Light shone through my window, lighting up my bunk in Persephone's cabin. My brothers and sisters were already awake. I have four siblings on my Persephone's side. Tristan and Josh are my brothers and Sophie and Anne are my sister's. I'm the youngest at 15.
Sophie yanked my covers off me, releasing me and my pyjamas to the cold morning. I shivered but still didn't get up. I might not have been a warrior, but that didn't mean I had to get up in the early hours of the morning like a princess.
The cold was still there, however, and I pulled my arms and knee high socked feet into the giant t-shirt that had once belonged to my father.
"Get up Zoey!" Josh our cabin councillor called.
I rolled over. "Tired!" I protested like a small child.
"You have mail," called Tristan, in an effort to cheer me up. But he was new, and that only prompted a glare worthy of the Roman's wolf glares.
"Yay!" I said sarcastically. "Another present and apology." I pulled another blanket over my head. "Let me know when my brother comes."
Anne put a hand on my shoulder, smiling at me sweetly. "How about a walk before breakfast?" she asked sweetly. "We can take your ferret for a walk."
I glanced at her, then nodded quietly. Before heading to the bathroom to put on real clothes.
The ferret she spoke of, was a present from my brother about a week ago. I quite liked it and it's strange ways, and we have a sort of mutual bond with each other, but I still didn't have a name for it yet.

---

Anne carried my small white ferret in her hands as we took an overlyong route to the dining pavilion for breakfast. She laughed as his little paws tickled her arms as he scampered up and down her arms.
"Does he have a name yet?" she asked.
I shook my head, still rubbing sleep from my eyes. "I haven't thought of a good name for him yet."
Anne picked him up and held him out in front of her, almost lion king like, while she decided. I stared at her bewildered. The she gasped loudly causing me to jump. "I know!" she squealed. "Happy!"
I blinked. Still highly confused. "What?"
"Happy," she repeated. "His name is Happy because you can't help but smile and feel happy when you hole him!"
I glanced at the ferret. He was chittering (or whatever is is that ferrets do) happily. Happy seemed to like his name.
I held out my hand, and he bounded up my arm and nestled on my shoulder, wrapping his tail securely around my neck as we walked into the dining pavilion sitting down with our siblings as nymphs brought us plates of banana pancakes.
I gave the usual offering to Persephone then sat down with a small smile on my face. Maybe what Anne said was true. Maybe Happy really did have the power to make people Happy.

---

I stared out at the people in the practice arena. I wished I could join them. I could of course, nothing stopped me. But because I sucked at everything, I got special treatment.
Targets were moved closers. Opponents went easier on me. Magic one the dummies were nulled so they didn't attack back.
I wished I was a warrior. I wished I could fight down there with them. But I couldn't. I was just a pretty daughter of Persephone, who could grow flowers.
I sighed and leaned back as Happy curled up on my stomach. I didnt want to be Princess Zoey. I wanted to be Warrior Zoey.
A dark blue flower sprouted between my fingers. I smiled. At least there were a few things that set me apart from my siblings.
One--the flowers that I grew had darker hues than their neon and pastel flowers.
And two: I had a secret place.
I looked around. There was no one here. Good. I poked happy.
He stared at me carefully. "I was trying to sleep," he seemed to say.
"Do you wanna go back to the cabin?" I asked him.
He put his head back down: "No, I want to sleep."
"You can sleep on my pillow," I bribed. "A nice and plush feathery pillow."
He opened on eye: "Why?"
"Oh come on," I protested. "I just want to go somewhere, alone." I put emphasis on that last word.
Happy gave me a slightly offended look then ran off towards the cabin.
I looked around again. I was still alone. I got to me feet and ran towards the forest. Hidden in the forest was a meadow.
I was quiet and calm and my favourite place in all of camp.
I Sat down in the centre of the grassy field as deep blue flowers sprouted all around me, comforting me with their sweet scent.
I pulled a silver locket out of my shirt. It had been my step-mom's. I had loved her like she was my real mother. My brother, Damien thought I should have it, but not before he updated the picture inside.
I clicked it open. It was an image of the four of us on our old couch. The cheap one--that made you sneeze when you sat down on it. A happy family with no money versus two orphaned children separated with more money than they could count.
Do you really need to ask which on I would rather have?
A twig snapped behind me and my head flew up. I was no longer alone.

Notes

Here comes Wes!

you know the drill,
rate comment subscribe if you want to know more

--Kim