"Look, Yuna! A shiny penny!" Scarlett giggled, pointing at the gleaming coin on the sidewalk. She knew picking it up was good luck, but her mom always said it was important to leave things as they are unless they belonged to her. "We better leave it for someone else," she whispered to her furry best friend, a big, fluffy cat named Yuna. Yuna swished her tail in agreement and rubbed against Scarlett's leg.
It was a beautiful morning in San Antonio, and Scarlett was off to school, her little ballet shoes skipping along the pavement. Yuna, with her sleek, black fur and emerald eyes, trotted beside her, looking very serious. Scarlett was excited to see her friends and learn new things, but today, something felt different.
As they arrived at the schoolyard, a shiver ran down Scarlett's spine. The usually cheerful red brick building seemed to loom over them, the windows like watchful eyes. Even the big oak tree, where Scarlett and her friends liked to play, seemed to droop a little lower than usual. "Do you feel that, Yuna?" Scarlett whispered, clutching her kitty cat backpack a little tighter.
Yuna, usually content to bask in sunny spots, padded closer to Scarlett, letting out a low meow. They walked inside, the usually bright hallways a bit dimmer than usual. Scarlett stopped by her cubby to put away her things and saw a drawing of a cat – a cat that looked a lot like Yuna! "That's funny," she thought, "I don't remember drawing this."
In the classroom, Mrs. Thompson, her teacher, was reading a story about a friendly ghost. "Being responsible means being brave, even when things seem scary," Mrs. Thompson explained. Scarlett felt a little braver already. Maybe the strange feeling in the air wasn't so bad after all. She looked down at Yuna, who had curled up on her feet, her purr a comforting rumble.
During playtime, as Scarlett was building a magnificent castle out of blocks, she noticed one window in the classroom was open just a crack. A soft whistling sound seemed to be coming from it. She pointed to the window. "Yuna, do you hear that?" she whispered. Yuna twitched her ears and stared at the window, her tail swishing slowly back and forth.
Curiosity bubbled up inside Scarlett. She carefully put down a block, making sure not to topple her castle. "Being responsible also means being careful," she reminded herself, remembering her mom's words. She tiptoed toward the window, Yuna at her heels.
As she peered outside, the whistling grew louder, and Scarlett could have sworn she saw the curtains sway, even though there was no wind. Suddenly, a colorful, sparkly butterfly fluttered through the open window, twirling around Scarlett’s head before landing softly on Yuna’s head.
Yuna didn’t even flinch. She just sat there, looking regal and proud with the butterfly perched on her head like a beautiful, living crown. Scarlett giggled. “Look at you!” she exclaimed. “You look like a queen!”
The strange feeling in the air seemed to vanish as quickly as it arrived, replaced by the sound of children laughing and playing. Scarlett decided that even though some things might seem spooky, sometimes the best thing to do is be brave, be careful, and have a little fun!
Holding Yuna close, Scarlett rejoined her friends, the memory of the whispering windows already fading into a funny story she would tell her mom later. After all, every day at school was an adventure, especially with Yuna by her side.
