Morning in the Lodge

Ms. Crayon Beaver stretched her arms wide as sunlight streamed through the colorful windows of her lodge. The fortress walls sparkled with embedded crayons of every color—red, blue, yellow, and purple gems that caught the morning light.

"What a beautiful day to help the citizens of Artwork Forest City," she said, adjusting her blue eye mask.

She walked to her kitchen and poured orange juice into a mug painted with dancing rainbows. The liquid looked oddly pale.

"That's strange." She held the mug up to the window. The orange juice looked almost clear.

Outside her window, she noticed Mrs. Squirrel's flower garden. The roses that were usually bright red now appeared washed out, like someone had drained half their color away.

Ms. Crayon Beaver set down her mug and flew to her balcony. From high above the city, she could see the problem spreading. Colors everywhere seemed dimmer than yesterday.

"Something's definitely wrong," she whispered.

The Fading Feathers

Ms. Crayon Beaver zoomed down toward the city streets, her blue cape flapping behind her. She landed softly near the downtown square where a small crowd had gathered around a hummingbird hovering frantically above a puddle.

"My feathers!" the tiny bird chirped in distress. "They're turning gray!"

Ms. Crayon Beaver looked closer. The hummingbird's normally emerald green throat was indeed fading to a dull silver. Around the square, other citizens pointed at their own changing appearances with worried expressions.

"My red scarf is pink now," said Mr. Fox, tugging at the fabric around his neck.

"And my yellow taxi looks almost white," added Mrs. Sparrow, the city's taxi driver, pointing at her vehicle parked nearby.

Ms. Crayon Beaver pulled out her phone and scrolled through social media. Posts flooded her screen: "Colors disappearing everywhere!" and "Help! My house is turning beige!"

She summoned her giant magic crayon, hoping to restore some color to the hummingbird's feathers. But when she aimed a gentle crayon blast, nothing happened. The magic fizzled out completely.

"That's impossible," she whispered, staring at her powerless crayon in shock.