Erika moved before anything irreversible could happen, and promptly ducked underneath the desk. Thanking the heavens that Miss Author wasn’t sitting at the desk, Erika took out what oddly looked like an ancient Greek version of a fly swatter; her face contorted into a grimace.

“I know you’re in there. No use to hide, you cheeky things.”

Her only response was a scuffling of tiny clawed feet and another giggle.

The swatter went up, golden decorations sparkling menacingly.

SMACK.

“Ooooww,” came a muffled, high pitched voice from beneath the swatter’s net. The thing had had been squished moved around and then spoke. “Look here, lady, we didn’t mean no harm!”

“…And that’s supposed to convince me?”

Scaled hands gripped at the swatter and vainly tried to lift it upwards. “Tsch! I dun even know why we waste time with you, you muses. Prickly things, you are.”

“Now I’m definitely not letting you go.”

She reached in and pulled the thing out by its scruff.

Two sulfur yellow eyes stared out at her.