Morning Routine

Pencil Woman stretched her arms as sunlight poured through the tall windows of her Pencil Case Fortress. The four pencil towers sparkled in the morning light, casting long shadows across Canvas Meadow City below.

"Good morning, Canvas Meadow!" she called out, stepping onto her balcony. The city buzzed with activity as humanoid deer jogged down the sidewalks, goat shopkeepers opened their stores, and sheep families walked their children to school.

She summoned her giant pencil, watching it glow with familiar energy. The weapon felt heavier today, though she couldn't figure out why.

"Time for patrol," she said, launching herself into the sky.

But as she flew over the city center, something caught her eye. A strange shimmer appeared near the fountain where Mayor Benson, a friendly deer with silver antlers, was giving his morning speech to the crowd.

The shimmer grew larger, like a ripple in the air itself.

Pencil Woman landed hard, her boots hitting the pavement with more force than usual. Something was definitely wrong with her powers today.

The Ripple Grows

The shimmer pulsed like a heartbeat, growing from the size of a dinner plate to a full doorway. Mayor Benson stopped mid-speech, his silver antlers catching the morning light as he stared.

"Everyone stay back!" Pencil Woman called out, but the crowd of deer, goats, and sheep pressed closer instead.

The air inside the shimmer looked different—darker somehow. Through it, she glimpsed another Canvas Meadow City, but the buildings were twisted and the sky was an ugly green.

A figure stepped through the portal.

It was another Pencil Woman, but wrong in every way. Her suit was black and red instead of blue and black. Her mask covered more of her face. Most disturbing of all, she carried a pencil that sparked with dark energy.

"Finally," the evil double said, looking around with cold green eyes. "A world that needs proper ruling."

Behind her, more figures emerged. Evil versions of Mayor Benson with black antlers. Dark sheep with glowing red eyes. They spread out across the square like spilled ink.

Pencil Woman gripped her giant pencil tighter. "Who are you?"

"I'm you," her double smiled. "But better."