The Case of the Forgotten Path & Invisible Thief

Mallory and Max stood at the edge of Mallory's massive backyard, staring at the towering oak tree that loomed in the distance. It was a typical Saturday afternoon, and after hours of "serious" detective work (which, in Mallory's opinion, meant finding every excuse possible to avoid homework from her tours even though it was summer), they had decided to take a break. But there was a catch.

"So, what exactly are we doing out here?" Mallory asked, crossing her arms and giving Max a sideways glance. She had that look on her face—the one that said she was getting suspicious of whatever wild idea Max had come up with this time.

Max grinned "I'm glad you asked. We're doing the ultimate backyard adventure. Think Indiana Jones meets Mission Impossible—but, you know, with way more dirt and less treasure."

Mallory raised an eyebrow. "That sounds... like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Exactly," Max said, bouncing on his heels. "And disaster equals fun."

Before Mallory could protest, Max took off, running toward the giant oak tree. Mallory sighed and followed him, not because she wanted to, but because she had learned the hard way that when Max had an idea, it was either join in or end up sitting inside, listening to him talk about how much fun he was having without her. Plus, this seemed way better than the mountain of math homework she had been avoiding from her tutors.

Max had already made it to the base of the tree and was now crouching beside a pile of random things. Mallory squinted. "Are those—are those your old sneakers?"

Max nodded solemnly. "Yep. These are the bait."

"The bait for what?"

"The squirrels," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Mallory stared at him. "You're trying to bait squirrels with your stinky sneakers?"

Max grinned. "Yep. We're going to build the world's first squirrel trap. If we're lucky, we'll catch one and train it to do our bidding. We could have the most powerful squirrel army ever. Think about it, Mallory! They can sneak into people's houses, steal their snacks, and be completely undetectable. We'll be like... squirrel masterminds."

Mallory blinked, then burst out laughing. "Are you serious? You're building a squirrel army? What next? A raccoon espionage team?"

Max nodded seriously. "It's all part of the plan. And the best part? We don't even have to feed them. They'll be too busy stealing from everyone else."

Mallory shook her head. "Okay, okay. But what's in that pile of stuff you've got over there?"

Max looked over his shoulder, then motioned her closer. "It's our gear," he whispered dramatically. "A net, some string, an old ice cream bucket—basically everything we need to trap a squirrel and train it to steal the neighbor's cookies."

Mallory looked at the pile of random junk. "This looks like a failed yard sale. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Absolutely," Max said with a grin. "The squirrels don't stand a chance. We just must wait for them to get curious."

They both crouched down beside the tree, staring at the sneakers, waiting. After a few minutes of silence, Mallory broke the stillness.

"Do you ever wonder if we're... maybe a little too weird?" she asked, tapping her foot against the grass.

Max looked at her, unfazed. "Nah. Normal's overrated. Weird is where the fun is."

"Right," Mallory said, half-smiling. "Well, while we're waiting for the squirrel army to show up, want to try the jump from the swing set to the slide? I bet I can make it this time."