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Kitty zoomed in on the sound with her super hearing.“Wait, Figaro! Someone’s in trouble. I think it’s coming from the park.” She clambered down the drainpipe and ran to the park entrance.

“Dear, dear!” Figaro puffed a little as he reached the ground. “What a terrible night we’re having!”

Leaving the city streets behind, Kitty and Figaro raced along the winding path that led through the park. The darkness wrapped around them like a blanket, and there was a crackling in the bushes. Kitty swallowed. It was dark so far away from the streetlights and the houses.

The path forked. Kitty hesitated, listening again for the cry.

“I’ll search this way.” Figaro waved a paw before disappearing in the direction of the pond.

Kitty took the other path, her night vision sharpening. As she dashed around a bend, she caught a glimpse of orange fur. A fox with a white-tipped tail lurked at the bottom of a tree. It glanced at Kitty and raised its black nose to sniff the air. Kitty backed away. The fox had a sharp glint in its eyes.

“Help me!” called a tiny voice from the branches above.

Kitty’s heart raced. Someone was trapped up there! She ran forward and the fox dashed away, its tail flashing in the moonlight.

Kitty peered up into the dark web of leaves.“It’s all right! I’ve come to help you.”

There was no answer. Hairs prickled on the back of Kitty’s neck.

“My name’s Kitty. Are you okay?”

The silence thickened.

A fluttery feeling grew in Kitty’s chest. Even superpowered sight wouldn’t let her see through the tangle of leaves. Who was up there, and why wouldn’t they speak to her?

Kitty gulped. There was only one way to learn who had been calling for help. Finding a foothold in the trunk, she pulled herself onto the lowest tree branch and began to climb.

Chapter

3

Kitty swung from one branch to the next, and the leaves above her moved wildly. No matter how quickly she climbed, someone else was climbing away from her even faster.

“Wait! I came to help you,” called Kitty.

The rustling stopped, and a pair of bright eyes blinked over the edge of a thick branch.“Are you sure you’re not a monster?” said a little voice.

Kitty realized she was speaking to a cat.“I promise I’m not a monster. I’m just a girl who can talk to cats. It’s a special talent that runs in my family,” she explained. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Oh!” The eyes blinked again. “My name’s Pixie.” The leaves shook, and a small cat with fluffy white fur jumped onto Kitty’s branch.

“What happened? Did the fox scare you?” asked Kitty.

“I was up here in the tree, imagining I was a magical cat with wings. Then that horrible howling started. Can you hear it? I think it’s a g-g-ghost!” Pixie’s whiskers trembled.

“Figaro says it’s coming from the clock tower. I’m on my way to investigate right now,” said Kitty.

Pixie clutched Kitty’s arm with her paw. “You mustn’t! What if the ghost sees you?”

Kitty swallowed.“I’m sure it isn’t a ghost,” she said firmly. “Why don’t you come with us and see for yourself? The fox is gone, so it’s quite safe to climb down.”

Pixie followed Kitty down the tree, still muttering about ghosts and monsters. Kitty was starting to wonder if the little cat had a very strong imagination. They scrambled through the bushes to find Figaro scampering toward them. At his side was a tabby cat with serious amber eyes.

“There you are, Kitty!” Figaro twirled his whiskers. “I was getting so worried! Pixie, what on earth are you doing here?”

“I was up a tree dreaming of becoming a cat with wings! But now Kitty says I should come and look for the clock tower ghost,” replied Pixie.

Figaro tutted.“Dear me! I see you’re full of wild ideas, as usual.” He waved to the cat with the amber eyes. “Kitty, I’d like you to meet my friend Katsumi. She’s brought some news about the clock tower emergency.”

“Pleased to meet you,” the tabby cat said, bowing her head. She had a beautiful honey-colored coat and a long, elegant tail.

“Hello, Katsumi!” Pixie bounced up to the tabby cat, and they touched noses.

“Katsumi, this is my new friend Kitty,” said Figaro. “She has special superpowers just like her mother, so I asked her to help us.”

Kitty’s stomach lurched. “I’m not really a superhero—”

“Of course you are!” Figaro interrupted, turning to Katsumi. “Well, what is the news from the clock tower?”

“An owl friend told me there’s a creature on the tower,” explained Katsumi. “He didn’t get close enough to see what it was, but he seemed quite shaken. The noise was overwhelming!”

Kitty listened. She didn’t need super senses to detect the sound coming from the clock tower anymore. The wailing noise was growing louder and sharper.

“I know a shortcut,” said Katsumi. “Follow me.”

Kitty and the others followed Katsumi across the park. It was strange seeing the place at night. Moonlight glinted on the swings and the slide, and the duck pond shined like a silver coin.