The Colour Thief of Supermarket World

Scarlett skipped into "Super-Mart-World," her blue eyes wide with wonder. Wet-Tail, her favourite teddy bear, bounced in her arms, and her grey wolf puppy, Bramble, trotted excitedly beside her. Super-Mart-World wasn't just any supermarket; here, the fruits sang, the vegetables danced, and the cheese wheels told cheesy jokes.

But today, something was wrong. A normally vibrant bunch of bananas looked pale and sickly. A plump, rosy tomato was almost completely white. Even the usually boisterous broccoli was looking a bit…grey.

"What's happening?" Scarlett whispered, her voice full of concern. Wet-Tail just wobbled, but Bramble let out a small, worried whine.

Scarlett decided to investigate. She followed a trail of faded colour towards the back of the store, past the whispering watermelons and the gossiping grapes. She finally reached the dairy aisle, where she spotted a shadowy figure lurking behind a stack of yoghurts.

The figure held a strange device that emitted a faint, colour-draining hum. As he pointed it at a block of cheddar, the cheese visibly paled.

"Stop!" Scarlett cried, stepping forward.

The figure jumped, startled. He was a man with tired eyes and a Super-Mart-World uniform, his name tag read "Bernard."

"Who are you?" Bernard grumbled, clutching the device.

"I'm Scarlett, and this is Wet-Tail and Bramble. Why are you stealing all the colours?"

Bernard sighed. "Nobody appreciates me here. They only care about the colourful fruits and vegetables. Nobody notices the guy who stocks the shelves."

Scarlett frowned. "But colours are what makes everything special! Just like everyone is special in their own way." She gestured to a particularly vibrant pineapple. "That pineapple is amazing because it's yellow and spiky. You're special because you work hard and keep the supermarket running."

Bernard looked down at his shoes. He realised Scarlett was right. Stealing the colours wouldn't make him feel better; it would just make everything dull and sad.

He fiddled with his device, reversing its effects. Slowly, the colours returned to the faded produce. The bananas regained their sunny yellow, the tomato blushed a vibrant red, and the broccoli perked up, a cheerful green.

"Thank you, Scarlett," Bernard said, a small smile appearing on his face. "I guess I just needed a reminder."

Scarlett smiled back. "Everyone needs a reminder sometimes."

As they left the dairy aisle, Bramble wagged his tail, and Wet-Tail did a little jig. Super-Mart-World was back to its colourful, chaotic self, and Scarlett knew that even the smallest person could make a big difference, even to a grumpy supermarket employee.