The sun hangs high over Willow Creek. It is a quiet neighborhood with perfect green lawns and white fences. In the middle of the street, there is a cul-de-sac. This is where the world ends for most people, but for four friends, it is where everything begins.
Everett stands on his throne. The throne is actually a blue plastic recycling bin. It sits in the middle of the Miller's backyard. Everett is ten years old. He has messy brown hair and a cape made from an old red beach towel. He holds a yellow plastic sword. The sword is bent, but Everett does not care. To him, it is a weapon of legend.
"The border is safe!" Everett shouts. He looks across the yard.
The yard is a forest of tall grass and dandelion puffs. To a grown-up, it needs a lawnmower. To Everett, it is a wild jungle full of hidden monsters.
A sudden rustle comes from the bushes near the fence. A girl with a denim vest and messy pigtails flies into the air. This is Audrey. She is nine years old and never sits still. She has a band-aid on her left chin and a smudge of dirt on her cheek. She holds a metal garbage can lid like a shield.
"Ambush!" Audrey yells. She lands in the grass and rolls. She swings her shield at an invisible enemy. "I protect the King! I am the Captain of the Guard!"
Audrey is the fastest kid in the neighborhood. She climbs the highest trees. She jumps the widest puddles. She is not afraid of anything, except maybe spiders.
"Good job, Captain," Everett says. He stays on his bin. He likes to give the orders. He likes to be the leader.
On the porch steps, Claire sits in the shade. She is ten years old. She wears thick glasses that slide down her nose. She has a notebook on her lap. It is a spiral notebook with a picture of a cat on the cover. This is the **Rulebook**. Claire does not like to run or jump. She likes to think. She likes to make sure everything follows the plan.
"Audrey, you are too loud," Claire says. She writes in her notebook with a pink pencil. "The Shadow-Snatchers have ears like bats. Rule Number Three says: Knights must move like cats in the night."
"But it is daytime, Claire!" Audrey laughs. She hits her shield with her plastic sword. It makes a loud clang.
"The rules are the rules," Claire says softly. She checks her watch. "Where is Robbie? The Quest starts at three o'clock. It is three-oh-five."
Right then, the side gate of the backyard creaks open. A boy with a big, friendly face walks in. This is Robbie. He is the heart of the group. He is the one who stops the fights. He is the one who remembers everyone's birthday. He carries a heavy backpack.
"I am here!" Robbie says. He is out of breath. "I have the supplies. I have juice boxes and orange crackers."
Robbie drops the backpack. It makes a heavy *thud*. He reaches into his pocket and looks at his friends. His face becomes very serious.
"And I have it," Robbie whispers. "The Blue Ball."
The other three kids stop playing. They walk to the center of the yard. They form a small circle around Robbie. The wind blows through the trees, and for a moment, the neighborhood feels very still.
Robbie opens his hand. In his palm sits a large marble. It is beautiful. It is iridescent, which means it changes color when it moves. It looks like a swirling galaxy of blue, purple, and gold. Everett found it two weeks ago under the swings at the park. Ever since then, they carry it everywhere.
"It feels cold today," Robbie says.
"Let me see," Everett says. He takes the marble. It is heavy for its size. When Everett holds it, he feels a tiny tingle in his fingers. It is like a small shiver.
"It is just a marble, Everett," Claire says, but she leans in to look closer. "The light is hitting the glass. It is science."
"It is not just science," Audrey says. She touches the glass. "It is magic. I feel it too."
The four kids stand in their ordinary backyard. They are just neighbors. They have homework and chores and bedtimes. But as they look at the Blue Ball, they feel like something big is about to happen.
The clouds in the sky start to move fast. The sun stays bright, but the shadows on the ground grow long and jagged. The birds in the oak tree stop singing.
"Look," Claire whispers. She points at her notebook.
The pencil on the porch steps starts to roll by itself. The pages of the Rulebook flip fast, even though there is no wind.
"Something is wrong," Robbie says. He grabs his backpack.
Everett grips the yellow plastic sword. He looks at the iridescent marble in his hand. The blue swirls inside the glass start to spin. They spin faster and faster.
"Stay together!" Everett commands.
The cul-de-sac is quiet, but the backyard is starting to hum. The "game" of the four kids is about to become very, very real.