The Twisted Wires

Maya’s backpack bumped against the wooden ladder as she climbed up to Felix’s treehouse, Sketch tucked snugly under one arm. The sleek black cat blinked his green eyes as if inspecting the place for danger, or snacks. Probably snacks.

“Finally!” Felix called from the corner. His red hair was sticking up in wild spikes, like he had argued with it and lost. “I’ve been fighting with this thing for an hour.”

Maya set Sketch down and pulled out her sketchbook, sitting cross-legged beside him. On the floor lay a simple circuit: a battery, two wires, and a tiny lamp that looked very sure it was supposed to shine.

“It should work,” Felix groaned, tugging at his hair again. “I checked everything. Twice. The battery works. The lamp works. I twisted the wires exactly like the instructions said. Exactly.”

Maya leaned closer, following the wires slowly with her finger. The metal ends were tight. The battery sat perfectly in place. Nothing looked wrong. Which somehow made it worse.

Sketch padded over, sniffed the wires carefully, then decided they were not edible and began licking his paw instead.

“I need this for science tomorrow,” Felix said with a heavy sigh. “Mr. Harrison said this is the foundation of electricity. But how am I supposed to understand electricity if it refuses to exist?”

Just then, a soft shimmer flickered in the corner.

Maya turned. The puzzle box on the shelf was glowing. Not a tiny glow. A proper, swirly, golden shimmer that meant one thing.

Felix followed her gaze. “Oh,” he breathed. “Oh no.”

They looked at each other. The box only lit up like that when it had decided they needed to learn something. Immediately.

Maya stood, her heart beginning to race in that excited, nervous way it always did. Felix forgot all about his stubborn lamp. Together, they lifted the glowing box from its shelf. It felt warm in their hands, almost like it was humming.

“Ready?” Felix whispered.

Maya nodded.

They opened the lid.

Light spilled out, bright and swirling, wrapping around them like a warm, sparkling blanket. The treehouse faded. The floor shifted. The world tilted.

And then everything changed.