Almost a decade had passed since the Dooflys woke up to hear a baby's shrill cry on their stoop and yet Oak Alcove had barely changed a bit. Tiny yards, immaculate landscapes, and the rising sun all looked so warm and cozy to passersby. Even Number Three Oak Alcove was picturesque for in home, family comforts. A quaint sitting room, accommodating kitchen, a hearth room for roaring fires were some of the loveliest features. There were even three huge bedrooms in the compact townhouse. One of course belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Doofly, the other to the rowdy rough Curtis for his bed, dresser, desk, wardrobe, and various walls with posters and sports things. The other bedroom was for his...toys! Racecars, action figures, costumes, weapons, animals, trains sets, and loads and loads of highly expensive electronics.

Curtis was always the main attraction at the Doofly house. Ten years ago, he was in every picture. And now...he still is. The dark haired boy was on bikes, skateboards, carnivals, and hunting with his father in some photos. Other photos he was being kissed and hugged by his mother, red lips adorning every inch of his face. The little family home had not an inkling that another boy around the same age lived there, too.

And yet, Henry Puffer was still there. Asleep just as the way he arrived. Until the shrieking cry of his Aunt Daisy awoken him with a start. It was always the first nosie of the day.

"Get your butt up! Now, I say, NOW!"

Henry flew upright and banged his head on a beam where coat hangers were supposed to go. His room was...what once was the coat closet. A small place that was the type of small that was most certainly not for comfort. Henry tried to make do. His bed was but a foam mattress cover on top of two packing crates and the bedding that had belonged to Curtis last year. He demanded it to be purged after saying, "Doctor Macabre is SO not popular anymore. If ANY of the lads find out I still have bedsheets of him I'll be ruined!"

"You're right, my boy, always be up on the trends. That's good business," Uncle Vincent had replied. "Boy! You get these." And he tossed them to Henry.

He had only a single trunk for his clothes and those, again, were all hand me downs from Curtis. Though Curtis is nowhere near the size of Henry so they were always three sizes too big for the scrawny boy in the coat closet. The top shelf Henry assumed was for shoe boxes, was his to decorate with trinkets and some books he liked to read. He had one one night stand that was tucked away in the corner near the foot of his bed. A curious feathered quill was in a ceramic jar Henry had made in last year's art class. When he was five, a very old woman dropped the quill into his backpack. She didn't say a word, she just put her fingers to her lips and winked. He had lied ever since and said he won it in a school contest. The Dooflys thought it looked ugly but Henry thought it was beautiful.

"I SAID UP!" Aunt Daisy screeched which halted Henry's memories. Her footsteps faded towards the kitchen. Pots and pans clamored shortly after. He let a sigh escape his lips. Wow, he had had the most peculiar but most wonderful dream. One that is on the edge of one's mind...but flutters away once you try to recall it. Green eyes and whiskers were the last thing that passed in his mind when the toilet loudly flushed and what can only be described as a ham of a fist punched the wall that the shelf and rack are anchored above his head.

"Oy! Mom said get UP!" It was Curtis' voice from the other side of the wall. This was...the worst part to Henry. The closet wall where he laid his head, where the coat rack was, where the shelf with his trinkets were...shared a wall with...the toilet. Curtis was in there because another followed by another punch that sent Henry's trinkets flying off the shelf and onto his lap. That and about five different spiders. The closet was teaming with them. He reached over to the night stand to fetch and put on his round rimmed glasses to inspect his new findings. Henry didn't mind. He quite liked spiders. He was going to name this particular one Barthalomew. Then...the smell...Henry always had to share whatever smell happened to permeate the bathroom as well. It was what it took to send Henry clamoring out of the closet with a wrinkled nose just as Curtis was coming out of the bathroom, looking smug one could be with his Gameboy tucked under his armpit. Just to mess further, Curtis made a move to elbow him and Henry flinched in anticipation.

"HA! FIVE for flinchin', PUFFER!" And punched Henry five times very hard in the bicep.

"HENRY PUFFER GET IN HERE OR SO HELP ME WATCHER I WILL COOK YOUR HIDE INSTEAD OF THIS BACON!" Aunt Daisy screamed.

Henry grumbled.

"Did you say something, boy?" Henry's aunt snapped from behind the stove. In her cast iron pot were eight slices of bacon. His stomach grumbled at the smell.

"No...not at all, ma'am," Henry whispered.

