Jenny found the shoebox on her porch, wrapped with a bow. Inside, a baby alligator stared up at her, adorably. There was a note: "Keep him safe. More coming." More baby alligators? How unusual, Jenny thought.
She named the alligator Gumbo. Days passed, and gumbo grew astonishingly fast, his diet for raw chicken legs insatiable. Then not enough, not satisfying.
Neighbors began to gossip about missing pets, but Jenny ignored this. She loved Gumbo. So what if he ate a few puppies or the occasional kitten?
One morning, Jenny woke to find the shoebox shredded, Gumbo missing, and another note. "Did you keep him safe?" it read. “Another is on the way.”
As Jenny considered the note, a scream echoed from next door. Gumbo slithered over to Jenny with Mr. Ferguson’s leg in his jaws. Jenny laughed. She never had liked Mr. Ferguson.
She looked forward to the arrival of the next baby alligator. She would name him Chomp Chomp.
About the Creator
Daniel Sullivan
I am a writer, live storyteller, actor, advocate, civil rights enforcer, and nonprofit director, among other roles. Presently, my focus lies in translating my rich life experiences into the realms of fiction and creative nonfiction.
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