The Sphinx of Cable Creek

Riley wasn't supposed to be swimming at the old quarry—that much was obvious from the DO NOT ENTER signs and the fact that her phone had zero bars. But when your crush Jake invites you somewhere, you show up. Even if it means trespassing.

The water was shockingly cold against her skin, but Riley kept swimming toward the group of teens clustered on the far bank. That's when she saw HER—the mysterious new girl everyone called "the Sphinx" because she never spoke, just posted cryptic riddles on her private story that half the school tried to decode.

"Hey, you're here," Jake called out, dripping wet and smiling. "We were just about to—"

A rustling sound cut him off. From the dense tree line, a massive black bear lumbered into view, sniffing the air.

Nobody moved. Riley's heart hammered against her ribs like it was trying to escape.

Then something weird happened. The Sphinx didn't scream. She didn't run. She calmly reached into her backpack and pulled out a coaxial cable, the kind you'd find behind a TV.

"Everyone," she said, her voice clear and surprisingly deep. "Get behind me. Now."

The bear charged.

Riley scrambled out of the water, her bare feet scraping against sharp rocks. She grabbed a fallen branch, something—anything—because what do you even DO in a situation like this? But the Sphinx stood her ground, holding that cable like she knew exactly what she was doing.

The bear stopped five feet away.

"Good boy," the Sphinx whispered. Then she did something with the cable—pressed it against a hidden device in her pocket—and made a clicking sound. The bear's eyes widened before it turned and lumbered back into the woods.

"What WAS that?" Riley demanded, her voice shaking.

The Sphinx finally smiled. "Animal behavior modification frequency. My dad works for—never mind." She shouldered her backpack. "You guys didn't see anything. Got it?"

Riley met Jake's eyes across the clearing. He looked as terrified and amazed as she felt.

"Yeah," Riley said slowly. "We got it."

But as they all snuck back to the main road, Riley caught the Sphinx watching her with something like approval. And maybe, just maybe, she'd just stumbled into something way more interesting than a crush.

Her phone buzzed. One new follower request: @sphinx_creek.

Riley grinned. Summer was definitely looking up.