Brittany was sitting on her bed, staring at the letter for what felt like the hundredth time.
The paper was still there.
Motionless.
Like undeniable proof that all of this had actually happened.
She let out a deep sigh.
She still couldn't quite believe it.
She had been hired.
Without an interview.
Without applying.
Without even agreeing.
It had simply happened.
And the worst part was that she knew exactly who had sent the letter.
—What am I supposed to do with this...? —she muttered.
She looked at the letter one more time.
Then she picked up her phone.
An old Nokia 3310.
She opened her messages and started typing.
First to Vivian.
Then to Madeleine.
Then to Ana.
The same message for all of them.
"I need you to come to my house as soon as possible. It's urgent."
She didn't explain anything else.
It was far too complicated to put into a text message.
After sending them, she placed the phone on the bed.
Less than two minutes later, it rang.
Vivian.
Brittany answered.
—What happened? —Vivian asked immediately.— Are you okay?
—Yeah, I'm fine.
—Then why the message?
Brittany glanced at the letter.
—I received another letter from the clown.
There was silence.
—Another one?
—Yeah.
—I'm coming over.
The call ended.
Brittany sighed.
This was going to be a very long conversation.
---
An hour later...
All four of them were gathered in Brittany's room.
Vivian.
Madeleine.
Ana.
And Brittany herself.
The atmosphere was strange.
Tense.
Brittany cleared her throat.
—Thanks for coming so quickly.
—Now you're actually worrying me —Madeleine said.
—You'll understand in a moment.
Brittany opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out the letter.
Then she handed it to Vivian.
—Read it.
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
But she accepted it.
She began reading aloud.
---
Hello, dear employees.
Whoever receives this letter first has the obligation to notify the others.
Congratulations.
You have received an exclusive job offer from me.
Unfortunately, "no" is not accepted as an answer.
Why?
Because I possess the means necessary to make your lives incredibly annoying.
And honestly, I think you'd start crying before I got tired.
Now, putting the friendly threats aside...
The offer is simple.
I need investigators.
Not fighters. Not heroines. Not monster hunters.
Just investigators.
Your job will be to gather information. Rumors. Strange people. Suspicious activities. Weird things.
You know, the normal activities of any average teenager.
Your payment will be a percentage of whatever I manage to loot from the pockets of the criminals I capture.
I consider that a very generous offer.
The job begins immediately after reading this letter.
I do not accept excuses. I do not accept nonsense. I do not accept teenage drama.
Good luck.
Sincerely,
Your favorite employer.
---
When Vivian finished reading...
The room fell completely silent.
Madeleine was the first to react.
—This has to be a joke.
Ana didn't seem to know what to say either.
Her fists were clenched.
Clearly annoyed.
—Did we just get hired? —Madeleine asked.
—Apparently —Brittany replied.
—Without being asked?!
—Yep.
—That's not legal!
—I don't think he cares much about legality —Vivian commented.
That made everyone fall silent.
Because it was true.
Far too true.
Ana finally spoke.
—And what exactly are we supposed to investigate?
The question left all of them speechless.
Because none of them had the slightest idea.
And then—
—Woof!
A bark echoed through the room.
All four girls jumped.
—What was that? —Ana asked.
Brittany turned toward the window.
And saw it.
A balloon.
Shaped like a dog.
Floating calmly outside the glass.
Everyone stared at it.
—No way... —Madeleine muttered.
—Yes way —Vivian replied.
Brittany stood up to open the window.
But Vivian got there first.
She opened it.
And the balloon dog immediately floated inside.
It jumped directly into Vivian's arms.
Seeking attention.
Vivian held it.
Without doing anything.
The balloon dog began to howl.
—Seriously? —Vivian said.
The howling continued.
Finally, she started petting it.
The dog immediately became quiet.
And began wagging its tail.
Or at least the balloon version of a tail.
—...
Everyone watched.
—That's adorable —Brittany said.
—It's weird —Ana corrected.
The balloon dog then jumped into Brittany's arms.
Demanding more pets.
—Now what does it want?
—Pet it or it'll start howling again —Vivian said.
Brittany obeyed.
It worked.
Then it went to Ana.
And then to Madeleine.
Even Madeleine ended up petting it.
Despite being visibly terrified.
When it had received attention from everyone...
The balloon dog seemed satisfied.
And then—
Pop!
It exploded.
A small burst of confetti filled the room.
The four girls flinched.
When the confetti settled...
There was a card lying on the bed.
It looked like a birthday card.
On the front it read:
"Happy First Day of Work, My Employees."
Everyone stared at it.
—I hate this —Ana said.
—Me too —Madeleine agreed.
Vivian opened the card.
She began reading.
Then raised an eyebrow.
—What does it say? —Brittany asked.
Vivian read it again.
—Our first assignment.
—And?
—We need to gather information about two twin brothers.
Brittany's heart skipped a beat.
—Who?
—Justin and Jack.
The room went silent.
—The same guys? —Ana asked.
—Yeah.
Brittany frowned.
—First he told us to stay away from them.
—And now he wants information about them —Madeleine finished.
—That makes no sense.
—Maybe it does to him —Vivian replied.
Before anyone could say anything else...
The remains of the balloon began to move.
Everyone stepped back.
The fragments floated into the air.
They stretched.
Merged together.
And slowly formed glowing words.
---
Hello, my employees.
I hope you're doing well.
First of all, I'd like to clarify that your opinions regarding the job and the salary are not negotiable.
However, since I am an incredibly generous and magnanimous person...
I have decided to increase your salary.
Your job remains simple.
Just investigate.
Nothing more.
Find out where they live.
Who they talk to.
What they do.
Because several days ago I tried to find those two twin brothers.
And surprise.
They were nowhere to be found.
Yes, I am also impressed that I, your brilliant boss, was unable to find them.
If you do this job well, you will receive payment.
And you may also choose an additional reward.
Money.
An item.
Or an answer to one of your questions.
Because I'm quite sure you have many questions about everything that's happening.
So do your job well.
And you'll get answers.
Isn't that a wonderful offer?
Now I must go.
I have important things to do.
Remember that you are officially working for me.
And I still do not accept "no" as an answer.
Goodbye. Take care.
---
The glowing letters vanished.
The room fell silent once more.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Finally...
Madeleine collapsed into a chair.
—I can't believe my first job is working for a supernatural clown.
Ana covered her face.
—My life has completely gone off the rails.
Brittany looked at the card.
Then at her friends.
And finally sighed.
Because whether they liked it or not...
They had just received their first assignment.