Morning Rituals

Doodle Doe stretched her arms wide as morning sunlight streamed through the crayon-colored windows of Doodle Mansion. The walls sparkled with marker ink that shifted from purple to gold as the light moved across them.

"Another beautiful day in Artwood Metropolis!" she said, adjusting her light blue mask in the pencil-framed mirror.

She grabbed her favorite breakfast crayon—cherry red—and took a satisfying crunch. The waxy flavor always made her feel ready for anything.

Outside her window, she could see the bustling city. Raccoon shopkeepers opened their stores while human children walked to school, their backpacks bouncing with each step. A family of squirrels chattered excitedly as they arranged paintbrushes in their shop window.

Doodle Doe pulled on her light blue gloves and headed toward the door. Her super speed could get her anywhere in seconds, but she loved walking through the creative heart of the city.

Something felt different today, though she couldn't quite place what it was.

Empty Windows

As Doodle Doe stepped outside Doodle Mansion, her super hearing picked up something odd. The usual cheerful chatter of the city had turned into worried murmurs.

"My paintbrushes are gone!" squeaked Mrs. Nutkin, the squirrel shopkeeper she'd seen earlier. The gray-furred squirrel wrung her bushy tail nervously as she stood outside her empty shop window.

Doodle Doe hurried over. "What happened?"

"I arranged them perfectly this morning," Mrs. Nutkin said, her dark eyes wide with concern. "Beautiful wooden brushes with soft bristles. Now they've vanished!"

A raccoon shopkeeper across the street called out, "My colored pencils disappeared too! The whole display case is empty!"

Doodle Doe's mind raced. Art supplies don't just vanish. She activated her x-ray vision and scanned the nearby shops. Store after store showed the same thing—bare shelves where art supplies should be.

"This is serious," she muttered, pulling out her phone to document the empty stores. As she snapped photos, a small hummingbird zipped past her ear in a panic.

"Help! Someone stole all the watercolors from the park art class!" the tiny bird chirped frantically before darting away.

The mystery was bigger than she'd imagined.