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

The first glimpse of Peppermint Valley made Molly catch her breath. All her life, she’d sat on her rock staring down into this very valley, imagining what it was like, and she could hardly believe she was actually here.

Clusters of cottages nestled together in the center of the valley. Striped rooftops formed a patchwork of reds and whites. At the edge of the village, a row of windmills spun lazily, their blades resembling swirling mints. Rising above everything, a tall clocktower of stacked red-and-white disks kept watch over it all.

“Jax, this place is amazing,” Molly said, breathing in the scent of crushed peppermint that hung heavy in the air, crisp and sweet.

“Amazing? Sure. Also full of rules, curfews and regulations about how many stripes a candy cane can have.” He pointed at a small sign posted by a peppermint fence: No running with sharp candy. “See? Tyranny.”

Molly laughed. “Seems like common sense to me.”

Jax shrugged, glancing at the clocktower. “We have perfect timing — everyone here follows a really strict schedule, so we have some time until shifts change.”

He tugged her toward a narrow, nearly invisible tunnel between tall swirls of red and white striped shrubs. His movements were effortless — he ducked under low candy arches and leaped over tiny streams of melted sugar with the precision of someone who had been sneaking around since before he could even see over the peppermint hedges.

They emerged beside a schoolhouse, a tall, striped building with sugar frosted windows.

Molly pointed. “Is that your school?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He crossed his arms. “That place is responsible for my deep mistrust of authority. And glue.”

“Glue?”

Jax sighed dramatically. “I may or may not have accidentally glued myself to a chair during a science demonstration.”

Molly snorted. “How do you accidentally glue yourself to a chair?”

“If you mix superheated peppermint resin with powdered sugar, it becomes very sticky, very fast. And it gets everywhere. Let’s just say I sacrificed a pair of pants that day.”

Molly couldn’t contain her laughter, and while Jax tried to look annoyed, he couldn’t help grinning along with her.

They continued weaving through the valley’s hidden routes. Jax pointed out his favorite spots, and when he showed her the peppermint grove where he used to sneak out at night to stargaze, she smiled, thinking about all the time she’d spent stargazing at Sugardrop Beach.

As they passed through a patch of broken peppermint stalks, Molly paused. The edges were crisp and perfect, ideal for decorating.

She carefully chose a few pieces, and just as she was putting them in her bag, a tiny puff of mint-colored fluff zoomed out of a bush and snatched the candy right from her bag.

“Hey!” she said, and the puff opened its mouth and hissed. It was a comically tiny sound that would have made her laugh if not for the rows of razor sharp teeth lining its mouth.

“A peppermint puff!” Jax said with disgust. “I hate these little jerks, they’ll steal everything you have.”

The puff hissed again, then suddenly inflated like a balloon. It swelled until it was the size of a pumpkin, then rolled straight toward Molly. She dodged it at the last second, and the puff bounced off a candy cane stalk.

It deflated slowly, glaring at them with beady eyes.

Molly giggled. “Okay, that was kind of — ”

“Don’t you dare say cute,” Jax interrupted, holding up a finger, and she pressed her lips together.

The puff hissed again before darting back into the bushes.

“Quick, get some more before it comes back,” Jax said, nodding at the peppermint stalks. After Molly quickly broke off another handful and stowed them away in her bag, Jax motioned her forward.

“I think you might really like what’s up ahead.”

The peppermint patch ended at the crest of a small hill, and Molly’s eyes went wide at the sight below. A grove of candy canes towered high, curving and twisting into arches like a cathedral built of minty sugar. Some bent low enough to form tunnels, while others spiraled up to the sky. Tiny streams of red peppermint syrup trickled between the bases, making the ground sparkle.

“Wow,” Molly whispered. “This is beautiful.” She carefully picked a handful of smaller canes, mentally checking the curves and thicknesses against her sketches. “These are just perfect!”

A sudden crackle of sugar drew their attention. From behind a cluster of larger candy canes stepped a figure that looked remarkably similar to Jax, carrying a bundle of freshly harvested peppermint swirls.

“Jax?” the stranger said, his eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”

Read chapter 10 in Monday’s newspaper.