It was Curtis' birthday-ah yes it makes sense! Aunt Daisy eyed him with scornful judgement. Henry was still in his pajamas. Curtis' stink made him forget an important Doofly Upon Henry rule...a DUH rule, as it were. Rule Number 1: Never leave the closet without being fully dressed.

"You...utter...fool," Aunt Daisy forced through clenched teeth.

"I'll go change, Aunt D-" Henry began.

"You will not go...you will...RUN," she said as a chilling warning. Henry may not look like he could run faster than a grape, but you'd be fooled. The kiddo was quick! He dove back into the closet and threw open the trunk's lid…

"Five…" Aunt Daisy began.

He threw off his nightshirt and put on a collared, proper shirt that once was probably white but now is dingy and almost yellow. It fit Henry perfectly and was Curtis' school uniform from when Curtis was...five.

"Four…"

Henry basically jumped both feet first into what felt like two tents sewn together. These were Curtis' pants from last year. The waist is too tight for him this year. Frantically looking around for his belt, which was nothing more than the old rope that once held Curtis' tire swing before the whole thing collapsed due to Curtis' rather large a-

"Three…" the words were getting colder and with more repressed anger.

Henry strung the rope loop by loop and tied quickly. Finishing with some socks with a hole in the toe and some house slippers that chafed his heel. They were Curtis' when Curtis was seven.

"TWO…"

Henry blasted out of the closet and nearly careened into Aunt Daisy. She looked down at him over her long, hooked nose. Her appraisal made him anxiously fix his crooked glasses. Cold, nimble fingers ran through his blonde tresses and yanked.

"OW!" Henry cried.

"Comb this forsaken hair for a change, Henry! It's ghastly! OH! Never the mind! There's no time! Watch this bacon, the eggs, the waffles, the pancakes, the toast, the jam, the butter, the juice, and the sausage...and don't. You. DARE...touch a single thing until Purdy Curty gets to nibble all the first little nibbles he WANTS! My birthday bub gets ALL the first, you hear me?!" Aunt Daisy sauntered down the hall, kicking Henry's closet door closed with discontempt and rage. She went behind the Doofly's sofa and came out with the largest parcel Henry had ever seen. Mrs. Doofly even looked as though she was having trouble maneuvering it but somehow she got it to the kitchen table that was covered in brightly wrapped gifts. Henry could almost guess every single toy, game, electronic, or trinket under each colored box because Curtis always got what he wanted. It became an absent-minded game as Henry turned over bacon and hissed as grease splattered along his pale skin.

The bacon looked absolutely scrumptious and Henry's stomach gurgled loudly. He didn't eat very much and to show for it, Henry was very skinny and frail. He was also very short but that was a plus because any taller he would have to sacrifice his nightstand so his feet would be able to stick out at the foot of his bed. Henry's arm was very sore from the five punches and could feel the bruises forming. This reminded him of another very peculiar mark on him. Henry quite liked his little scar on the left side of his face. It looked almost like a diamond.

"How'd I get this scar, Aunty Petunia?" He had asked Mrs. Doofly when he was about five. That made Uncle Vincent abruptly stand up and get right up to Henry nose to nose instantly making tears pool in the young child's eyes.

"The FIRST Doofly Upon Henry rule in THIS house is !" His uncle took a ragged breath and then continued, a bit calmer but in no way less threatening. "If you must know...you got it in the house fire that killed your parents. Debris hit your little baby head and now you're mangled like that." Well I think it's neat the young Henry had thought. And he never asked again.

Once bacon was fried, waffles were ironed, sausage was cooked, pancakes were flipped, toast was buttered, and eggs were scrambled Curtis entered the kitchen either pretending poorly or patronizing Henry perfectly.

"Woooow...what's all thhhhhis mommy and daddy?" He went as far to flutter what little eye lashes he had. Which, when thinking of Curtis Doofly, eye lashes were probably the only feature he was lacking. Too much belly, too much neck (like his father), too much arm muscle and somehow fat, too much leg, too much feet, too much nose...too much cheek. Aunt Daisy said he was the most handsomest boy in all of the worlds. The Watcher hand made him from above. Henry thought the Watcher must be completely nuts.

"Mommy...Daddy..." Curtis said slowly and eerily calmly on the edge of what Henry knew to be the beginnings of a tantrum. He quickly put the plates as best as he could around what table was left. He didn't want them to go flying when he blew.

"What is it Curtis, love," Aunt Daisy said sweetly with a hint of unease in her voice.

