EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third chapter in a 12-chapter fictional tale that will run through Christmas Day. Parents are encouraged to read aloud to their children.

Molly jumped high, and looked from him to the woods in front of her and back to him again. How did he circle around her without her noticing? She needed to be paying more attention and daydreaming less.

“I just…I saw you walking. I’m from Gingerbread Island,” she added quickly.

“Obviously,” he answered with an eyeroll. “You smell like someone knocked over a spice rack. But why are you following me?”

“Where are you going?”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t ever get to meet anyone and here you are. I think it’s Christmas fate. And I’m following you because I want to come with you.”

“Listen kid — ”

“You’re a kid too, you know,” she interrupted. “And my name is Molly.”

He narrowed his eyes down at her. He was tall compared to Molly, and smelled like the hot chocolate that Molly’s grandma made her every Christmas Eve. It was a special cocoa treat between the two of them after her parents went to bed, and she realized for the first time that the secret ingredient was peppermint.

“I’m 14,” he said.

“Well, I’m 13. And I’m following you because I need to come up with the best gingerbread invention ever. And my gut is telling me I need to go on an adventure to do it. I saw you and thought that maybe you could help me. We can work together.”

“You do realize we’re not allowed to work together or even hang out, right?”

“We’re not allowed to be away from our homes, either. But here we are. Where are you going?”

The boy looked lost for the first time. He looked up to the sky and bit his lip before his gaze settled back on Molly.

“I don’t know,” he admitted with a sigh. “I ran away.”

“Me too! Well not really. I mean, I left the island, but I’m going back! I mean, I’m going to invent the best tasting dessert that ever came from Gingerbread Island and I think I need to go to Peppermint Valley, Marshmallow Mountain, Chocolate Forest, Lollipop Landing and Gumdrop Cove to do it.”

“That’s…really crazy. And a really bad idea. You’re gonna get caught.”

“Not if you help me! You’re already an expert at getting around Peppermint Valley. You could sneak me in, and that’s one down already.”

“What do you want from my people?”

“I’m not sure. But I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Good luck,” he scoffed. “Besides, I’m trying to get away from home. Why would I want to go back?”

“Why are you trying to get away?”

He hesitated. “Because something inside me has been stirring for a while. Some…feeling that I’m meant to be somewhere else. I just need to figure out where. And why.”

Molly smiled wide. “Oh, this is definitely Christmas fate…um, what’s your name?”

“Jax.”

“Well Jax, don’t you want to be part of the biggest thing that ever happened in Candyland? Help me create something that the world will enjoy forever and ever. A new Christmas must-have for every family on Earth. Something iconic!”

“You sound pretty confident.”

“I am…if you’ll help me.”

Jax sighed and squinted into the dark trees ahead. “Well, other than Peppermint Valley, we’re closest to Chocolate Forest. Might as well head there first, see if we can figure out what to do. But they don’t exactly have a reputation of being nice, you know. They’re pretty arrogant.”

Molly laughed. “I would be too if I got to claim credit for the best tasting treat in the world!”

“A chocolate lover?”

“Aren’t you?”

Jax shrugged his shoulders. “It’s all right.”

Molly stood staring at him expectantly.

“Okay okay,” he said. “Who doesn’t love chocolate, right? It’s delicious.” He started to lead them slowly through the woods.

“Hey Jax,” she said a few minutes into their silent adventure.

“Yeah?”

“What is the Chocolate people’s favorite dance move?”

“What?”

“The truffle shuffle!” she said with a giggle.

“I’m really going to regret this whole thing,” Jax said, shaking his head. But as he looked ahead and led on, he had a smile on his face.

Read chapter 4 in Monday’s newspaper.