Mama always say, "Listen first. Squeak later."
Rusty? He sweek first. Den keeps sweekin' 'til sumone bonks him.
We spent da night in Grizz's burrow, curled up in a warm pile. It smelled weird, like dirt an' old fur an' sumthin' kinda sour—but it was safe. Better dan bein' outside, waitin' for a stabby-fluffy to pop out da shadows.
Grizz sat by da entrance, whiskers twitchin', starin' into da dark. He didn' talk much. Just watched. Listened.
Mama didn' sleep. She curled 'round us, but her eyes stayed open. Her paws flexed every time da wind rustled da leaves.
Me? I tried to sleep. But my brain was full of finkin'.
Dis rat, Grizz, he knew sumthin' we didn' know. Knew da Wilds. Knew da stabby-fluffies. If we was gonna make it, we needed to learn.
Da moment da sun cracked da sky, Mama sat up.
"Squeak." ("We leavin'.")
Grizz didn' even look at her. "Ssssqueak." ("Bad idea.")
Mama frowned. "Squeak." ("We don' trust you.")
Grizz flicked his tail. "Ssssqueak." ("Don' gotta trust me. Gotta trust da Wilds.")
Mama narrowed her eyes. "Squeak?" ("An' what dat mean?")
Grizz finally turned to her. His glowy yellow eyes looked… tired.
"Ssssqueak." ("Mean if you leave now, you die.")
Grizz taught us da rules.
Not hooman rules. Not Sanctuary rules.
Da Rules of Da Wilds.
Rule One: Da Wilds Don' Care 'Bout You.
In Sanctuary, we had food. Had water. Had light. Didn' have to fink 'bout it. Didn' have to fight for it.
Out here? If you don' dig, you don' eat. If you don' sniff, you get poisoned. If you don' listen, sumthin' bigger dan you notices.
Da Wilds don' care if you scared. Don' care if you cold. Don' care if you tired.
You slow? You weak?
You gone.
Mama already knew dis rule. She learned it da hard way.
Rusty?
Rusty needed dat lesson.
Grizz walked us to a big berry bush, all full an' juicy lookin'. Rusty's eyes lit up. "SWEEK!" ("FOODS!")
He charged.
Grizz didn' stop him. Just sat back.
Da second Rusty shoved his face in da berries, da bush moved.
Da whole thing shook.
Den—da biggest, fattest, angriest beetle I ever seen popped out.
It hissed.
Rusty froze, cheeks full of berries.
Da beetle lunged.
Rusty screamed."SWEEEEEEK!" ("I HAVE MADE MISTAKES!")
He ran in circles, still chewin', da beetle clickin' an' hissin' right behind him.
Mama sighed. "Squeak." ("Rusty, spit it out.")
Rusty kept runnin'. Kept chewin'. Kept screamin'.
Mama rubbed her face.
Grizz just muttered, "Ssssqueak." ("He not gonna last long.")
Rule Two: Hide Better, Live Longer.
Hamsters know how to hide.
But dis? Dis was a different kinda hidin'.
Grizz led us to a patch of tall grass. "Ssssqueak." ("When a cat hunt, it don' chase first. It waits.")
Mama nodded. "Squeak." ("We know.")
Grizz narrowed his eyes. "Ssssqueak." ("No. You think you know.")
Den he disappeared.
I blinked.
One second, he was right dere. Den—gone.
I sniffed. Nothin'.
Mama's ears twitched. "Squeak?" ("Where—?")
A whisper. Right behind her.
"Ssssqueak." ("Dead.")
Mama jumped.
Rusty fell over.
Den Grizz stepped out from da grass, grinnin'.
"Ssssqueak." ("Cats hunt like dis. You hide like dis, maybe you live.")
Mama frowned. Didn' like bein' snuck up on. "Squeak." ("Show us.")
Grizz nodded.
He taught us da trick. It was simple, but hard. Slow movin'. Stayin' low. Sinkin' into da shadows. Don' fidget. Don' breathe too loud.
Rusty?
Rusty was horrible at it.
Rule Three: Never Be Alone.
Grizz led us near da edge of da trees, where da land dropped into a deep, twisty river. He sat, watchin' da water rush by.
"Ssssqueak." ("You ever see a lone hamster in da Wilds?")
Mama's eyes narrowed. "Squeak." ("No.")
Grizz nodded. "Ssssqueak." ("Know why?")
I shivered. I already knew why.
Cuz dey gone.
Grizz flicked his tail at da water. "Ssssqueak." ("Da Wilds don' got room for loners. You alone? You weak. You weak? You food.")
He looked at us. "Ssssqueak." ("Stick together. Always.")
Mama nodded. We already did.
But I fink she understood it more now.
Rusty?
Rusty squinted at da river. "Sweek?" ("Wait… you sayin' da river eat people?")
Grizz just stared at him.
Rusty gasped. "Sweek!" ("DERE'S A WATER MONSTER?!")
Mama smacked him.
That night, we stayed in da burrow again. But dis time?
Sumthin' felt… different.
Mama wasn' just hidin' anymore. She was watchin'.Listenin'.Thinkin'.
We wasn't just runnin'. We was learnin'.
An' Rusty?
Rusty was sittin' outside, whisperin' to da river.
"Sweek, sweek…" ("If you're real, Water Monster, please don' eat me.")
Grizz sighed.
I sighed.
Mama sighed.
An' I realized sumthin'.
Rusty was never gonna be smart.
But maybe …
He was gonna make it.