The Case of the Missing Mascot

“Nutsy’s gone?!” Charlie exclaimed, nearly tripping over his own feet. Shaneese, ever the calm one, grabbed his arm to steady him. “I heard Mrs. Davison, the cheerleading coach, screaming about it in the hallway,” she explained. “Something about how the Hoedown is ruined!”

The Harmony Hoedown was the biggest event of the year at Harmony Creek Middle School. And Nutsy, the giant plush squirrel mascot, was the star. Without him, it just wouldn’t be the same.

The twins raced to the gymnasium, where chaos reigned. Mrs. Davison was pacing, her voice cracking as she tried to rally the cheerleaders. Susan, Jamie, and Kevin were already huddled near the emergency exit.

“Look!” Susan pointed, her freckles standing out against her worried expression. “A muddy paw print.”

Kevin, ever the tracker, examined it closely. “Too small for a person. Definitely an animal.”

Jamie pulled out her phone, snapping a picture. “I’ll run a search. See if we can identify the animal.”

Shaneese noticed something else. “Blue fabric stuck in the window latch. But our school colors are green and gold.”

The group split up. Charlie and Kevin questioned students, Jamie researched animal tracks online, and Shaneese and Susan investigated Nutsy’s storage room. The room was a mess, as if someone had been searching for something. That’s when Shaneese spotted it: a note taped to the door. “The forest claims what belongs to it.”

“That’s creepy!” Susan shivered.

Their first suspect was Mr. Henderson, the janitor. He always seemed grumpy and was spotted carrying a large duffel bag. But when they questioned him, he swore he was only carrying cleaning supplies.

Jamie’s research revealed the paw print belonged to a raccoon. The raccoon was just a red herring.

The blue fabric, a possible clue pointing to the rival school Willow Creek was also ruled out. The Harmony Creek kids had a friendly rivalry but they found no proof of the Willow Creek students’ involvements.

Then Susan, who had an eye for detail, noticed something everyone else had missed. A tiny acorn shell, tucked into the corner of the storage room. “Nutsy is obsessed with acorns!” she exclaimed. “Maybe he followed one!”

Following a trail of acorn shells, the group headed towards Harmony Creek Park, which bordered the school. As they ventured deeper into the woods, a glint of gold caught Shaneese’s eye. Hidden beneath a pile of leaves, they found Nutsy! He was tangled in a thicket of thorny bushes, looking a little worse for wear, but otherwise unharmed.

It turned out Nutsy had been accidentally left outside after a school pep rally. A raccoon had chewed through the rope securing him, and he’d rolled down the hill into the park, snagging in the bushes.

The mystery of the missing mascot was solved! Nutsy was returned just in time for the Harmony Hoedown. He received a hero’s welcome, and Shaneese, Charlie, Jamie, Kevin, and Susan were hailed as town heroes.