Maya Rowan had always believed that small towns were boring.

That opinion changed on a Tuesday afternoon when a teacup whispered her name.

It happened at exactly 4:17 p.m.

Maya was walking home from the library with three books under one arm and a paper bag of cinnamon rolls under the other when she noticed the little tea shop at the end of Bellflower Street.

She had passed it dozens of times.

But that afternoon, something was different.

The sign above the door read:

THE MOONLIT TEACUP

Underneath, in smaller golden letters, were the words:

TEA, CAKE & OCCASIONAL SECRETS

Maya stopped.

“Occasional secrets?”

A boy nearly crashed into her.

“Move!”

Maya jumped aside.

The boy stumbled past her, dropped six newspapers, tried to catch them, stepped on one, slipped, and landed directly on the pavement.

Maya stared.

The boy looked up.

“I’m fine.”

“You just fell.”

“I know.”

“You fell very dramatically.”

“I’ve been practicing.”

Maya recognized him.

Eli Brooks.

He was eighteen, slightly taller than Maya, permanently messy-haired, and had an unusual talent for turning ordinary situations into imaginary conspiracies.

Eli collected mystery novels.

He also believed the town bakery was secretly communicating with pigeons.

Maya handed him his newspapers.

“You okay?”

Eli grabbed them.

“Yes.”

He looked toward the tea shop.

Then his expression changed.

“You saw it too.”

“Saw what?”

“The sign.”

Maya pointed.

“Everyone can see the sign.”

“No.”

He lowered his voice.

“The words underneath.”

Maya looked again.

TEA, CAKE & OCCASIONAL SECRETS

“So?”

Eli leaned closer.

“That’s suspicious.”

Maya sighed.

“Everything is suspicious to you.”

“Exactly.”

He pointed dramatically toward the shop.

“That place wasn’t there yesterday.”

Maya frowned.

“Yes, it was.”

“No.”

“I walked past it yesterday.”

“Impossible.”

“I bought a sandwich from the café next door.”

Eli stared at her.

“That proves nothing.”

“It proves the tea shop existed.”

“Or someone wanted you to think it existed.”

Maya rolled her eyes.

“You need sleep.”

“I need evidence.”

Before Maya could answer, the door of the tea shop opened.

A tiny bell rang.

Ding.

A woman stood inside.

She appeared to be in her sixties, with silver hair tied into a loose bun and round glasses resting on the end of her nose.

She smiled.

“Maya Rowan.”

Maya froze.

Eli froze.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

Maya pointed at herself.

“Me?”

The woman nodded.

“Yes.”

“How do you know my name?”

The woman smiled.

“I know everyone’s name.”

Eli immediately stepped forward.

“That’s impossible.”

The woman looked at him.

“Eli Brooks.”

Eli’s mouth fell open.

“How did you—”

“Your mother still keeps your baby photographs in the blue cupboard.”

Eli’s face became red.

“How do you know that?”

The woman smiled.

“Tea.”

“What does tea have to do with baby photographs?”

“Nothing.”

She turned toward Maya.

“Would you like to come inside?”

Maya looked at Eli.

Eli whispered:

“This is exactly how mysteries begin.”

Maya sighed.

“Fine.”

They entered.

The shop was beautiful.

Warm yellow lights hung from the ceiling.

Shelves were filled with colorful tea tins.

Tiny plants grew in ceramic cups.

Paintings covered the walls.

A huge grandfather clock stood beside the counter.

But the strangest thing was the menu.

Maya picked it up.

There were dozens of teas.

Rose Tea.

Vanilla Cloud Tea.

Midnight Mint.

Lavender Dream.

Then she saw one at the bottom.

Tomorrow Tea — Not Available Yet.

Maya frowned.

“What’s Tomorrow Tea?”

The woman walked behind the counter.

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

“Tea from tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Eli looked delighted.

“I knew it.”

Maya looked at him.

“Knew what?”

“That this place is weird.”

The woman placed two cups on the counter.

“For you.”

Maya stared.

“I didn’t order anything.”

“You don’t need to.”

Steam rose from the cups.

The smell was sweet.

Maya looked at the woman.

“What is this?”

“Moonflower tea.”

Eli picked up his cup.

“Is it safe?”

