Collection of Stories

Chester

Her mother screamed.

"What on Earth is that abomination?" she shrieked, recoiling in disgust.

"Oh, you mean Chester?" the little girl asked sweetly, brown eyes completely innocent.

There was a strong smell of salt and fish in the kitchen, but the cat was hissing in the corner. "He's our new family member!" Alice announced cheerfully, clearly proud of herself. The afore-mentioned family member was a squishy, wet blob with a leash poorly attatched to one of its eight tentacles, sitting limply on the tiled floor. "Chester Fletcher." Alice continued, oblivious to her mother's distress. "I made sure his name rhymed." She clarified, nodding wisely to herself.

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no." her mother, Sarah, muttered over and over again as she paced along the room, before settling down at a stool near the kitchen bench. She reached for a glass of water, quietly repeating her mantra.

Alice knelt down and started to pet the octopus, then looked up at Sarah, "Can we keep him?" 

Sarah choked on her drink, sputtering and coughing. She regained her composure and looked down at Alice, "You ask me only now?"

Alice simply nodded.

"How did you even get that...that thing?" She asked, incredulously.

Alice hugged the large mollusc caringly, which was slowly trying to leave. "I rescued him."

"You what?"

Alice took a deep breath before explaining, "I was exploring and the people at fancy Japanese restaurant were going to cook him up and eat him, so I helped Chester escape."

"You stole an octopus?"

"No, I rescued one."

"Sweet Lord, help me."