Squeak—
The sound intruded into the room, and Norris suddenly opened his eyes.
He swiftly flipped off the bed with a carp jump, rolled away from his original position, and assumed a combat stance.
At the same time, he began to reach out to Jida in his mind, but received no response.
Leaning against the corner of the guest room wall, Norris cautiously scanned the empty room.
After a moment, he suddenly realized this was not the Far North's Mushroom Garden, but Puki's House on the surface in Mushroom City.
Neither Karen nor Jida was here, and the noise earlier was just the footsteps of other guests passing through the corridor.
He awkwardly relaxed his stance, grateful that no one witnessed his embarrassing state.
Morning light had already splayed into the room through the curtains, and although he had been startled awake, this was still the best sleep he'd had in a while.
