Reality's Strange

The Calm before the Storm (Hilda's P.o.V.)

It's so peaceful out here.

The sun is shining brightly.

There's a slight breeze.

And there isn't a thing we need to do.

Huh.

Okay, maybe I'm underreacting. There are animals all over the world who will perish in a matter of seconds, minutes or hours.

But, for now, I'm just... at peace, I guess. Good opportunity to have a sit and think. That is, when I move away from the side to stop feeling the breeze. It was a great idea to get a pirate-style ship. Well - not entirely pirate-style.

Wow, it's hot today. Again, I feel calm. But I also feel a sense of... foreboding, for lack of a better word. Maybe it's got something to do with that large thing underneath the water? But it doesn't seem real-...

Uh.

That crash didn't sound good.

Are we sinking?

...yep, slowly.

Well, at least we got these diving suits.

Now the crew is panicking. Melody manages to shout above them. That malamute's small, but she can be really loud if she wants to!

"STAY CALM! PUT ON YOUR DIVING SUITS!" she yells out. The crew ends up divided into two packs - the snow dogs, who all have identical suits apart from size differences, and the few other creatures, who have suits specially designed for them. I silently thank whoever told us about the one who did deep sea suits that worked perfectly, even in extreme conditions. Because they're way easier to put on than other types of diving suits.

As soon as we all put ours on, that's when the boat starts to lean ever so slightly. Enough that the... hatch-thing at the bottom - hey, we're up-to-date, despite all appearances - lets in some water when it's opened.

Once we're all out, I do a quick headcount - nobody was lost in the escape. When I turn around, it's a sight to behold. I see a submarine - a gigantic one, in the shape of an octopus. It stands out, partially because it's painted bright orange. It appears to have crashed into the Soaring Wolf - that's my ship's name, by the way.

I look up at what I assume is the cockpit. There appears to be a polar bear, a penguin, a cat with an eyepatch, a green rabbit, a sea otter, a dachshund, an octopus and a fish-vegetable hybrid. What.

Well, guess what?

This turned out to be the least weirdest thing.

(A.N.: So, what does everyone think so far? Also, beware of a stream of confused internal questions next chapter.)