This story takes place in a university town in California, on a street called Orchard Avenue. The street is home to a mysterious old man who everyone just refers to as the Professor since they don 't know what his real name is. The neighborhood around the antique shop is filled with families and their kids. All the kids spend time playing outside together. The Professor is the only person who witnesses the beginning of the Egypt Game. One day he looks out his window and sees three kids walking into a fenced-off storage yard. There are an African-American girl and her little brother, and a blonde girl named April who has recently moved into the neighborhood. The little boy has a plush octopus with him that he won 't let go of. The Professor