Flash fiction Friday--Caterpillar

   The Biggest Little Caterpillar     

KRISANN GENTRY

     At the library one afternoon, Petey asked his mother, in the middle of the story, "Oh! Am I going to turn into a butterfly too, Mama?"
     "No, my dear," she answered. "We're not that kind of caterpillar."

     All the rumbly ride home, Petey thought about the lovely pictures he had seen in the book about the little caterpillar. He felt pretty little too, compared to his dad, especially. The baby caterpillar was bright green and a little bit fuzzy; he liked that. Petey's best friend Johnnie was bright green, too. He liked being yellow. But most of all he liked that the little caterpillar in the library book became something amazing at the end.

     "Mom? Will Johnnie become a butterfly?"
     "What? Oh, no buddy. He's not even a Cat to start with, let alone a caterpillar at all!"
     "If I could have wings, would they help me be better at digging?"
     "Probably not. There's not much dirt to dig in the air, is there?"

     He rode home the rest of the way just thinking.

     At dinner Dad asked about his day.
     "Bad news, Dad. I'm never going to be a butterfly."
     Dad almost spit his drink laughing. "Well son, you're in good company, then. None of us became butterflies, did we? We've been Caterpillars all our lives."
     "Did you ever maybe wish you would turn to a butterfly?" Petey asked.
     "Not really. I'm too heavy for working up high. Besides, I'm claustrophobic. I need open fields! Couldn't handle a cocoon for all that time."
     "I guess so."
     "If you were a butterfly, it'd be hard for you to live with us!" Mom chimed in.
     "I just wanna be awesome," little Petey sighed.

     Bedtime came and as they tucked in their boy, Mom and Dad Cat wondered what they could do to help Petey feel better.
     "Goodnight, Petey." Mom laid a colorful blanket over his usual cover.
     "Night, Petey," Dad switched off the light.
     "Goodnight." He shut his eyes.
     "Oh, Son?" Dad waited at the door.
     "Yeah Dad?"
     "We work really hard to become great every day. It doesn't happen overnight, or quickly, like to a butterfly, but it does happen. You don't have to worry about that part, okay?"
     "Okay Dad. I can do that." Petey sleepily answered as settled into his snuggly blankets.
   

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Read more stories from this prompt!
Moody's submission
Josiah's submission
Linda' submission

Want to make one of your own? Next week's prompt is NON-FICTION.

Write a short essay from the starting point, "acting like a kid."