🐣🌊 The lake was perfect glass that morning on Easter—the kind of surface that made even Wake Razor pause for a second and just take it in.

“Dude…” said Wake Blazer, squinting across the water. “This is illegal levels of smooth.”

They were standing on the dock at Lake Coeur d’Alene, skis propped up, ropes coiled, when they noticed something… unusual.

Brightly colored Easter eggs—dozens of them—were floating… no, not floating…

“…are those sitting on the slalom buoys?” Wake Razor said.

Sure enough, every buoy in the course had a plastic egg perched right on top like some kind of aquatic obstacle challenge.

“That’s new,” Wake Blazer said. “I’m in.”

Enter Summer (and her otter)

Just then, a sleek ski boat idled up to the dock. At the wheel was a confident brunette with mirrored sunglasses.

“Morning,” she said. “I’m Skye.”

Standing beside her—barefoot, wrapped in a light hoodie, blonde hair catching the morning light—was a girl with a small animal perched on her shoulder.

“This is my sister, Summer,” Skye added.

Summer gave a cheerful wave. The animal chirped.

“And this is—” Summer began.

“—Don’t say it,” Skye sighed.

“—this is Riptide,” Summer finished proudly. “He’s an otter.”

The otter squeaked like it knew it had just been introduced.

Summer then added, very matter-of-factly:

“Also, just so everyone knows… I am not an otter. But I do like otters.”

Wake Blazer blinked. “Good to know.”

Wake Razor nodded seriously. “Important distinction.”

🥚 The Slalom Egg Hunt

Skye revved the engine slightly.

“Here’s the deal,” she said. “Easter egg hunt. But not on land. You’ve gotta ski the course and grab the eggs off the buoys.”

Wake Blazer grinned. “No way.”

“Yes way,” Summer said. “It’s tradition.”

“And before you ask,” she added, “Riptide does not participate. He supervises.”

Riptide puffed his chest out.

Wake Razor went first.

He cut out wide, loaded the line, and snapped into the course. First buoy—clean carve—he reached down and snatched a pink egg clean off the top without breaking rhythm.

“YES!” Wake Blazer shouted.

Second buoy—yellow egg—grabbed.

Third buoy—he missed.

“NOOO!” Wake Blazer groaned.

“Focus!” Skye called from the boat.

Wake Razor recovered, slicing through the wake, grabbing two more eggs before letting go and coasting down.

“Four out of six,” Skye said. “Respectable.”

Wake Blazer was next.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s make history.”

He got up, wobbled slightly…

“STABLE,” he shouted. “Totally stable.”

He entered the course—and immediately overreached for the first egg, missing both the buoy and the line timing.

SPLASH.

Back on the platform, dripping, he shrugged.

“Experimental approach.”

Summer clapped anyway. “You had great energy.”

🐇 The Rabbit on Shore

While they reset, Summer suddenly went quiet.

She was staring toward the shoreline.

“What is that?” she said.

They all turned.

There, just beyond the trees… was a massive rabbit.

Not a normal one.

This thing stood unnaturally tall, its silhouette framed by the morning mist. Its ears were long—too long—and it didn’t move like a normal animal.

It just… watched.

Wake Razor narrowed his eyes. “You seeing this?”

“Yep,” said Skye.

Wake Blazer whispered, “That’s not part of the egg hunt, right?”

Summer shook her head slowly.

“That reminds me of something…” she said.

🌫️ The Tale of Hybrasil

Summer pulled her hoodie tighter.

“I heard a story once,” she said. “About an island called Hybrasil. Supposedly it appears and disappears off the coast near the UK.”

Riptide chirped softly.

“They say strange creatures live there. Not just animals… but things that are almost animals. Almost human. Almost… something else.”

She pointed toward the rabbit.

“Like that.”

The rabbit tilted its head.

Then—without a sound—it stepped back into the trees and vanished.

🌊 Back to the Water

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Then Skye broke the silence.

“Well,” she said, clapping once. “Egg hunt’s still on.”

Wake Razor smirked. “Yeah. If giant phantom rabbits are watching, we better put on a show.”

Summer smiled again, the tension easing.

“Also,” she added casually, “just to reiterate—I am not an otter.”

Wake Blazer nodded. “Crystal clear.”

Riptide squeaked.

“…but I do like otters.”

🥚 Final Run

This time, they all took turns.

Even Summer.

She carved through the course with effortless precision—snatching every egg like she’d done it a hundred times before.

At the end of her run, she raised a basket full of eggs and laughed.

Riptide squealed in approval.

Wake Razor leaned over to Wake Blazer.

“…we’re gonna have to step it up.”

Wake Blazer nodded.

“Yeah. Also… I kinda want an otter now.”

As the sun rose higher over Lake Coeur d’Alene, the eggs were collected, the water got busier, and the strange moment on shore faded into story.

But later—just once—Wake Razor glanced back toward the trees.

For a split second…

He thought he saw those long ears again.

Watching. 🐣🌊🐇