Page 15 of Soaring into the Midlife

"Seriously, Hailey." Zara froze and looked around. "What's got you so spooked?"

"I just can't put my finger on it," I admitted, rubbing my temples. "But something's definitely off. Call it dragon intuition."

"Dragon intuition?" Kendra snorted, stifling a laugh. "That's a new one."

"Hey, might as well embrace my newfound supernatural powers, right?" I grinned, trying to shake off my anxiety. But as much as I wanted to laugh it off, my instincts screamed that we were walking straight into a trap.

7

We walkedtoward the crowd down the street but then stopped in our tracks, taking in the bizarre scene before us.

"Maybe it's because we're not made of candy," Kendra said. She had a point. The buildings surrounding us suddenly looked suspiciously like gingerbread, and the air smelled like a Willy Wonka fever dream.

"Only one way to find out." Zara, never one for subtlety, licked the side of the building. "Oh, wow. Itisgingerbread!"

The people staring at us gasped collectively, their eyes narrowing as they pointed at us. Suddenly, their bodies morphed from normal humans into an assortment of colorful candy creatures. They were none too pleased with Zara's taste test.

"Uh-oh," I said. "We've got ourselves a candy mob."

Without wasting a beat, we took off running. The candy-city landscape was a minefield of hazards, jawbreakers that could break more than jaws, rivers of molten caramel, and gumdrops that made for terrible steppingstones.

"Hailey, look out," Kendra shouted, just as a giant gummy bear lumbered into our path. It towered above us, its glistening body blocking our escape.

"Great, what now?" I scanned the area for any potential detours. The advancing candy mob was getting closer. Time was of the essence.

"Kendra, can you work some magic on our jiggly friend here?" I asked, staying alert for any threats from the mob.

"Way ahead of you." She cast a spell that made the gummy bear's eyes cross. The creature swayed dizzily, giving us a temporary distraction.

"Zara, help me shove this thing out of the way." I got into position.

"Sure thing, boss lady," she said with a grin. Together, we heaved the gelatinous mass to one side, creating an opening wide enough for us to slip through.

“Let's get out of here before these candy-coated crazies catch up." Barely escaping the gummy bear blockade, we stumbled upon a licorice bridge spanning a river of bubbling caramel. A candy castle loomed in the distance; its turrets coated in what appeared to be marshmallow fluff.

"Ugh, licorice," I groaned, scrunching up my nose at the thought of crossing the sticky black ropes. "I can't stand the stuff."

"Really? I love it." Kendra stepped onto the bridge with gusto. "It's a classic. Get over your weird taste buds."

"Whatever." I followed her onto the bridge. "Just don't blame me if I puke."

"Deal.” She laughed as we picked our way across the licorice span, dodging sticky traps and avoiding the gooey caramel that clung to everything, I wondered what other candy-themed horrors awaited us.

"Guys, do you think there's any hope of reasoning with these candy creatures?" Zara asked as she tiptoed around a treacherous patch of gumdrops.

"Maybe," I said. "But we won't know until we try, right?"

Our answer came sooner than expected. As we approached the end of the bridge, an ancient-looking chocolate truffle rolled up to us, stopping just inches from our feet.

"Ah, newcomers, I see," it said, its voice surprisingly smooth. "Do take care in this city. Not all sweet things are as innocent as they appear."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Kendra said cautiously, eyeing the truffle with suspicion. "Any advice on navigating this crazy candy land?"

"Indeed," the truffle said. "For one, avoid the Candy King. He does not take kindly to intruders."

"Great. Just what we needed." I sighed. "Any more words of wisdom, oh wise truffle?"

"Stay vigilant, and trust in your abilities," it said enigmatically before rolling away into the shadows.