It was a chilly autumn morning in Oakwood when Lucy Bright first noticed the mysterious stranger. She was walking to school with Emma, chatting about their homework, when she spotted him standing by the old oak tree near the park. He wore a long coat and a hat that shaded his face. He seemed to be observing the town intently.
"Emma, do you see that guy over there?" Lucy asked, nodding towards the stranger.
Emma squinted. "Yeah, I see him. I've never seen him around here before. Do you think he's new in town?"
Lucy shrugged, her curiosity piqued. "Maybe. But he's just standing there, not doing anything. It's kind of weird."
They continued walking to school, but Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the stranger. Throughout the day, she kept thinking about him, wondering who he was and what he was doing in Oakwood.
After school, Lucy and Emma met up with Max at the park. They were playing a game of soccer when Lucy noticed the stranger again, this time near the playground, talking to some kids.
"Max, look over there," Lucy said, pointing discreetly. "That guy was watching us this morning, and now he's talking to those kids."
Max glanced over, frowning. "He does look suspicious. Maybe we should go see what he's up to."
Emma nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go."
They approached the stranger cautiously. He was asking the kids questions about any strange occurrences in town, but the kids seemed confused.
"Excuse me," Lucy said, stepping forward. "Can we help you with something?"
The stranger turned to them, his eyes narrowing. "Perhaps. I'm looking into some unusual happenings around here. Have any of you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"
Lucy exchanged a glance with Emma and Max. "What kind of unusual happenings?"
The stranger studied them for a moment before responding. "Strange incidents, like displays of unusual strength or other abilities. Have you seen or heard anything like that?"
Lucy felt her heart skip a beat. She had to be careful. "No, we haven't seen anything like that. Why are you asking?"
The stranger's expression remained unreadable. "Just doing some research. If you hear anything, let me know."
He handed Lucy a business card. It read "John Smith, Investigator" with a phone number.
"We'll keep an eye out," Lucy said, pocketing the card. "But we really haven't seen anything strange."
John nodded. "Thank you. Enjoy your day."
As he walked away, Emma turned to Lucy. "That was weird. Do you think he's looking for someone like you?"
Lucy sighed. "Maybe. We need to be careful. I don't want anyone finding out about my powers."
Max nodded in agreement. "Let's keep an eye on him. If he's snooping around, we need to know why."
For the next few days, Lucy, Emma, and Max watched John Smith closely. They saw him talking to various townspeople, asking similar questions about unusual events. Lucy grew more and more anxious. She didn't want her secret to be discovered.
One afternoon, Lucy saw John Smith talking to Mrs. Johnson. She knew Mrs. Johnson might mention the time Lucy helped her with the furniture, and that could raise suspicion. She hurried over to interrupt the conversation.
"Hi, Mrs. Johnson!" Lucy called out, waving as she approached.
Mrs. Johnson smiled warmly. "Hello, Lucy. This gentleman was just asking about some unusual events in town."
Lucy forced a casual tone. "Oh, really? That's interesting. Anything specific?"
John Smith looked at her keenly. "Just gathering information. Have you noticed anything unusual lately, Lucy?"
Lucy shook her head. "Nope, everything seems normal to me."
Mrs. Johnson nodded in agreement. "Nothing out of the ordinary here."
John seemed unsatisfied but didn't press further. "Alright. Thank you for your time."
As he walked away, Lucy let out a sigh of relief. She needed to be more careful. That evening, she discussed the situation with her friends.
"We need to find out more about this John Smith guy," Lucy said. "He's asking too many questions."
Emma nodded. "Maybe we can look him up online. See if there's anything about him."
Max agreed. "Good idea. Let's meet at my place after dinner. We can use my computer."
Later that evening, they gathered at Max's house. Max's parents were out, so they had the place to themselves. Max pulled up a chair to his computer, and they began searching for information on John Smith.
"There's not much here," Max said, scrolling through various results. "He's like a ghost. No social media, no photos, nothing."
"That's strange," Emma said, leaning over to look. "Everyone has some sort of online presence these days."
Lucy thought for a moment. "Maybe he's using a fake name. We need another way to find out who he is."
Max nodded. "We could follow him, see where he goes and what he's up to."
Emma looked nervous. "Isn't that risky? What if he catches us?"
Lucy shook her head. "We'll be careful. We need to know what he's really after."
The next day, they saw John Smith near the library, talking to the librarian. They decided to follow him discreetly. They stayed a safe distance behind, watching as he moved around town.
"He's heading towards the outskirts," Max whispered.
They continued following him until he reached a small motel. He entered a room, and they waited outside, hiding behind some bushes.
"Now what?" Emma asked.
"We wait," Lucy said. "Maybe he'll come out, or we can find a way to look inside."
After a while, John left his room, locking the door behind him. He walked away, and the trio crept closer to the motel room.
Max tried the door. "It's locked. We need to find another way in."
Lucy spotted a window slightly ajar. "Over here. We can see if there's anything inside."
They carefully approached the window and peered in. Inside, they saw a cluttered room with papers and photos spread out on the table. One photo caught Lucy's eye – it was a picture of her lifting the heavy pot in Mr. Thompson's garden.
"He's been watching me," Lucy whispered, feeling a chill run down her spine.
Emma gasped. "That's you! How did he get that photo?"
Max frowned. "We need to get those papers. They might have more information."
They decided to wait until dark. As night fell, they returned to the motel, hoping to sneak in while John was away. Max managed to jimmy the lock on the window, and they climbed inside.
Lucy quickly gathered the papers and photos, stuffing them into her backpack. "Let's get out of here before he comes back."
They slipped out the window and hurried away, their hearts pounding. Back at Max's house, they spread the papers out on the table.
"He's been following you for weeks, Lucy," Emma said, pointing to various notes and photos. "He's trying to figure out if you have powers."
Lucy felt a wave of fear and determination. "We need to find a way to stop him. He can't find out about my secret."
Max nodded. "We'll figure something out. Maybe we can lead him off track, make him think it's someone else."
They spent the next few hours coming up with a plan. They decided to create a fake trail of clues, leading John to believe the person with super strength was someone else. They planted false information around town, hoping to throw him off.
Over the next few days, they watched as John followed the fake leads. He seemed confused and frustrated, unable to find any solid evidence.
One evening, Lucy and her friends were at the park, watching from a distance as John Smith finally gave up and left town.
"We did it," Lucy said, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "He's gone."
Emma hugged her. "You were amazing, Lucy. We couldn't have done it without you."
Max grinned. "Yeah, you're like a real superhero."
Lucy smiled, feeling proud of her friends and herself. "We did it together. And we'll keep doing whatever it takes to protect each other."
As they walked home, Lucy felt a renewed sense of determination. She knew there would always be challenges, but with her friends by her side, she was ready to face anything. Together, they would keep Oakwood safe and protect her secret.