Strolling down the dirt road, Jack hummed a tune as he headed home. Five months ago, he'd left the coup and settled down at his college's dorm, the longest he'd ever been away from his home and his family. And after months of exams, long lectures, and feeling extremely homesick, he was relieved to soon be back with his family again.

As he turned down a lane, waving to a few neighbors, he thought about how his family was doing. Even though he could talk to his parents over the phone, he couldn't lie that he missed them saying goodnight and hugging him, even if he was technically an adult. He could already feel his stomach growling at the thought of whatever his dad was making for supper: whatever it was, it was miles better than the bland Ramen noodles he'd been having for months.

He thought about Joy, and he couldn't help but smile. The last time they were together, she was just starting to walk and talk. He remembered her sweet giggles and her bright blue eyes; he missed her dearly, even though she used to cry quite a bit at night when she was younger. "Man, Joy's growing up faster than I thought. Before I know it, she'll be as old as Whyatt."

Then, he paused."Whyatt.. I completely forgot about him."

Jack thought being crammed in a dormitory that only shared one communal bathroom for five months was bad; now, he was going to be stuck with his younger brother for the next few weeks. But, he'd never say that out loud. If he told someone that, they'd think Whyatt was the worst kid imaginable who'd throw tantrums every time something didn't go his way. No, Whyatt was the total opposite of that. Although he liked to touch some of Jack's stuff, Whyatt was all-around a good kid.

But, why was he so reluctant to come home to him? To put it simply, it was his friends.

It hadn't been like this before; for as long as Jack could remember, Whyatt struggled with making friends. His parents tried everything; playgroups, after-school clubs, playdates: nothing worked. Jack began to feel sorry for his brother; while he got invited to parties and joined a band in his sophomore year of high school, his brother occupied his loneliness with books. For a while, Jack thought nothing would change. Until one day, Whyatt came home with amazing news: he made not one, but THREE friends.

His parents were so overjoyed that they canceled all their plans when Whyatt asked if they could come over for a playdate the next day. They were certainly in for a surprise once Whyatt left to pick up his friends, only to open the door and be greeted by... nothing. At first, they thought he was just joking around, but they quickly realized it wasn't a joke. The friends he made weren't real, at least to them. But, they had to go along and pretend: the last thing they wanted was Whyatt to burst into tears if they told him they were fake.

For a while, Jack played along. He got to know all about them; they were named after fairytale characters (Red for Little Red Riding Hood, Princess Pea from Princess and The Pea, and Pig from.. well Three Little Pigs), Pig didn't like anything with meat and loved to build, Red was short-tempered and love watching sports, Princess Pea loved having imaginary tea parties and was "the most magical princess in the world", and all of them liked reading and letters like Whyatt.

It was easy at first, but then something weird happened. The neighbors and the rest of the town started believing they were real. Kids in the neighborhood began hanging out with them and inviting them over for playdates; people on the street would acknowledge their presence, even when Whyatt hadn't mentioned them. Even Whyatt's school got swept up in it, providing them with desks and cubbies, and they were even included in the yearbook, complete with names and empty photos. It was getting too ridiculous; what first started as pretend mutated into a full-blown pandemonium of letting this game go far too long. It was getting to the point where Jack's girlfriend, Goldilocks, started babysitting Whyatt's imaginary friends, which sounded as strange as it sounds. Jack tried to forget about them, but the rest of the village wouldn't let him: any spot he tried to sit down at would sometimes be refused as "Red was sitting there", or he'd be scolded for "bumping into Pig" and acting like he wasn't there.

And if all that was making Jack go mad, it only got worse once Whyatt started talking to... someone. Jack initially thought he was just talking to his imaginary friends, but Whyatt denied it every time Jack asked.

All that Jack knew about this mysterious someone was that it was always referred to as "them" or "we" when with Whyatt. He never got a name. Sometimes, Whyatt would turn to face a wall and talk to that someone, like he was the main character in a sitcom talking to the audience about the wacky shenanigans he was getting into. His parents just brushed it off as something he learned from television, but it never ceased to freak Jack out whenever he heard him talking to an invisible audience.

When Jack got accepted into one of the colleges he applied for (even if it wasn't the one he truly wanted), he got out of town as fast as he could. He needed to get away before he started acting like the rest of the town. And now that he was reaching his house, he braced for what might've changed since he was gone.

Upon his arrival, Jack didn't see Whyatt outside on the porch reading or dribbling a soccer ball."Must be in town playing with his..."Jack stopped himself, shaking his head. "He's probably playing with some kids in town."

He knocked on the door and was greeted by his father, and soon his mother. The three hugged, and once Jack's mom gathered his suitcases full of dirty laundry, they sat down in the living room. For the next hour, they talked and talked about their lives and what the other might've missed out on during all those long months.

"So, how's school been treating you?" Mr. Beanstalk asked, settling back in his chair.

"Busy. Same old, same old. Classes, projects… nothing too exciting," Jack shrugged. "What about you two?"

"Oh, you know, nothing too interesting. Your mom's been on a health kick again. Yoga every morning, trying out new smoothies." Mr. Beanstalk teased with a wink.