"I do believe my present winnings are on a point system by size.

Bigger than a breadbox: 20 points

Bigger than a common suitcase: 30 points

Bigger than a coffee table: 100 points

Anything less than a breadbox...20 point loss!" As he listed, his parents looked at him and then back at each other in growing fear and concern. Uncle Vincent was sweating and slowly reaching towards his back pocket where he kept his wallet.

"You both were at 510 last year, an average score to say the least," Curtis continued. "But this year, tsk...tsk...480…" Mr. Doofly sensed danger and began to pull out bills.

"Heh...hen...kiddos got moxy! Knows what he wants, he does!"

"FOUR?! EIGHTY?!"

And there it was.

Curtis' face was now completely red and he slammed his ham hock hands on the table which sent all of Henry's accomplished cooking in different ways. The eight pieces of bacon so coveted by Aunt Daisy hit the floor and Henry's stomach dropped. (You thought you were getting a piece?! That's four for Curty, three for Vernie, and ONE for me! That's eight!)

"How many points does 50 Simoleans get us, my boy?" Mr. Doofly handed his son the note with a shaky hand. Curtis stopped his constant slamming to examine the money. Through squinted eyes he looked to be thinking hard.

"50 points! So now you're up to...up...to…" the math was lost inside the air in Curtis' head.

"530," Henry whispered which made Uncle Vincent give him a look that should have ignited Henry where he sat.

"That…" Curtis considered it, "That...will...do…" he drug out so specifically like his mother is good at doing it finally made him realize there was some Aunt Daisy in this practically Uncle Vincent clone. Distracted and elated after snatching the bill roughly from his dad's hand Uncle Vincent got right into Henry's face again. Nose to nose just as he preferred to do it.

"DUH Rule TWO, boy," Uncle Vincent demanded a reply.

"Don't speak unless spoken to, amended to include emergencies like when Curtis punched me in the face and broke my nose," Henry said quietly.

"YOU ran into my Curty's fist, boy! And we even had him fix your glasses so BE grateful. Making my Curty fix YOUR glasses when it was an accident and all that." Vincent backed out of Henry's personal space and trailed off to look fondly at his son. Henry rolled his eyes upward to gaze upon Curtis' so called "fix" which was a wad of bandages holding the brim of the glasses together. At once the phone rang which seemed to relieve Vincent. He gruffly ripped it from the receiver.

"What...NO...I mean, um, er...that's a shame...bloaty head AND sweaty shivers...my, my. Oh tsk, tsk poor girl. Oh alright...alright...yes ma'am. Good-bye." Once the phone went click Uncle Vincent completely exploded. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!"

"What is it dear?" Aunt Daisy asked from where she was ruffling Curtis' hair with so much love and adoration while the latter was sorting his presents from biggest to smallest.

"Agitha Snealy is quite sick and cannot…," he faltered, "she cannot…," he tried one more time, the disgust overtaking him again and again. "She canNOT babysit Puffer today." Henry could feel his whole face light up but made careful work to ebb it down.

Old Snealy was an old crone that lived down the street from the Dooflys. Whenever the family wanted to go out for supper, to the carnival, to the movie theater, to the zoo, or wherever families joyously go together...Henry was promptly dumped onto her porch and forced to hold her yarn ball while she knitted and told him every excruciating detail about her, what seems like, one hundred children. What's worse, the woman could not cook to save her life, so Henry would have to either go hungry or taste the folly that was her sardine on saltine sandwiches.

"DADDY NO! THIS WON'T DO! ROSS WILL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!" Curtis took notice and began to sob. Well...pretended to sob. That kid has never cried for real in his life probably past the age of two. He just knows that if he screams, wails, and carries on, Aunt Daisy and Uncle Vincent will do whatever it takes to make him stop. Ross Polter is Curtis' very best friend. He is just as big and just as ugly as Curtis and their favorite thing to do to their fellow school children is ping-pong weaker kids between their humongous bellies until the kid loses footing and drops, where they then give him a wedgie and take his lunch money. They've been friends since they were toddlers.

"Vincent! DO something!" Aunt Daisy cried as the doorbell rang. She waved her hands in trempedation and looked frantically between the door, Henry, a pouting Curtis, and her husband before gasping in defeat. She swung the door open and put on her very high pitched, very false sweet voice as she addressed Mrs. Polter and accepted Ross into the Doofly home. Henry slowly stood up, knowing Ross was going to want to have a seat at the kitchen table to eat whatever scraps Henry normally would be permitted to finish.

