Episode 7

The afternoon sun dappled through the leaves of the ancient oak, casting dancing shadows on the worn wooden floor of the treehouse. Mary Sweetie, her short black hair catching the light, was meticulously arranging a collection of smooth, grey pebbles on a small, imagined altar. Luna Cutie, her long brown hair a silken cascade down her back, sat cross-legged opposite, her blue eyes bright with concentration as she sketched in a well-loved notebook. The scent of pine and warm wood filled the air, a familiar comfort that had become synonymous with their shared adventures.

Suddenly, a sound, a rhythmic thumping followed by a melodic voice, drifted up from the garden below. It was a sound they’d heard before, emanating from a small radio Mary’s dad sometimes played while he gardened. But this time, it was closer, clearer, and accompanied by a cheerful, almost impossibly smooth humming.

“What’s that?” Luna whispered, her pencil hovering above the page.