Alex listened with a furrowed brow, then suddenly grabbed Nora’s shoulders, eyes sparkling with suppressed excitement.

  “Wait—are you saying... we need to help you find a little girl wearing a fox tail necklace? And if we don’t, you’ll be taken away? Oh my god, have you been watching too much sci-fi?”

  Nora rolled her eyes in exasperation. “This isn’t a movie, Alex. I’m serious. You know me—would I lie to you? I... I really don’t know what else to do.”

  Alex blinked, sensing the sincerity in Nora’s voice. Her teasing faded. “You’re serious?”

  Nora’s voice dropped, eyes filled with unease. “You don’t believe me?”

  “Of course I believe you!” Alex patted her chest proudly. “I’m your best partner in crime. No way I’m letting you do this alone.”

  Nora finally exhaled, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She knew Alex would be on her side—always.

  “But still…” Alex tilted her head, a mischievous grin forming. “We can’t pull this off just the two of us. We need backup.”

  She waved toward two boys in the distance. “Hey! Lucas! Jake! Get over here—we’ve got a supernatural mission!”

  Nora looked nervous. “Are you sure about them? Why them, exactly?”

  Alex leaned in with a sly smirk. “You have no idea. One’s slow like a rhino, the other’s silly like a monkey. Perfect balance for us. Come on, it'll be fun.”

  Nora couldn’t help but laugh, especially when the tall and short pair shuffled over with equally puzzled faces. They looked exactly how Alex described them, and the girls burst into laughter.

  Lucas was spinning his paintbrush in one hand. His black curls shimmered under the sun, freckles dancing across his face with youthful energy. But there was a subtle sadness in his eyes. From the moment he spotted Nora and Alex, his heart had started to race. Ever since Nora turned him down, he’d kept his distance—but not this time. He didn’t want to miss another chance. The paintbrush spun faster in his hand, unable to hide his joy.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Jake was a different story altogether—tall, lean, shirt half-unbuttoned, letting the breeze flap it open just enough to show off his “slim-fit abs.” He never missed a moment to joke, always hiding sincerity behind a mask of humor. He strutted over like a rapper on stage, tossing a wink at Alex, spinning into a lazy dance step as he arrived.

  The four formed a loose circle.

  Nora took a deep breath and laid it all out—her dreams, the necklace, the mysterious little girl, and the countdown. Only a few dozen days remained. She needed help.

  Jake burst out laughing, smacking his thigh dramatically. “A fox contract? A magical countdown? Nora, if I were you, I’d buy a lottery ticket first—your dreams are wild.”

  But no one else laughed. His voice hung awkwardly in the air. He whistled, shrugged, and tried to look cool.

  Alex shot him a glare, then looped an arm around his shoulder. “Alright, cut the jokes. We’re being serious here. Are you in or not?”

  Jake held up his hands. “Of course I’m in. Beats sitting in photography club pretending to care about aperture settings.”

  Lucas gave a slight nod. He spun his paintbrush once more, voice low but steady. “I’ll help too.”

  “Then it’s settled!” Alex threw her fist into the air like a captain rallying her crew. “If we’re hunting for someone, we need to go where there are lots of people—the amusement park!”

  Nora blinked. “The amusement park?”

  Jake chimed in, “Where else do little girls hang out? If I were a fox tail necklace, I’d be riding the carousel—not hiding in your math tutor’s notebook.”

  Nora chuckled despite herself. Her nerves didn’t vanish, but for the first time, she felt like maybe—just maybe—this strange little group could help her.

  “Well then, what are we waiting for?” Alex rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Welcome to Operation: Fox Hunt!”

  Their eyes met—four different gazes converging in the middle of a crowded school yard.

  They didn’t know what lay ahead. Whether it was miracle or madness that awaited them.

  But one thing was certain:

  They weren’t alone anymore.

  The amusement park—Nora hadn’t been in years.

  As soon as they jumped out of the car, everyone’s eyes lit up.

  “Should we ride something first?” Lucas asked, practically bouncing.

  “Sorry,” Nora said, already heading to the ticket booth, “we don’t have time.”

  Alex and Jake, however, were fully in mission mode. They chatted nonstop while walking, pulling out a napkin to sketch out a “search plan.”

  “We need a strategy,” Jake said with a serious tone. “First, identify hotspots—carousels, candy stands. Then we split up. One guards the gate, one scans the crowd.”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “Oh please, what are we, the FBI?”