"Curt! Oy! Is that a wrist rocket?!" Ross called from the foyer and trampled into the kitchen shoving Henry hard enough to send him stumbling out of the kitchen into Mr. Doofly. The older man promptly ensnared Henry's tiny elbow and dragged him further away from his son and his son's friend to talk privately by the front door. Mrs. Doofly joined them with a menacing face.

"LISTEN, boy," Mr. Doofly spat. "We were to have a NICE family fishing trip with Curtis and Ross for his birthday and since NO one wants you or can take you...I guess we are forced to have to take you, too!"

"Oh why is this our lot in life?" Daisy rhetorically moaned to know one in particular.

Henry only shrugged and that seems to be the wrong thing to do as it just irritated Uncle Vincent further.

"NO sarcasm, NO attitude, and I want FULL loyalties to numbers 1-10 of our household DUHs. Do. I. make. Myself. CLEAR?" Shall I take the rule book with me, my liege? This is what Henry wanted to say in a high pitched voice for full effect but instead, obedience overtook and he simply just nodded his head.

"Darling this is the most horrid option! D'aww, wittle Curtsy is going to be so disappointed!

"I could...you know...stay behind, if...if it would make it easier, Aunt Daisy." This was absolutely the wrong thing to say because the very end of his offer sent Mrs. Doofly shaking and white in the face. Was she even sweating?

"How. dare. You. You insufferable boy?! I will not come back to my house in complete ruins by a ten year old cretin that cannot fend for himself in the slightest!"

"Nasty, boy!" Uncle Vincent chimed in. "I will make myself very clear you are SO very lucky we have big hearts," he began.

"Enormous hearts!" Mrs. Doofly supplied.

"We did not have to take you in for your pitiful mother and father doing stupid things and setting their house on fire in a stupid way," he was still talking but at that moment something strange was overcoming Henry. Despite his life he didn't feel this feeling very often. A flush in his cheeks and an increase in heart beat. He was...angry. "So just be glad you are going fishing with us. You may sit on the dock away from us. Especially Curtis and Ross. IF you keep out of trouble I may let you take our family picture when my big boy Curt catches a whopper, you hear?"

"I'm well aware of DUH #10, Uncle," Henry icily replied. It was an odd but exhilarating feeling to speak back. Mr. Doofly's eyes went wide and his cheeks turned crimson. If it were possible, Mrs. Doofly seemed to go whiter. But Henry continued, "DUH Rule ten states that: I mustn't forget that I am a lucky child that could have been left on the street or in an orphanage asylum but instead was taken in by the lovely Dooflys and into their warm, nice home." Henry braced for a slap, or a shove, or a spanking and Mr. Doofly looked as if he was about to deliver. But-

"DADDY! WE WANT TO GO FISHING NOW!" Cried Curtis and Mr. Doofly just stared down his nose at Henry as he was stone cold and anchored; staring right back.

Twenty minutes later all five were packed into Mr. Doofly's tiny hatchback.

Then there was thirty more minutes of hearing Curtis cry and wine about Henry being a part of the company. Aunt Daisy looked like the whole world was on the brink of ending.

Ten minutes stacked on top of that was with Ross joining in. At this point even an angry vein was developing near Uncle Vincent's hairline.

"FINALLY! We're here boys! The lake!" Mr. Doofly sounded as a desert-bound man would sound upon finding water. He clamored out of the car as Curtis and Ross exploded from it, full pace towards the dock. Henry managed to maneuver out slowly, but first he had to be caught on the shoulder by Mr. Doofly and spun around to face him.

"DUH Rules 1 through 10, boy...ESPECIALLY #5. Disobey and you won't see anything but the four walls of that closet until Winterfest, you hear?"

"I won't make a peep, I will sit on the dock."

Strange as it would seem, DUH Rule #5 that Uncle VIncent was referring to has an interesting backstory behind its addition. Since Henry was fairly young things just happened around him. And no matter how much he tried to convince the Dooflys of his innocence, it just made him look guiltier. DUH Rule #5 is: No pranks, tricks, schemes, dreams, or oddities.

