The Wrong Applause

Clara slid down the shiny hallway rail on her belly, hooves tucked.

Clarice copied her, then bumped the wall pad with a soft thump.

“Again,” said Creative Mother Deer. Her light blue cape swayed as she stood in the doorway, glowing blue eyes watching like bright headlights.

Outside the fortress window, delivery drones buzzed between silver trees and tall sky-bridges.

A chime sounded.

On her phone, the front gate camera showed a human kid in a red hoodie and gray jacket, shifting his sneakers on the welcome mat.

The patrol deer beside him bowed. “Captain Stagbolt, Super Forest City needs you back.”

The kid blinked fast. “Uh. Sure. Yeah.”

Creative Mother Deer opened the gate anyway. Up close, the kid’s wrist-screen badge read MILO PARK.

Clara whispered, “Is that his hero name?”

Creative Mother Deer tilted her head. “Come with me to the comm room,” she said, and Milo nodded too quickly

Quiet Package

Creative Mother Deer’s comm room smelled like warm plastic and lemon wipes.

Milo stood on a circle pad that scanned his shoes. His wrist-screen still said MILO PARK.

Clara peered up at him. “So… Captain Stagbolt?”

Milo tugged his red hoodie strings. “Um. People call me stuff.”

Creative Mother Deer, a humanoid female deer in a black-and-blue supersuit and light blue cape, tapped the wall screen. A city news feed popped up.

Big letters flashed: STAGBOLT SPOTTED AT CREATIVE DEER THICKET.

“Everyone thinks you are here on purpose,” Clarice said.

A delivery drone whirred past the window and dipped to the landing shelf. It dropped a plain box with a sticker: FOR STAGBOLT—OPEN ON CAMERA.

Clara giggled. “Free mail!”

Creative Mother Deer set her hoof on the box. “No.”

The box clicked. A side panel slid open by itself.

Nothing came out.

Then Milo’s jacket jerked forward like a fishing line grabbed it.

Milo yelped. “I didn’t touch it!”

Clara and Clarice wrapped their forelegs around his waist. The invisible pull dragged all three toward the door, and Creative Mother Deer sprinted after them as the sky-bridge doors whooshed wide