The Missing Child Was a Decoy

I was half-asleep on my couch close to midnight when my phone started buzzing nonstop.

Every neighborhood app, group chat, and local alert was posting the

same thing: MISSING CHILD. Ten years old. Last seen riding his bike near the

park two blocks from my place. At first I ignored it. These alerts happen

sometimes, and usually the kid is found within an hour. But this one kept

escalating. Police cars started circling. A helicopter appeared overhead,

loud enough to rattle my windows. People were posting sightings, organizing search

parties, offering flashlights and snacks. The entire neighborhood was suddenly wide