Cindy's New Pet

Cindy's New Pet

Long ago, Cindy's grandfather built a wooden bridge to a small island in the middle of the swamp on his farm in Florida and told her fishing from the island was best way out there. She loved playing on the bridge, watching the fish glide by. About a week ago, something new swam underneath, but she wasn't sure what it was. To find out, she killed a small chipmunk trying to scamper up a tree and returned to the bridge. She tossed it in, then left.

The next day, the dead chipmunk had washed ashore on the island. Before she turned to leave, she watched an animal surface and gobble it up. Overjoyed, she spent the rest of the week capturing as many small animals as possible and tossing them in the water as her new secret pet sat waiting.

Today she wanted something bigger. The chipmunks were eaten too fast and the wild rabbit didn't last long either. This morning, while her grandfather was away, she found a rope and tied it around the neck of one of grandpa's pigs. The stubborn beast squealed the entire time until she got it on the bridge. Exhausted, she peered over the side, and her new pet was waiting. She used what little strength she had left to push the pig into the water. The loud splash caused her new pet to turn and propel itself into the water. Its long tail whipped from side to side, and its gaping mouth, full of teeth, snapped shut on the pig's head repeatedly. Its rapid spinning was relentless as blood leaked into the water. Once the pig stopped moving, the alligator continued chomping its meal with horrific efficiency. Cindy smiled at how well his appetite was and wondered what she could feed it tomorrow.