When Henry was really young, Aunt Daisy went to great lengths to hide his scar. Hats, head scarfs, and at one point...makeup. Henry hated the stuff. It made his sensitive skin so itchy and sweaty. He was more than likely allergic to the brand but Aunt Daisy said it blended very well. She was dead wrong at that...even five year old Henry could tell the shade was three tones too dark. The moment she would apply it...an hour later it would be gone. Henry would be locked in the closet. Never having touched his face. After its reapplication, it'd disappear in thirty minutes. Back in the closet. This time Aunt Daisy and Uncle Vincent watched him. They sat him down right after the application and stared daggers at him. When they blinked-the makeup was gone. They couldn't explain it...maybe the boy was that quick...either way he was sent to bed without supper and they didn't try to apply makeup ever again.

Another time, when Henry was six, Aunt Daisy would make her camper's stew. Henry hated the stuff as it upset his stomach terribly. So Aunt Daisy would make him eat leftovers as punishment for any silly thing normal six year olds happen to do. At one point, Henry was dipping his spoon into the stew with such trepidation that when he lifted it past the surface of the stew, there was instead chocolate ice cream! He had no idea how and when he tasted it-it was cold and delicious and he ate the entire bowl. When he told Curtis, he tried too and ended up eating eight bowls trying to get to the ice cream. He threw up everywhere and Henry got his worst punishment up to that point for deliberately lying to Curtis to make him sick.

At seven and eight years old, Henry got in trouble at school for "suddenly appearing in the cafeteria no matter where he was in the school the second before." That was the first time he ever had to have a punishment from another adult besides the Dooflys and branded him a trouble maker by his Headmaster at school.

Little things had been happening last year and this year too, but thankfully Henry has been able to keep it from the Dooflys. He was beginning to think he was just a small, wimpy, unlucky kid and knew that in seven years he would be able to be and do whatever he wanted.

"It's so green out here, Darling! So peaceful!" Aunt Daisy cooed.

"I had a dream about green eyes," Henry said wistfully.

"You shut your mouth, boy," Mr. Doofly barked. In reality, he was sweating. Ten years ago...a gray spotted tabby that in no way acted like a normal, proper cat inconvenienced him to near madness. And then Henry showed up. "It was a stupid dream about your own stupid eyes!"

"But, Uncle Vincent," Henry said with genuine naivety, "my eyes are blue."

"Dammit Henry one more word and you sit in the car for the entire time, now move it!"

It was probably the best Saturday afternoon Henry has had in a long time. A picnic basket was laid out on the spacious dock where Mr. and Mrs. Doofly, Curtis, and Ross sat happily. Henry had to sit on the hot dock with his toes in the water as they claimed there was not enough room on the blanket. He didn't mind. Curtis claimed the cupcake Mrs. Daisy baked did not have enough frosting so it was harshly thrust to Henry so Curtis could claim another. He sat happily munching on the sweet cake and stared down into the clear, blue water and watched the schools of minnows around his toes. Sometimes, they'd skim the tops of his feet and Henry would giggle.

"Quit that!" Mr. Doofly would shout. With Uncle Vincent shouting and guffawing loudly at everything Curtis and Ross were saying, coupled with Curtis and Ross' loud munching on crisps...it was no wonder they were not catching a single thing. Henry watched the minnows some more until a rock splashed and scattered them. Henry whipped around to see it had been thrown by Curtis. He and Ross stomped to where Henry was sitting and peered down.

"Leave it to the small wimpy Puffer make friends with the small wimpiest fish in the whole dang lake!" Cutis was guffawing and Ross threw another rock in to try and crush a minnow.

"I'm trying to stay away, you guys. Like you want," Henry pointed out.

"Yeah well we got bored and Daddy's watching our poles," Curtis spat. "Say, Puffer? Can you swim?" He turns his head to Ross with a wry smile.

"Yeah...I'd fancy I'd like to know if Puffer can swim?"

Henry's heart began to drum very fast and loud and the bigger boys began to mimic pushing him in. Henry tried his best not to flinch and topple over the dock into the water...but they were getting very close to actually touch him. Would they do it?

"Boys! One of these poles actually has gotten something!" Uncle Vincent called. Curtis and Ross ran fast, shaking the whole dock which almost knocked Henry off anyway. Steadying himself, he looked back down at the surface to see the minnows pooling again at his feet. Were they...looking up at him?

"I'm sorry you guys. He's a jerk to everyone." The school by Henry's toes consisted of about thirty...and all thirty tiny creatures in unison seemed to nod their bodies. Henry straightened up and looked towards the sun. Light reflection? What was that? When he looked back at the water he had to stifle a cry out.