His wife, however, playfully rolled her eyes. "Well, I've had to be getting in shape with how active Joy's been getting."

Jack half-listened as his parents continued their usual back-and-forth, zoning out a bit. He wasn't particularly interested in hearing about his dad's newfound love for gardening or his mom's work drama, but it was nice to hear their voices in person rather than over the phone. In fact, he began to forget about whatever was going on with Whyatt's friends. But then, his mom's voice shifted.

"I still can't believe you've been gone for five months. With the new addition to the family, I was worried it'd be too crowded here."
Jack's brow furrowed, as he gazed back at his mom. "Say what now?" He inspected her stomach, to which his parents started to laugh.

"Oh, goodness no!" Mrs. Beanstalk chuckled, wiping away a tear. "Not that kind of new addition, sweetheart. Our family is just the right size where it is."

"Then what do you mean by 'new addition'?" Jack asked, a bit puzzled.

"Well," Mr. Beanstalk began, sharing a glance with his wife, "while you were away at college, Whyatt went and adopted a puppy. There was a dog fair in town, and we just couldn't resist. He's been the perfect little addition to the family."

"A puppy?" Jack repeated, his eyes lighting up with excitement. Ever since he was a kid, he had always dreamed of having a puppy—something he had begged for every Christmas and birthday. And now, that dream had finally come true. "What's the puppy's name?"

"His name is Woofster," Mrs. Beanstalk replied with a fond smile. "Whyatt took him for a walk earlier. He should be back any minute now."

Just as she said that, the sound of the front door creaking open echoed through the house. "Or, right now,"

Jack quickly got up and made his way toward the kitchen, his heart racing in anticipation. "Hey, Whyatt—" he began, but his words caught in his throat when he rounded the corner.

There was Whyatt, standing in the doorframe with a grin stretching from ear to ear, a dog leash in hand. But something was wrong. There was no dog at the end of it.

"Jack!" Whyatt exclaimed. "You're back! Oh, Woofster, you probably haven't met Jack before. He's my super cool older brother!" Whyatt then added, looking down at the empty leash.

Jack froze, staring in confusion at the possible outcomes that could've 't tell me the dog is an imaginary friend too..."Uh… Mom? Dad? I think Whyatt lost Woofster!"

"What!?" He heard his parents rush into the room, and Jack braced himself for chaos, expecting shouts of panic, or maybe even Whyatt bursting into tears over the missing puppy.

But instead, Jack was met with... sighs of relief?

"Oh, goodness. Don't scare us like that, Jack," Mrs. Beanstalk said, waving a hand dismissively over her face. "For a second there, I thought I'd have to go chase down a puppy before supper."

Jack's jaw dropped, and his words stumbled out awkwardly. "B-But... there's no dog. The leash... it's empty!" He gestured wildly at Whyatt, just as confused, but staring down at the leash like something was there.

"What are you talking about, honey? Woofster's right here, see?" Mr. Beanstalk added, and to Jack's utter shock, his father crouched down and began petting at thin air—miming as if he were petting something that clearly wasn't there.

Jack could only stare, frozen in disbelief. His father looked so... normal. There was no wink, no smirk—no hint of this being a joke. It was like he was genuinely interacting with something Jack couldn't see. Was this some kind of elaborate prank? Did his Dad take miming lessons while he was away?

His heart raced as he tried to process it. "Are you guys... messing with me?" Jack's voice wavered slightly, eyes darting between his parents and the invisible space his father was 'petting.' "Cause, if this is a prank, I'm impressed."

"A prank?" Mrs. Beanstalk questioned, sounding almost offended by the claim. "Jack, are you feeling alright?"

"Am I feeling okay? What about you guys?" Jack retorted, causing Whyatt to jump a little. "You guys are just pretending we have a dog, for crying out loud! There's nothing there!"

"Jack, that's enough," Mr. Beanstalk said, his voice calm but laced with the weight of authority. "Woofster's part of this family, and I expect you to respect him like you would any other member of it."

Respect what, the air? No matter what they said, no matter how earnestly they spoke about this dog, there was no dog. The place was empty aside from the four of them—and yet they carried on, repeating the same thing over and over like some bizarre script he didn't understand.

Seeing his parents weren't budging from their strange, shared delusion, Jack clenched his jaw, huffing in frustration. "Fine. You know what? I'll pet him."

"And I'll prove you wrong," Jack said to himself, hand hovering hesitantly in the empty space in front of him, fully expecting to touch nothing but air. But as his hand lowered, his eyes widened in shock. Instead of the expected emptiness, his fingers brushed against something soft. Warm fur. And worse, it moved. Jack's hand recoiled instinctively. He looked down and saw nothing. No dog. Just empty space where his hand had been.

"Don't worry, Jack," Whyatt chimed in with a grin, oblivious to his brother's horror. "Woofster's a friendly puppy. He doesn't bite."

Jack's mind raced. There was no dog. But he had felt it. Something was there. And it had moved.

He didn't say anything for a moment. "I...I'll be upstairs. I need to lie down."

And with that, Jack walked to his room while the rest of his family stood there, worried about their eldest son.