I’d start with a kid who finds an old lens in a thrift shop, turns it sideways, and suddenly the shadows on the walls start to swirl clockwise like a secret clockwork. The kids follow the shadows, thinking it’s a game, but each turn reveals a different truth about the town—like the mayor’s hidden art, the baker’s midnight recipes, and the forgotten path that leads to a hidden lake. The story is a maze of light and mystery where the only constant is the clockwise dance that keeps getting more and more impossible. If you put that in your chapter, the reader will have to decide what they see is real or just another trick of the prism.

Good, the prism angle will keep the reader guessing about what’s really there and what’s just a play of light. Just remember the shadows have their own logic—keep that clockwise pattern subtle but undeniable, and the mystery will follow naturally. Coffee spills are good—just make sure the story doesn’t get washed away by them. Good luck.