The Sphinx's Electric Truth

The carnival air smelled like corn dogs and courage I didn't have. Jordan pulled me toward the mechanical bull, phone raised, live stream already going.

"You got this, Maya!" they yelled, but my stomach twisted like a pretzel. This wasn't me—I was the girl who blended into lockers, not rode mechanical livestock.

Then I saw HER. Raven-dark hair, standing by the sphinx statue near the fortune teller's booth. She was watching me, and something in her eyes said *I see you*.

My iphone buzzed in my pocket. Unknown number: *The sphinx knows what you're hiding.*

Weird. But weird was better than terrified.

I climbed onto the bull. The operator winked. "Hold on, sugar."

The machine kicked into gear. My body flopped like a fish on dock. Jordan hollered, but all I saw was HER—she was laughing, not mocking, but *genuine* laughing, head thrown back like she'd never seen anything funnier.

Lightning cracked across the sky—actual summer-storm lightning—and the bull bucked violently. I flew off, straight into HER arms.

"Nice dismount," she said. Up close, her eyes were amber-gold. "I'm Cleo."

"Maya," I squeaked. Smooth.

"I know," she said. "I sent the text."

She pointed at the sphinx. "Its riddle: *What speaks without a mouth and hears without ears?*"

"My phone?"

"An echo," she smiled. "But you're close." She took my hand. "The real riddle is why you think nobody sees you."

Jordan rushed over, phone still recording. "Dude! That was WILD! You're basically viral now!"

But I wasn't looking at Jordan. I was looking at Cleo, who saw me—really saw me—when I'd spent three years being invisible.

"Want to get funnel cake?" Cleo asked. "Friend to friend."

Outside, the storm broke. Lightning illuminated everything. For the first time, I didn't want to hide.

Sometimes falling off a bull is exactly how you find your footing.