JERK

That was what was spelled out by all of the minnows in the school. Once Henry read it three times, the minnows scattered and fell back into formation. Wondering what he could do to make something happen again, he whispered towards the water's surface.

WE HAVE ONE TOO

"A bully? I'm sorry to hear that...I wish I could help but…"

"DANG IT DADDY IT GOT AWAY! IT'S YOUR FAULT" Curtis was fake crying now and Henry did not chance to stare longer. He focused back on the school of minnows that had reformed their school.

"By the way they're going, no bully of yours is going to get caught...and I'm not allowed to fish so...I'm sorry. What's your bully look like?"

BIG BASS

"Ah...I see. I guess...if it helps any...you can be proud, you know. You guys may be small individually but you...you have each other. When you work as a team...I bet you get a lot done. Me? I'm...all alone...I know what's going on isn't right. Just bide my time until I can leave but," he sighed, "sometimes I wish I knew if I had a teammate out there...someone on my side." His eyes scanned the bottom until he saw a huge brown, ugly bass hovering dangerously close to his pod of minnows. "Ah yes...I see him...I see him…"

The minnow friends began to splash and splutter around.

"Hey you brute...pick on someone your own size…" Henry tried to keep low and menacingly. Perhaps to scare the bass...or not to raise attention to his dreaded human company. But the minnows were gleefully splashing around...which got Curis' attention.

"DADDY!" His heavy running steps coupled with Ross' shook the dock again. "THEY'RE BITING BY HENRY! THAT MORON WANTED TO SPOIL MY DAY AND NOT TELL ME!" Henry clamored to his feet.

"What...no...that's...it was just starting to…"

"DUH Rule FIVE, boy," Uncle Vincent said and made his way over. The added weight of both Mr. Doofly walking towards the edge of the dock, Curtis stomping in a tantrum, Ross throwing more rocks to disturb the minnow friends, and Henry's weight set off a chain reaction that happened so fast to this day Henry couldn't believe it.

Henry fell in. The cool water surrounded him and he kicked his legs and arms. When he surfaced, he saw that same huge bass leap out of the water, smacking Ross in the face and sending him on his bottom. Bouncing off of the boy, Curtis reached out and the bony fins sliced a tiny gash on his wrist. His shrieking was completely unnecessary for the given injury. At last, the fish hit the dock and Uncle Vincent stomped once, twice, thrice, and four times on the flapping fish until it no longer flapped and lay motionless except it's gasping gills. Aunt Daisy, who had been sunning on the picnic blanket, came running with a net and scooped it up.

Ashamed, Henry allowed himself to sink until everything above his nose was the only thing above the water. While he was glad to watch Ross get up angrily, rubbing his bum, Curtis sucking dramatically on his wrist, and Uncle Vincent screaming about "devil fish" Henry knew he was going to get it. He eyed the dying big bass in Aunt Daisy's net and thought of his minnow friends.

Thank you Henry. We really appreciate it! You're a great friend.

Henry splashed sporadically to try to locate that high, speaky voice coming from under the water but instead, he just saw his school of minnow friends zip past and out of sight towards the middle of the lake.

The car ride home, Henry had to sit on a blanket as Curtis and Ross claimed the fish was rigged by Henry to kill them somehow and how they were never going to eat or look at fish again. When Ross' mother picked him up and the door was closed. Henry finally got it. He had to stay in his closet in his wet clothes. Not allowed to change and not allowed supper.

Times like these were when Henry would close his eyes and have his recurring daydream where some far away relation would come and rescue him from this household and family. He knew it would never happen. He strained his brain to remember anything about his parents. Or their deaths. Nothing. Babies do not have that advanced of cognition yet to do such things, unfortunately. Sometimes, if Henry was dragged to Moonlight Falls...people in funny clothes would stare at him and do a poor job of pretending they weren't. Aunt Daisy would pick him up and drag him away. She never picked him up for any other reason.

"Thank you Henry. We really appreciate it. You're a great friend."

No one, not human or...fish...had ever said something so nice to him before. He had felt like a hero today. He had felt like a friend today. Even at school, no one would try to be Henry's friend because everyone knew Curtis hated Henry and if you even gave an inkling of liking something Curtis hated, him and Ross would beat the snot out of you. So Henry fell asleep with his good feelings keeping him warm in his cold, damp bed that was making his memory foam soggy and even colder. He dreamt of minnows with jade eyes, flashes of light, and horrendous cackling and agonizing screaming.