𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗘 ━━ l. valdez

v ━━ tell me 'bout the first time you saw me

04. chapter five

━━━━━━━━ ( 💫 ) ━━━━━━━━

A SHRILL SCREAM PIERCED THROUGH THE AIR, awakening me from my sleep. I wasn't too upset about it because my slumber was far from peaceful.

It didn't take long to realize the noise was coming from Hazel's bunk. Without a second thought, I leapt out of bed and rushed towards the sound, my feet padding softly on the cold floor. The rest of the crew, equally alarmed, converged on Hazel's room, their faces etched with concern.

Bursting into the room, I was met with a chaotic scene. Hazel's sheets were a tangled mess, kicked around in her frantic struggle. In the middle of the bed, a small, furry weasel scurried about, its beady eyes wide with confusion. Hazel herself was sitting up, her hair a wild tangle of bedhead, her pajamas rumpled. Despite the initial scream, she now seemed calm, though a bit shaken.

"What happened?" Leo asked, his voice a mix of concern and bewilderment.

Hazel pointed a steady finger at the weasel. "That... that thing was in my bed!" she exclaimed, her voice still a bit shaky. "I woke up and felt something moving, and then I saw it!"

I couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and amusement. The sight of the tiny weasel, now looking just as scared as Hazel, was almost comical. But I knew better than to laugh. Instead, I moved closer to Hazel, offering a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, Hazel," I said gently. "It's just a weasel. It must have snuck in somehow."

Hazel took a deep breath, her eyes still wide but her voice steadier. "I think it was Hecate's weasel," she explained. "She probably sent it to watch me."

Leo, standing nearby, tried to suppress a grin. "Well, at least it wasn't a giant snake or something," he said, his tone light. "Could've been worse, right?"

I shot him a look, but couldn't help but smile. We decided to let the weasel stay, figuring it was harmless and might even be a good omen. There was nothing we could really do about it. We also weren't keen on risking upsetting the goddess who sent the animal.

Hazel and I sat cross-legged on her bunk, Gale the weasel squeaking and darting around the room. It seemed to have settled in, exploring every nook and cranny with an almost curious energy. Hazel watched it with a mix of amusement and exasperation, her earlier fear now replaced by a resigned acceptance.

"Well, it looks like we've got a new roommate," Hazel said, her voice tinged with a hint of humor.

I nodded, my eyes following the weasel as it scurried under the bed. "Yeah, but we need to figure out what it's trying to tell us. If it's here on Hecate's orders, there must be a reason."

Hazel sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're right. But how do we communicate with it? I mean, it's not like we can just ask it what it wants."

An idea struck me, and I turned to Hazel with a hopeful smile. "What about Coach Hedge? He can speak to animals, right?"

Hazel's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, Millie. Let's go find him."

We made our way out of the cabin, the weasel in tow. The ship was quiet, most of the crew still trying to relax after the earlier commotion.

We found his cabin door ajar and heard the coach inside, talking as if he were on the phone with someone–except we had no phones on board. Maybe he was sending a magical Iris-message?

"Sure, hon," Hedge was saying. "Yeah, I know, baby. No, it's great news, but–" His voice broke with emotion. I suddenly felt horrible for eavesdropping.