My Pet Monster

By James Pao

I have a pet monster. I didn’t always have a pet monster. 

It wasn’t until my family moved to a new place, a new home, a new everything.

And in a new and strange place I knew I needed a friend that would always be there for me. 

So I decided I needed to befriend a monster. 

With pencil and paper I set out to find my very own friend.

At first, I drew a four-legged beast. It had long claws, big eyes, and pointy ears.

But of course, being a monster, the most important thing it needed was to have fangs and razor-sharp teeth.

This didn’t work. Fangs and razor-sharp teeth required too big of a head. 

So then I drew another monster friend. 

This time it had hair, and scales, and even a belly button. 

But of course, being a monster, the most important thing it needed was to be big. 

I mean humongous big. Terribly large big. 

This didn’t work. I only managed to fit its belly button on the paper. 

So I drew a box, and inside the little box would be the perfect monster.

I even gave it superpowers. It would be able to transform into 

the scariest monster in the whole wide world whenever it wanted. 

Out of curiosity, I took a peek. To my surprise inside the little box I found a small furball. 

It rolled and hopped and bounced around in all its long brown fur. 

I had done it! I found the perfect monster friend! 

Little did I know that this was only the start of all my problems. 

I had no idea what to do with a monster. Where do monsters live anyways? 

I heard some live in the closets, some live under your bed, 

and for large monsters, there’s always the basement. 

My mom would not be happy if I put my monster in any of those places.

So I drew a cave. A damp, dark, chilly cave. 

But what else can you do with a pet monster? 

Now that it had a home, I decided to take it for a walk. 

Do people even walk their monsters?

Carefully I folded the little piece of paper, as well as it’s new home in my pocket. 

We played in the garden. 

We played under a tree. 

We even played hide and go seek. 

But things soon got out of hand. 

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First it roared and growled when it saw my mother. 

Then it howled and shrieked when it saw my grandfather. 

It even snarled so loud my dad fell over. 

I was sent to my room along with my monster.

The little ball of fur retreated back into its cave. 

“It’s ok,” I told my ball of fluff. “I can protect you instead.” 

We shared our deepest secrets,

My friend replied with occasional barks. 

We talked until the sun set, and the moon hung in the sky. 

We talked and talked until it was time for dinner.

Maybe it was hungry. But what do monsters eat? 

I tried to feed it with all I could find. 

Leaves from the garden, and bugs from the tree.

I even tried to feed it with all the snacks in the house. 

Apparently, mine likes to eat pencils, pen, and paper. 

It ate through the pages of my books. It chewed on every corner. 

What's worse was it even ate my homework. 

It’s not easy taking care of a monster. I wish I knew before I started. 

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Would you be interested in a monster friend? 

Here’s a box with a monster.

Your very own monster friend.

I wonder what you’ll do and where your adventures will take you.

But I know for certain

That your friendship will never end.