Saturday Night Preparations

Red pulled her bright red hood over her small antlers and checked the castle clock. Saturday evening had arrived, which meant towels-only night at Caribou Castle.

"Woolly! Patches!" she called to her best friends, two humanoid sheep girls who lived in the castle with her. "Time to get ready!"

Woolly bounded down the stone stairs, her fluffy white wool bouncing with each step. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement. "I can't wait! The big shower area is so much fun on Saturday nights!"

Patches followed more slowly, adjusting her pink towel. Her gray wool had distinctive black patches, and her brown eyes looked sleepy. "Do we have to be so loud? Some of us were napping."

Red giggled, feeling the familiar tingle of wind magic around her hooves. The four towers of the castle stretched high above them, their windows glowing warmly in the evening light.

"Should we play hide-and-seek after our shower?" Woolly suggested, pointing toward the towers.

"Perfect idea!" Red agreed, not knowing this simple game would soon turn into something much more mysterious.

Strange Splashes

After their warm shower, Red wrapped her fluffy towel around herself and felt the evening air tickle her small antlers. Woolly bounced ahead toward the towers, her wet wool dripping tiny puddles on the stone floor.

"I'll count to twenty!" Red called out. "Find the best hiding spots!"

Woolly giggled and scampered up the spiral stairs of the North Tower. Patches yawned and wandered toward the East Tower, dragging her pink towel behind her.

Red closed her eyes and began counting. "One, two, three..."

At fifteen, she heard a strange sound echo from above—a loud splash, like someone had fallen into deep water. Then Patches' voice called out from somewhere high up.

"Help! I can't find my way back down!"

Red opened her eyes and looked up at the four towers. Each one had multiple levels with different rooms, and the castle's old plumbing made weird noises at night. But that splash had sounded too real.

"Woolly?" Red called. No answer.

"Patches, where are you exactly?" Red shouted.

"I don't know! Everything looks the same up here, and there's water everywhere!"

Red's heart started beating faster. This wasn't part of the game anymore.