(You’re Kaiya)

The hallway was quiet except for the faint, hiccuping sobs echoing from the corner. You turned the corner, Emmie holding tightly onto your hand, and there he was—Mr. Ruffles.

The normally mischievous goose, with his sharp smile and tilted little hat, sat hunched over on the floor. His bowtie drooped, feathers trembling as his shoulders shook. Tears slipped down his wide black eyes, leaving dark streaks along his white feathers.