack answered.

"And you're just going to listen to her?"

"I don't know, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Mack knocked on the front door. The sound of rapid footsteps came from somewhere in the house. Then the door opened a crack and Allison saw a gray-green eye peer out at her and Mack.

"Are you Mack?" A soft, female voice asked.

"Yeah. This is Allie, she's another friend of Anthony's. Can you take us to Anthony?"

Mack started to open the door, but the woman stopped him.

"Be careful! Only step where I tell you to step, got it?"

"Yeah, sure thing. Whatever," Mack said.

Hesitantly, the woman opened the door and let Allie and Mack in. That's when Allie noticed the first truly bizarre thing of the night.

Anthony had described Lynn Odenfell as a kind old woman. A kind of hippie grandma. However, the only old thing about the woman standing in the doorway was her hair, which was steel gray. Other than that, Lynn Odenfell hardly looked any older than Allie or Mack. Not only did she look young, she looked beautiful. Model beautiful. Her fuzzy pink bathrobe did little to hide the generous curves she possessed underneath. Allie immediately felt jealous.

It did not help that Mack's eyes immediately drank in Lynn Odenfell's beauty. The boy was instantly mesmerized.

"Wait, are you the lady Anthony was talking about? Lynn or whatever?"

"I am."

"Aren't you supposed to be old?"

Allie punched Mack in the arm. God, he could be such an idiot sometimes.

"Don't be rude, Mack!"

"No, he's right. I'm technically sixty eight years old."

"You look insanely hot for sixty eight!" Mack said.

Allie wanted to crawl into a hole and die. This was the boy she had a deep, passionate crush for. A doofus who couldn't keep his mouth shut and who started drooling over any pretty girl that walked in front of him. Any girl besides Allie.

"It's a long story. I'll try to explain everything as best as I can. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Lynn said. She began to tear up. "Please don't hate me!"

Mack, in a freakish pantomime of a gentleman, gave Lynn a big bear hug, telling her it was going to be okay. Blah, blah, blah. Get a room.

It was then that Allie noticed the second, much stranger thing of the night. In the center of Lynn Odenfell's living room was a large ball of pulsing red biomass. The ball glowed faintly, revealing a silhouette in its center.

"Oh my God, is that Anthony?"

"Yes," Lynn whimpered. "They took him."

"They?" Allie asked.

"The plants. The flowers, to be more specific - the ones from my garden."

Lynn summarized the events of the last few days for Mack and Allie. She told them about her initial exposure to the pollen, how she had inappropriately touched Anthony. Then her body started to change. It grew younger and prettier. Lynn had tried to fight her urges, but the blossoms won out.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Lynn sobbed.

Mack patted Lynn on the back, "it's okay! We understand."

Do we, Mack? This lady just admitted to trying to **** our friend and you're trying to cop a feel.

"Can we break him out of that thing?" Allie asked, trying to change the subject.

"I tried, but it's too tough."

"Damn. That was my only plan," Allie said. "We need to think of something."

"If only Bonnie would answer my calls," Mack said. "She's a super genius with this kind of stuff."

Panic shot through Allie as she remembered back to earlier in the day.

"Anthony gave Bonnie one of the plants from the garden!"

"Shit, I forgot about that," Mack muttered.

"Was it a flower?" Lynn asked.

Allie shook her head. "No, it was some kind of succulent or cactus."

"Either way, your friend is in danger," Lynn said.

"Okay, new plan," Mack said. "Lynn and I will go check in on Bonnie. Allie, you stay here in case Anthony comes out of there."

Allie gave Mack a look of icy rage that stopped him in his tracks. She had no patience for his horndog antics right now. Especially not if Bonnie was in trouble. The last thing she needed was Mack getting distracted and trying to feel up Lynn Odenfell in a parking lot.

"No, you wait here with your best friend. _I _will go with Lynn and check in on Bonnie."

Lynn looked from Allie to Mack in confusion and then shrugged her shoulders.

"I could use some fresh air," Lynn said. "I haven't left the house in days."

Five minutes later, Lynn was dressed and ready to go. The woman mercifully wore a sweater that obscured her voluptuous body. Still, Allie felt painfully frumpy in Lynn's presence. Still, none of that mattered right now. Not one, but two of Allie's friends were in danger and they needed her help.

Please hang in there, Bonnie.