A short story by Neriah
Emmy’s goldfish was brand new, and he meant everything to her. He was the first pet her parents had ever let her have, and she was happy. But underneath the happiness sat a small, uneasy feeling that the pet did not want her.
She ignored it at first. Can a fish really hate anyone? He was an animal, and supposedly one of the dumbest kinds. She tried everything to make him happy, and all he did was give her side-eye.
Yes. A fish can give side-eye.
Emmy loved Mr. Goldfish, but she was beginning to realize that Mr. Goldfish did not love her. She fed him the most gourmet fish food money could buy, and he let it sink to the bottom in disgust. She put cute accessories in his bowl, and he hated them and pooped on them. Ugh. The audacity.
She cleaned that bowl every single day, and she was starting to think he was dirtying it on purpose.
Then one day he seemed done with her. He decided he would leave. Quite literally.
Emmy was watching him circle the bowl when, all of a sudden, SPLOSH! He sailed out over the rim and landed on the floor, where he lay gasping for air.
“MR. GOLDFISH!” Emmy screamed, horror in her voice. She reached for him without wasting a second, but he slithered away, flapping his fins. Was he trying to fly?
And then he was. Mr. Goldfish rose into the air and turned into a bird. An actual bird. “What the…” Emmy stood frozen, staring up at him.
Well. This was good and bad.
She ran upstairs to get her parents, and when they came rushing back down with her, all three of them stopped and stared in horror. Because there on the floor lay Mr. Goldfish, a goldfish again, and dead.