Ellie Baxter's day started like most other days — with a bad hair moment and an even worse cereal choice.
She stared down at her bowl of Mega Crunch Max — the kind with way too many marshmallows, a sticky pink powder that promised "sugar-fueled adventure" (which Ellie was pretty sure meant it would give her a sugar crash by noon), and a prize on the back of the box. The prize, of course, was the only reason she was even eating it. Because who doesn't want a free magic spoon?
She poked at the soggy cereal with her spoon. The spoon was supposed to be "magical," according to the ad — but Ellie wasn't fooled. She'd been eating Mega Crunch Max for weeks, waiting for that spoon to show up in the mail. So far, nothing. The spoon wasn't magic. In fact, it probably wasn't even real.