The woman smiled.

“Probably.”

Eli immediately put it down.

“Probably?”

Maya laughed.

The woman introduced herself.

“I’m Mrs. Clementine.”

Maya shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

Mrs. Clementine looked at her strangely.

“Is it?”

Maya frowned.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She turned away.

Eli whispered, “Definitely suspicious.”

Maya whispered back, “Stop.”

Then something orange jumped onto the counter.

A large orange cat.

It walked directly toward Maya.

The cat stared at her.

Maya stared back.

“Cute.”

The cat sneezed.

Eli smiled.

“What a normal cat.”

The cat turned toward him.

Then spoke.

“Your shoes are ugly.”

Silence.

Maya blinked.

Eli blinked.

Mrs. Clementine continued arranging tea boxes as if nothing had happened.

Maya slowly pointed at the cat.

“Did…”

The cat yawned.

“Don’t make a big deal about it.”

Eli grabbed Maya’s arm.

“THE CAT TALKED.”

“Yes.”

“THE CAT JUST INSULTED MY SHOES.”

“Yes.”

“My shoes are expensive.”

The cat looked at them.

“They’re still ugly.”

Eli looked offended.

Maya started laughing.

Mrs. Clementine smiled.

“That’s Biscuit.”

“Biscuit talks?”

“When he feels like it.”

Biscuit jumped onto a chair.

“I always feel like it.”

Maya laughed again.

“This town is getting stranger.”

Mrs. Clementine suddenly stopped smiling.

She looked toward the grandfather clock.

The clock showed 4:17.

Exactly the same time Maya had seen the shop.

Then the clock stopped.

Maya noticed something strange.

The second hand wasn’t moving.

“Is your clock broken?”

Mrs. Clementine looked at it.

“No.”

She walked toward the clock.

“It’s waiting.”

“For what?”

Mrs. Clementine didn’t answer.

Instead, she opened a drawer beneath the counter.

Inside were dozens of envelopes.

All of them had names written on them.

Maya noticed one.

MAYA ROWAN

Her heart skipped.

“Why is my name on that?”

Mrs. Clementine slowly removed the envelope.

“I was wondering when you’d arrive.”

Maya took it.

The envelope was sealed with dark blue wax.

She looked at Eli.

He was already leaning over her shoulder.

“Open it.”

Maya broke the seal.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

There were only three sentences.

Maya,

Someone in Bellflower is going to disappear tomorrow.

You are the only person who can stop it.

Maya stared at the message.

Then she laughed nervously.

“This isn’t funny.”

Mrs. Clementine’s face was serious.

“I wasn’t joking.”

Eli read the message.

His excitement disappeared.

“Who is going to disappear?”

“I don’t know.”

Maya looked at Mrs. Clementine.

“You wrote this?”

“No.”

“Then who did?”

Mrs. Clementine pointed toward the grandfather clock.

Maya looked at it.

The clock began ticking again.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Then the hands moved backward.

4:17.

4:16.

4:15.

4:14.

Eli whispered:

“That’s not normal.”

Biscuit jumped onto the counter.

“Nothing here is normal.”

The clock suddenly struck thirteen times.

DONG!

DONG!

DONG!

Maya covered her ears.

When the final chime ended, the lights went out.

The shop became completely dark.

Someone screamed outside.

Then came the sound of breaking glass.

Maya rushed toward the window.

Across the street, a streetlamp had shattered.

But there was nobody there.

On the pavement beneath the broken lamp was a small black envelope.

Maya opened the door.

“Maya!” Mrs. Clementine shouted.

But Maya was already outside.

She picked up the envelope.

Her name was written across it.

Again.

She opened it.

Inside was another message.

YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT TOMORROW.

Maya looked back at the tea shop.

Mrs. Clementine stood in the doorway.

Eli was beside her.

And Biscuit sat on the counter.

The cat stared directly at Maya.

Then he spoke.

“Maya.”

She swallowed.

“Yes?”

Biscuit’s eyes narrowed.

“Whatever you do…”

He paused.

“Don’t drink the tea.”

Maya looked down at the cup still sitting inside the shop.

Steam was rising from it.

And written across the surface of the tea, in tiny golden letters, were four words:

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID.